Bears Soldier On With Subpar Field

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Aug 9, 2011 2:00PM

While the Chicago Park District pronounced Soldier Field's turf ready to go for the Bears' Saturday night preseason opener, that's likely to do little to settle the brewing debate about replacing the playing surface.

The Tribune's David Haugh even took the plight all the way to Rahm Emanuel's office in a column yesterday, calling for the mayor to hold people accountable since the Park District falls within the city hierarchy.

The latest calls for pulling up the natural grass in favor of artificial turf grew after Friday's cancellation of Family Night, where fans were supposed to watch the Bears practice at Soldier Field. Apparently, the Park District didn't water the field adequately prior to Family Night and, because the field wasn't in proper condition, the team cancelled the event over fears that uneven seams in the turf could cause injuries. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher expressed his displeasure with the current field surface, "It's a joke," Urlacher said. "I don't understand (why) they can't have the field ready." Soldier Field general manager Tim LeFevour took responsibility for Friday's poor conditions.

The playing surface at Soldier Field was changed 23 years ago, when AstroTruf was removed and real grass put down in its place. Player safety was cited at the time, but the newer artificial surfaces are more forgiving and safer than the ones of the past. Now, players consider the unevenness of the real green stuff to be a bigger threat to their careers. Said speedster Devin Hester, "I like artificial grass: no pot holes, no dips in the ground, and things like that. When you're coming out of breaks (on FieldTurf), it's a nice, tight grip. ... Coming out of your breaks is easier and you don't have to worry about slipping and things like that. It's more consistent."

We're sure this is just the beginning of this argument, as the Bears have repeatedly faced turf issues late in the season as game after game take their toll. Given the problems and the half-million dollar price tag for maintaining the real grass, maybe it's time to install the fake stuff at Soldier Field. In the meantime, would it hurt the Park District to get some pointers from Roger Bossard?