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We're not talking WWII detroyer battles here. It's the debate on playing surfaces that has rages since the inception of astroturf way back when.
The newest target is FieldTurf, and the newest argument has a recent study indicating that the incidence of ACL injuries and ankle sprains rise significantly when teams use FieldTurf, which was supposedly more player-friendly. Here's the Associated Press article on the study and opposing viewpoints.
It's a legitimate concern here because the Giants use FieldTurf. It's in the TPC fieldhouse. It was in the old Giants Stadium. It'll be used in the new Meadowlands Stadium. The issue kind of makes one think about the injuries the Giants had this year -- about Ahmad Bradshaw's twin ankle sprains and Brandon Jacobs' knee problems, and Kenny Phillips' arthritic knee. Though neither Jacobs' nor Phillips' probblems involved the ACL.
It should be noted that both sides agree that more study is needed before a concrete conclusion is reached about FieldTurf's safety. But one thing is a certainty among players. They'd much prefer good old grass to any of the artificial stuff. Their top four fields in this year's NFLPA survey of best fields? Arizona, San Diego, Tampa, and Carolina -- all grass. Four of the next six, however, were FieldTurf surfaces.
EP
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This really is a question left for "Dan." After all he paid for the turf. ahahhh ahahhah ahahha
ReplyDeleteField turf better than that astro-turf. Played on both surfaces. Real grass will always be the best, but (knock on wood) never gotten the injuries on field turf that I did astro-turf. Then again, I played football on astro-turf and rugby on field turf.
ReplyDeleteI said it when they first made the switch: they are going to have a serious increase in some kinds of injuries - particularly soft and connective tissue ones.
ReplyDeleteAnd they have, in spades.
Very short-sighted cost-benefit analysis. I think
Arizona, San Diego, Tampa, and Carolina -- all grass.
ReplyDelete-----------
all nice, warm climates where its pretty easy to look after a pitch in the winter.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a case of "what goes around, comes around"
When the original ASTROTURF burst upon the sports scene in the mid to late 1960's...it was hailed as the playing surface of the future.
In truth, and Ernie can please elaborate on this issue, NFL Commish at the time, Pete Rozelle, wanted the game to look 'pretty' on TV! Rozelle was tired of the mudfests that
developed on NFL fields in the
November/December games. For those that are not familiar, many ballparks in those days were 'shared' with Baseball teams, therefore, the fields were a tattered mess by the time the Giants played in Yankee Stadium or the Jets played in Shea. After the success of the Astrodome, Rozelle made it his mission to get turf added to most ballparks, or have new parks built with astroturf.
I unfortunately played soccer on the old style of astroturf..... it was terrible!