Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

[Kemo]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

I currently coach in high School in Texas. This last summer we got a new artificial surface (Astro Play). With the change in technology it is difficult to tell the difference between the two at times. It allows us to practice anytime we want and the five soccer games they play on it in one week doesn't tear up the field anymore.

Thank you for your input Phattie70 and welcome to the board!

[Jacks99]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Add maintenance costs to the benefit list of FieldTurf.

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pb...9986/1002/NEWS

"In May 2007, FieldTurf was the athletic surface for 2,000 sports facilities worldwide. For 48,000 hours of use, the maintenance of FieldTurf costs $15.21 an hour compared to $65.71 for real turf, according to FieldTurf’s literature."

Not sure how they come up with 48,000 hours of use.

I'm in the "keep it real" camp, but if this is accurate than we may not be able to afford not to change.

[Bisonmanmanman]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Mud, rain, and snow aren't anything new. Like football, it was here before us and it will be here after us, so everybody knows how to play in bad weather and field conditions. Personally I like to keep the outcome of football games in the hands of the players and out of the hands of mother nature.

That, of course, is why NDSU plays in a dome... we feel that we're better than everyone (we are) and don't want field conditions to affect the outcome of the game.

Sorry I had to squeeze in some Bison reference there. What it comes down to though is the more weather variables in a game the more likely your team's play will be affected. There's no reason to think that Jackrabbit players won't slip in the mud and the opponents will.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Mud, rain, and snow aren't anything new. Like football, it was here before us and it will be here after us, so everybody knows how to play in bad weather and field conditions. Personally I like to keep the outcome of football games in the hands of the players and out of the hands of mother nature.

That, of course, is why NDSU plays in a dome... we feel that we're better than everyone (we are) and don't want field conditions to affect the outcome of the game.

Sorry I had to squeeze in some Bison reference there. What it comes down to though is the more weather variables in a game the more likely your team's play will be affected. There's no reason to think that Jackrabbit players won't slip in the mud and the opponents will.

You do realize that you devalue any shred of legitimacy to your sterile-field argument when you make such a disprovable and, one might say, arrogant claim about being better than everyone. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are just kidding around about being better than everyone.

However, taking seriously the merits of your argument, I will point out that the Jacks have been better than than the Bison the past two years in two widely variable field conditions: First in Coughlin's natural world, then in the hermetically sealed anti-weather-dome you call home. If I recall, some - not all, but some - of your fans complained that the players didn't decide matters, that officials did. So no matter the surface or the air temp, there will always be "variables." Like the all-conference quarterback that gets hurt in the beginning of a game and his backup comes in and pulls his team to victory despite his own injury. The Jacks won with that "variable" in the HermeticDome last year.

If God wanted football to be played indoors, he wouldn't have created Bronco Nagurski or allowed us to memorialize the Ice Bowl or to revel in our Adam Vinatieri's triumphant kick over the crossbar and Mother Nature. There'd be no sweet-earth context to those great photos of our mud-and-grass-splattered Jackrabbits celebrating the Great West/Dakota Marker victory two years back. Something about that picture says hard-earned and well-earned that you just don't get from rug burns and air conditioning indoors, in the middle of November.


BTW, believe the Dakota Marker Game will be outdoors again this year, so that should give you and your let's-play-inside buds time to work on the woe-is-the-weather excuses.

This Jack Fan thinks the only football-related shelter necessary is the one to keep our Dakota Marker high and dry in Brookings. Drop in and visit sometime. I hear the temperature is always 70-73 degrees around the Marker, give or take a degree or two. Comfy even for visitors.

[Bisonmanmanman]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Sorry, that was about as friendly humor between rival fans can get but it's hard to get smiles out of some people. The point I was trying to make is there's always going to be variables in every game. There's the refs, the fans, the freak injuries, the food at the hotel the night before... who knows what all can change the outcome of the game, but what I do know is the more outside factors that affect the game the greater chance the worst team could win (don't get your panties about in a bunch about the last Dakota Marker game in Brookings, we choked and it wasn't the field's fault). Why would someone not want to at least install some field turf in that case? I'm taking the word of someone else on this thread and saying that even Adam Vinitari has slipped and fell.

[zooropa]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

the more outside factors that affect the game the greater chance the worst team could win

But, conversely, shouldn't a team maximize its 'home field' advantage?

When the only on-field difference (for visiting teams) between playing UNI & NDSU is the relative boorishness of UNI's PA operator, well, IMO, you've missed an opportunity to give your team an extra advantage.

However, I think outdoor football in Fargo would not generate as much money because, hey, it IS colder in Fargo than it is in Brookings, late in the season.

---

I would like to see SDSU keep grass, or at worst, go with the hybrid turf. Keeping grass probably means resodding in late October, if the team expects to host playoff games (as the field is borderline unplayable by the last home game of the year), and I don't know if the administration cares to pay that price.

[91jack]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Mud, rain, and snow aren't anything new. Like football, it was here before us and it will be here after us, so everybody knows how to play in bad weather and field conditions. Personally I like to keep the outcome of football games in the hands of the players and out of the hands of mother nature.

That, of course, is why NDSU plays in a dome... we feel that we're better than everyone (we are) and don't want field conditions to affect the outcome of the game.

Sorry I had to squeeze in some Bison reference there. What it comes down to though is the more weather variables in a game the more likely your team's play will be affected. There's no reason to think that Jackrabbit players won't slip in the mud and the opponents will.

I think this is a real advantage for SDSU. The game this year is in Oct. but I prefer it when it's in Nov. NDSU doesn't play as well in the cold. They are a good team but cold weather effects them. I think the players(moving around) aren't as cold as the fans but some teams don't like the elements(cold, rain, snow, wind). They worry about the cold or cramps so they don't get as good of a break on the ball.
UNI and NDSU use loud music and SDSU has the cold. Granted SDSU can't even use cow bells anymore so the PA system should be outlawed, too. I guess that's another discussion.
Turf would be nice for a couple games a year but that's about it. Grass just makes things more interesting. Remember the SDSU/NDSU game a couple years ago, how about the Notre Dame/USC game. The grass was too tall in both of those games. I like hearing teams complain about the grass being a quarter of an inch too high. Both teams have to play in the same elements at SDSU. Unlike the PA system at some places.

[SturgisJeff]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Some teams also design the field for their advantage. Every one knows the field is higher in the middle and slopes towards the sidelines for drainage. I think it was some pro or college team the slope was higher than usual so the opponents not realizing it and not used to it would overthrow on the sideline paterns while the home team would hit those routes. field turf takes that away.

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

Some teams also design the field for their advantage. Every one knows the field is higher in the middle and slopes towards the sidelines for drainage. I think it was some pro or college team the slope was higher than usual so the opponents not realizing it and not used to it would overthrow on the sideline paterns while the home team would hit those routes. field turf takes that away.

That reminds of the football field in Arlington.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

I'm too old for that field, in my day we were at the baseball field. Always interesting because the baseball diamond had no grass in the infield. If it rained a little, the grass could be more slick than the dirt, add a little more rain and the dirt was worse, add a little more rain and it didn't matter.

[boxerboy]

Re: Practice Facilities and Artificial Surface

I'm too old for that field, in my day we were at the baseball field. Always interesting because the baseball diamond had no grass in the infield. If it rained a little, the grass could be more slick than the dirt, add a little more rain and the dirt was worse, add a little more rain and it didn't matter.

I remember winning two games on that field vs. the Cardinals.