Chicago Bears Need to Put Down the Grass and Get 21st Century Turf in that Joint
Published by Gene Chamberlain on September 22, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have taken one step into the 21st century with a quarterback who can actually pass, and the makings of a receiver corps to complement him.
Now it’s time for the franchise to take another step into the 21st century and get a home field playing surface that complements their playing style.
To some this may sound like blasphemy, but the Bears need to go to a Field Turf playing surface.
Sunday’s game was a complete joke. I arrived at my seat in the press box, looked down and saw seams all over the field where the three-inch sod had been put down during the previous week following the U2 concert.
The rain Sunday during the 17-14 win over Pittsburgh only made the field conditions worse. Charles Tillman slipped a couple times trying to cover receivers. It may have even been a factor in Jeff Reed missing two field goals for Pittsburgh, but he wouldn’t blame it on the conditions because he’s used to kicking on the NFL’s worst playing surface in Heinz Field.
When you’ve finally gone out and acquired a quarterback with a legitimate arm like Jay Cutler, and receivers with speed and promise like Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are on the field, you’re only shooting yourself in the foot to play on a slow, torn up field every year.
And make no mistake, this is a constant problem. It happens every year. The Chicago Park District maintains Soldier Field and they’ve never been able to grow grass there properly since the original artificial surface was torn up in 1988. A couple decades is enough of a chance to prove you can do it. They can’t.
The park district is a complete joke for several reasons, including the fact they are soaking each media member $35 per game to use wireless Internet in the press box. But that’s the least of their screw ups.
It’s not just the Bears’ new-found passing attack that would benefit from an artificial playing surface. Their defense is a one-gap, up-the-field attacking style that relies on speed. They always seem to look quicker and create more turnovers when they play on artificial surfaces in Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
It would be ideal for both the offense and defense, and it would be easier for the clownish park district to maintain. Regardless, it will probably never happen because the city wants grass there so Olympic soccer can be held there in 2016—another travesty.
It’s time to bust the sod, lay down the rubberized modern Field Turf, and leave the grass and mud in Chicago Bears history.
No ugly looking sod seams, no more slipping on sod that hasn’t taken hold yet, no more stupid belief that “Bears Football” has to be on grass or mud.
The future has arrived for the Bears and it’s time they could fully step onto it.
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