Once Upon A "Sod" Time

[Bob Lamb]

I was lucky enough to be a freshman at UB and was able to attend the last game at the Rockpile. 21-21 tie against the Lions.

The next season opened the Orchard Park stadium. The traffic was horrendous as no prior, proper, planning had occurred. Buses of all types were stalled on the I-90 with passengers running to the bushes to answer nature’s call.

What about sod? Everything had been laid out quickly and haphazardly. After the game – fans seeking to leave ran all over the slopes and dislodged the sod.  Fun time sledding! I still know the owner of Lakeside Sod (Clarence Center) and he said they replaced everything over the next few days.  He was also not invited to supply the 2026 grass field which is already getting replaced.

 

Didn't the NFL go to artifical turf because players complained?

 

https://keystonesportsconstruction.com/why-the-nfl-is-using-artificial-turf/

 

My local high school is putting in artificial crap 

NFL Greed has grown out of control – my last season ticket (100 level - 1998) cost $67. I will only see the new stadium from overhead by blimp.

[SoCal Deek]

Couple of things….

 

First, I was also at that last game against the Lions. My memory is that it was cold and dreary. 

 

Second, many high schools have artificial turf. The major reason is playability. Unlike an NFL stadium, your local high school hosts games and practices for multiple sports for both boys and girls teams. Natural grass takes a pounding with that type of use. 

[Casual fan]

100 level seats for $67?? Holy cow. That's a shock. I hadn't kept track of how much it has gone up!

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

Couple of things….

 

First, I was also at that last game against the Lions. My memory is that it was cold and dreary. 

 

Second, many high schools have artificial turf. The major reason is playability. Unlike an NFL stadium, your local high school hosts games and practices for multiple sports for both boys and girls teams. Natural grass takes a pounding with that type of use. 

 

Add to that high schools don't have the maintenance staff or $$ for the upkeep of grass. 

[JaBu]

7 hours ago, Bob Lamb said:

 

NFL Greed has grown out of control – my last season ticket (100 level - 1998) cost $67. I will only see the new stadium from overhead by blimp.

 

 

Lucky you, I've always wanted to ride in the blimp! 

 

 

😉

[Dan Darragh]

10 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

The major reason is playability.

The most important ability is playability. 

[SoCal Deek]

2 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

The most important ability is playability. 

That too! 😁

[Augie]

11 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Couple of things….

 

First, I was also at that last game against the Lions. My memory is that it was cold and dreary. 

 

Second, many high schools have artificial turf. The major reason is playability. Unlike an NFL stadium, your local high school hosts games and practices for multiple sports for both boys and girls teams. Natural grass takes a pounding with that type of use. 

 

My son’s best friend got a concussion in his first high school game on artificial turf. Sure, it looks cool, but it’s as hard as the parking lot. 

[SoCal Deek]

Just now, Augie said:

 

My son’s best friend got a concussion in his first high school game on artificial turf. Sure, it looks cool, but it’s as hard as the parking lot. 

I’m sorry your son’s friend got hurt but I’m guessing that was a few years ago? The modern version of artificial turf that we specify has a shock coefficient rating (yes, that’s an actual thing) that rivals natural grass. I’ve been the architect for something close to 100 fields, and haven’t had the complaints from either coaches or players. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. As I said earlier, for high school, it’s the difference between artificial turf and dirt (not grass) because with Title IX there are so many more teams playing on the varsity field. 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I’m sorry your son’s friend got hurt but I’m guessing that was a few years ago? The modern version of artificial turf that we specify has a shock coefficient rating (yes, that’s an actual thing) that rivals natural grass. I’ve been the architect for something close to 100 fields, and haven’t had the complaints from either coaches or players. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. As I said earlier, for high school, it’s the difference between artificial turf and dirt (not grass) because with Title IX there are so many more teams playing on the varsity field. 

 

High schools aren't going to deal with the upkeep of sod fields. 

[Arkady Renko]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

High schools aren't going to deal with the upkeep of sod fields. 

Yet somehow most high schools were able to operate on grass fields for most of the history of football in every climate. 

[SoCal Deek]

Just now, Arkady Renko said:

Yet somehow most high schools were able to operate on grass fields for most of the history of football in every climate. 

Much has changed over the decades. As someone cited, the cost of maintaining a grass field is one factor. While the payback point on an artificial field is something like seven years it’s actually more complicated than that as regular maintenance comes out of a school districts General Fund; the installation cost of the artificial field is most often funded by a one time Bond issuance. And…I’ll keep stating that the expansion in Girls sports as a mandated factor of Title IX has significantly increased the ‘varsity’ field usage for both games and practice. 
 

Hope that helps. 

[4th&long]

3 minutes ago, Arkady Renko said:

Yet somehow most high schools were able to operate on grass fields for most of the history of football in every climate. 

This is why you can’t discuss football fields people just don’t get it. 
 

my high school football field looked like ***** by the end of the season and just the jv and varsity football teams played on it. And we didn’t practice on it either. The soccer team has their own field. 

[PromoTheRobot]

22 minutes ago, Arkady Renko said:

Yet somehow most high schools were able to operate on grass fields for most of the history of football in every climate. 

 

And they were usually azz. Bare spots and hard as rock. At least they were in WNY.

Edited September 1 by PromoTheRobot

[T bone]

What is really needed in WNY is turf for the baseball and softball diamonds.   The HS season starts earlier and earlier and it is virtually impossible to play baseball on grass here in March/april due to the amount of rain we get that time of year.   Clarence has a beautiful turf field as does Depew.  I think Depew actually rents out their field also as during their are games usually going there until 10pm at night most days.  I live in Lancaster, and they are scrambling every season to get early games played at home.  The girls softball team is a powerhouse, usually goes/wins states and there are seasons that they only get to play a few homes games due to the weather.   I know the turf for the baseball/softball has been voted down several times.   

 

I think the bills made a big mistake not installing turf and they will eventually come around in the next few years and bring back artificial turf field.  

[SoCal Deek]

9 minutes ago, T bone said:

What is really needed in WNY is turf for the baseball and softball diamonds.   The HS season starts earlier and earlier and it is virtually impossible to play baseball on grass here in March/april due to the amount of rain we get that time of year.   Clarence has a beautiful turf field as does Depew.  I think Depew actually rents out their field also as during their are games usually going there until 10pm at night most days.  I live in Lancaster, and they are scrambling every season to get early games played at home.  The girls softball team is a powerhouse, usually goes/wins states and there are seasons that they only get to play a few homes games due to the weather.   I know the turf for the baseball/softball has been voted down several times.   

 

I think the bills made a big mistake not installing turf and they will eventually come around in the next few years and bring back artificial turf field.  

Believe it or not, artificial turf is becoming more popular for baseball and softball. It was resisted for years by the traditional baseball crowd who consider field maintenance to be somewhat of a religious right of passage. But as time goes by we’ve installed quite few artificial infields as well as batting circles, etc. It’s been a slow change but we are seeing it. 

[DasNootz]

7 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Believe it or not, artificial turf is becoming more popular for baseball and softball. It was resisted for years by the traditional baseball crowd who consider field maintenance to be somewhat of a religious right of passage. But as time goes by we’ve installed quite few artificial infields as well as batting circles, etc. It’s been a slow change but we are seeing it. 

I can speak for softball. At least having a turf infield makes a huge difference.  If installing a new field, the cost difference between turf and dirt is around $20k (roughly $80k vs $100k).  Being able to play in light rain or immediately after heavy rain is huge for school scheduling, and the maintenance savings is huge (assuming you were maintaining a dirt field correctly to begin win).   The playability is better too.  

That said I still hate the rubber crumbs though.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

My son’s best friend got a concussion in his first high school game on artificial turf. Sure, it looks cool, but it’s as hard as the parking lot. 

Turf burn is not fun either 

[Dillenger4]

Grass is the ONLY way. Turf is so gross. Play on grass. Our boys will be all muddy and green by the end of the first Q vs the Lions. Can't wait!

[Neo]

Last Game in War Memorial Reunion!   It was gray, cold and dreary - and, as I mentioned in another thread, I came home with a 4" x 4" piece of sod for planting in the backyard.   I cannot speak to the current health of the sod, although I can tell you where it is.