Rogers Centre is installing a new age artificial turf surface that is supposed to be far superior to the current field turf that is used at Rogers Centre and plenty of other CFL stadiums. Could this be a start of a new trend?
from the Toronto Sun:
While the FieldTurf cost the Rogers Centre around $2 million to install in 2005 and is something of a nightmare to move around — it consists of 1,398 trays — AstroTurf, which has a partnership with Major League Baseball, cost about $1.5 million, according to Kelly Keyes, the Blue Jays vice-president of building surfaces. They got a deal on the price while AstroTurf gets a professional team to showcase the product.
Instead of the panels, AstroTurf arrives in rolls that are 200 feet by 15 feet. That will make it a lot easier for the baseball field to convert to the football field for CFL and NFL games.
So what does the new stuff look and feel like? The answer is that it looks and feels much like FieldTurf as it has artificial blades of grass and rubber pellets to absorb any shock.
The difference between the new AstroTurf and FieldTurf is with the way the artificial roots are weaved — and we’re not talking Donald Trump’s hair.
“The difference in this product from FieldTurf is that (AstroTurf) has a root zone, a nylon root zone,? company president Bryan Peeples said. “The root zone holds the infield in, keeps the rubber and sand from being displaced. It’s what makes us far superior from the other brands out there.
“You don’t have the displacement of the rubber in the infield so you don’t have any dead spots in the field and as the players are running across the field you don’t have the humps and bumps you would normally get if you don’t have a root zone.?
If this type of turf soes what is suggested in the article, then BC Place for one should also consider changing brands since their current turf has tons of visible seams and looks like crap both live and on TV.
I think it's great for the advancements made in turf in only the last 10 years since the dreaded old hard and injury-prone AstroTurf for sure.
This newer version of AstroTurf sounds better already than FieldTurf with no more of that mysterious "dust" showing when players cut or hit the ground hard especially when viewing in HD.
The fieldturf at BC Place will be moved outdoors to Empire Field this season, with BC Place getting brand new turf for 2011, not sure which brand, though.
I was hoping there would be natural grass in BC. I wish all outdoor stadiums could go back to natural grass. Would love to see a late October, early November mud bowl.
I actually enjoyed watching that game. I believe it was a monday nighter too.
I should make the treck out to Western or Queens this season, I have been to York and u of t but have found high school games more entertaining than those two in recent years
True, yes, but still it's all part of the elements that come into play once in a while and I think add to the character of a league or game. Once in a while that is, rarely that is. I like watching golf sometimes when the winds are so crazy the ball on the green starts moving on its own sometimes and player sits there and watches it. Too funny.
I would rather they keep the natural grass at Empire Field, since that's what's growing there now, but they decided to cover it up with turf. Not sure what they're going to do with the used Fieldturf in BC, but I imagine it would be waterlogged after a Vancouver Fall. The soccer team won't be using Empire Field this year, but the new MLS team will use it in Spring 2011 until the BC Place retractable dome (and new turf) are finished.
Yeah I do remember liking it, was it the best game I saw? no, but it was different, plus I hate the Dolphins and they were 0 and something. Remember this is before the 0-16 Lions. I remember thinking is this going to end 0-0 the steelers had a few good drives in the first quarter then the field was mush. backs floppy all over the place, wide outs falling down. It was better than the Cleveland-Buffalo game this past year, or the Bomber-Argo in August.
Lucky for me, I didn't see either of those games. :lol: You know, looking back at the Steelers-Dolphins game, it is fun to laugh at ... but watching, man, that was brutal. If I remember correctly, the FG was a longish one, and the Steelers only gambled on it because no one could sustain a drive. :lol:
Yeah I paid money to watch both those games (although I attended only the Argo game, gave the bills game away). Can you believe it the one Sunday with no CFL game on in October
Thats what makes for a classic game. The Ice Bowl wasnt played in a dome, the 1950 Grey Cup wasnt on FieldTurf and so on and so forth. Although its not my favourite sport, playing in ALL weather conditions is what seperates football from other sports such as baseball (seperates the men from the boys)
The soccer team won't be using Empire Field this year, but the new MLS team will use it in Spring 2011 until the BC Place retractable dome (and new turf) are finished.