The Park District Bears Down

Soldier Field is under the control of the Chicago Park District. And, on the whole, they do a pretty good job. The climate in Chicago isn't the most friendly for a natural grass surface, so sometimes they need a little help.

From Sherwin-Williams.

Example 1:



Example 2:



Notice how the end zone is just a little greener than the field or the area behind the end zone? The logos are also nice and bright. No one can fault them for touching up at this point in the season. But it's curious why they didn't spruce up their midfield logo.

I'm going to put out a feeler to the CPD to find out why the sidelines and goal lines were painted red.



The Bears will be able to check out a well maintained midfield logo this Sunday when they travel to Lambeau Field to take on their division-rival Packers.



Until next time.

If Toronto Can Do It, Why Can't Chicago?

Pictured above is BMO Field in Toronto. It is home to Toronto FC of the MLS. The photo shows the FieldTurf being torn out. As I write crews are working on the transition to a state-of-the-art natural grass field.

I'll repeat that: Toronto FC will have a natural grass field. Kentucky bluegrass, to be specific.

It won't be easy. Full article here. Money quote:

The 7,850-square metre playing field will be the first major sports field in Canada to employ a SubAir System, which acts like a huge underground vacuum to pull away excess water. The technology, used on the greens of such renowned golf courses as Augusta National, Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass, also forces air from pipes underneath the soil to the surface, increasing the rate at which the field will dry.

In addition to the SubAir technology, an elaborate heating coil system that warms the soil is being installed. It will ensure BMO Field is ready no matter the conditions during the long Major League Soccer season, which begins in March and can stretch to November.

and

Finally, at the end of March, 2.5-centimetre thick sod will be laid. No matter what the weather, the heating, SubAir and irrigation systems will have it firmly rooted in time for the first game.

Not only will Toronto have natural grass, there are others in the north that have it too:

• Invesco at Mile High - Denver Broncos - DD GrassMaster with SubAir
• Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Colorado Rapids - natural grass SubAir
• Rio Tinto Stadium - Real Salt Lake - natural grass with SubAir
• Lambeau Field - Green Bay Packers - DD GrassMaster

So let's just stop all this nonsense about the Bears switching to FieldTurf or another artificial surface.

Until next time!

Catsup!!

No major theme today, just lots of little things that have been building up.

• November 3 I posted about how I saw some college conference logos were placed between the yard line markers and the hash marks. I thought, at the time, this was unusual. Further research shows that it's pretty standard. Here's the Cincinnati Bearcats, they put theirs on the 20 yard line. Also, notice also their yard line markers are in red with the white drop shadow. The Clemson Tigers have theirs on the 25 yard line (which seems to be a standard placement) and also have a ribbon. The undefeated Florida Gators have theirs on the 35 yard line, and have their Gator logo out there too. I haven's seen any Big Ten schools with the conference logo at all.
• Speaking of the Big Ten, the Iowa Hawkeyes have been having a good season. I've been waiting a while to post this. Let's take a look at this shot from the Iowa/Michigan game about a month back. Take a look at the 10 yard line marker. It seems every football team has a different look for their yard lines. What does Iowa use? A check of this site reveals the Hawkeyes use....helvetica!!
• I can't tell what typeface LSU uses but they like to label every 5 yard line, not just the 10s. I also love their 'tiger eye' logo at midfield. The way they 'fade' it at the edges is outstanding. One of my favorite college midfields.
• Clemson University has their paw at midfield and in the end zone. Nice!
• The Denver Broncos end zone is unchanged since October 9. They have a Legacy game November 22, we'll see if they make any changes then.
• How many football teams put their city (or state) name in one end zone, and their nickname in the other? I don't know, I'm going to have to start keeping track of this. This past weekend reveals the Chicago Bears do it.
• College basketball season is ramping up. Here's a shot from a 1955 NC State/Clemson game at Reynolds Coliseum. Notice how narrow the lane is. And how short the shorts are.
• Ahh the Raiders. A once proud NFL team on hard times. Their field is on hard times as well. To be fair, their facility is also home to the Oakland A's. The conversion to football is not going well. The sad looking area is the second base area. I'm not sure why the area behind second base was replaced, but it looks terrible.
• The Miami Dolphins midfield classic logo.
• The Steelers recently replaced the 'main street' down the center of Heinz Field. Looks like the Chiefs need to do the same.
• Lastly...NASCAR! I love racing and it was in nearby Martinsville recently. When entering their pit box, it is critical that the driver parks their car/truck in the right spot. Check out the detail that Kevin Harvick's team achieved in marking his spot. Not so much for this team.

Well, that should do it for now.

Until next time!

Sweetness

I'm under the weather so this will be a short one.

On November 1, 1999 Walter Payton died. The Chicago Bears marked the anniversary of his death with a simple blue football with an orange "34" on the 34 yard line.

Walter Payton's wife, Connie, and their two children, Brittney and Jarrett made an appearance at halftime while a Payton highlight film was shown at Soldier field.

I had a tough time getting a good picture of the markers.

Here's one, and here's another.

Until next time!

U2 Sod...the conclusion!

In its wake, the U2 tour is leaving sod at stadiums across the nation

Soldier Field, Chicago Bears

The entire grass field at the stadium is being replaced this week, as is usually done before the Bears home opener. But this year, officials decided to wait until after the U2 concerts over the weekend. "This has been planned all along," team spokesman Scott Hagel said. "And it isn't unusual. Prior to every regular season opener, portions of the field are re-sodded. So this is something we have done annually."

FedEx Field, Washington Redskins

After U2 played at FedEx Field Tuesday night, the sod was not replaced before Sunday's Bucs-Redskins game.

But the Redskins have announced that the sod will be replaced after the game.

Which explains why the field looked awful.

Scott Stadium, Virginia Cavaliers

UVa doesn't expect to be that fortunate this time. U2's stage, located in the stadium's south end, is massive. Aluminum panels stretching about 75 yards, from the south end zone to the opposite 35-yard line, will cover much of the field for more than a week.

"It's likely the grass will die and not be safe and playable," Bauman said.

Still, a final decision won't come until Oct. 4, when all the concert equipment has been removed. UVa's football team has five home games left, starting Oct. 10, and the Virginia High School League will play two state finals at Scott Stadium on Dec. 12.

Live Nation, which is promoting the concert, will bear the financial responsibility if the field must be replaced.

"This has been a partnership with Live Nation," Bauman said. "They understand we have football games to play. They want that to go well for us, and they want the concert to go well, too."

If the field has to be replaced, a Charlotte-based company, Carolina Green, will begin removing the playing surface Oct. 4. A day later, the installation of thick cut sod, grown for UVa in Maryland, will begin.

Carter-Finley Stadium, NC State Wolfpack

According to athletic director Lee Fowler, concert organizers have put money in the six-figure range in escrow to build a new field after the concert. Of that money, some will be spent on resodding immediately after the concert, with the rest left for work after the season if necessary.

School officials have consulted with experts who have completed similar turf rebuilding efforts after shows in other stadiums, but they are anxious to see the results.

Coming Soon:

• Hockey season is here!
• More on the Broncos season-long Legacy project!