You may have seen what Soldier Field’s playing field looked like before Saturday’s Bears-Chiefs game. It looked like people were practicing their nine-iron shots ahead of a Masters round with all the divots, when the real reason for the field’s raw shape was a recent Elton John concert.
Elton John concert leaves Soldier Field turf in rotten shape
NFLPA President and free-agent center J.C. Tretter was not amused.
The NFL said that this field met minimum testing standards. We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new testing metrics looking at the performance and safety of every field. The NFL can and should do better. pic.twitter.com/Vh1NDgLQBk
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) August 13, 2022
Per the NFL’s operations website, here’s what’s supposed to go into assessing whether a natural playing field is acceptable for play:
Natural surfaces are tested for moisture content at the same time they are tested for hardness. Within 48 hours after a game, the field is also subject to a stability test, which measures how well it held up.
There is no single way to define exactly when a field is stable or when it should be resurfaced, so the league relies on an expert’s opinion. Field experts use the online Gameday Field Surface Reporting System to grade fields in three areas:
- Surface shear (how easily grass separates from the soil), measured in nine locations
- Percentage of the field covered by grass, measured in nine locations
- Overall rating on a scale from 1 to 10
These criteria determine whether a surface is fine or needs to be repaired or replaced.
As it turns out, the Bears’ home turf may get worse before it gets better,
Soldier Field will be 100% re-sodded after Rammstein concert and before Sept 11 opener. That has been plan all along. You can’t just go to the sod store and replace your field without pre-planning. Field where stage was for Elton John was replaced before today’s game.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 13, 2022
So… Rammstein, if you’re not familiar, is a German Goth-Metal band with perhaps the most insane pyro show you’ve ever seen. They’re set to play Soldier Field on Saturday, September 3, which gives everybody just over a week to recover from THIS before the Bears welcome the 49ers for the regular season opener on Sunday, September 11.
Yeah… good luck with that.