www.SynTurf.org

[No. 44] Dutch and Danish soccer players reject artificial turf. April 2012.

[No. 43]: Soccer is best on natural grass. August 1, 2011.

[No. 42] Bangalore, India: Nobody likes it hot or hard!! May 2011.

[No. 41] Canales on price soccer players pay for playing on artificial turf. May 2011.

No. 40 James Harrison on crumb rubber hurting eyes. February 2011.

No. 39 NFL Players Field Survey (2010): Artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury, soreness and fatigue, shortened career, and negatively impact quality of life after football. February 2011.

No. 38 Artificial turf is reviled for adverse effect on players. September 2010.

No. 37 Portsmouth, UK: International footballers shun the Canadian plastic field. June 2010.

No. 36 Minneapolis. Minnesota: Visiting team is happy about grass at Target Field. May 2010. 

No. 35 Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria concerned about effect of Tropicana Field turf on hamstrings – and an update. May 2010.

No. 34 Toronto, Canada: Captain appreciative of the grass field at BMO field. April 2010.

No. 33 Harrison, New Jersey: Red Bulls players have no kind words for artificial turf. April 2010.

No. 32 Mourinho blasts artificial turf. April 2010.

No. 31 Two Rays blame artificial turf for their woes. February 2010.

No. 30 From the mouth of babes: Youth soccer player opposes artificial turf. June 2009.

No. 29 US soccer coach wants FIFA to ban turf fields. June 2009.

No. 28 Turf aggravates Torii Hunter’s groin injury. June 2009.

No. 27 Cape Cod, Mass.: Sandwich baseball coach explains . June 2009.

No. 26 Austin, Texas: UT’s baseball turf slows down the ball. May 2009.

No. 25 Like we did not know this already! April 2009.

No. 24 NFL Players Field Survey: Artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury (March 2009).

No. 23 Toronto's field of gripes (July 2008). 

No. 22 Horros of Luzhniki Stadium's truf field, revisted (July 2008).

No. 21 Malawi soccer players blame turf for loss (June 2008).

No. 20 Buddle and other MLS soccer players complain about playing on turf fields (June 2008)

No. 19 Kansas City Wizards  (MLS) blame artificial turf for aches and pains (June 2008). 

No. 18  MLB Rays' outfielder blames artificial turf for soreness in knee (June 2008).

No. 17  Jay Heaps on the plus side of playing on less-than-ideal surfaces (June 2008).

No. 16 MLS player calls for turf ban (May 2008).

No. 15  MLB player is glad to be off turf (May 2008).

No. 14  NFL player not allowed to practice on turf (May 2008).

No. 13  Twellman courts grass on way to recovery (May 2008).

No. 12  Turf is hard on baseballer's back and legs (April 2008).

No. 11  Soccer player's heel injury related to turf (April 2008).

No. 10  D.C. United arrives early in Salt lake City, needs time to adapt to turf (April 2008)

No. 09  Brady's ankle injury related to turf. (January 2008).

No. 08  Love the Mud Bowl on the Monongahela! (January 2008).

No. 07 Horrors of Luzhniki Stadium Turf!  (October 2007) .

No. 06  Steelers prefer grass, no matter what! (November 2007).

No. 05  NFL Players Association Survey (2006).

No. 04  Norwegian Players Union Study (2005).

No. 03  Swiss Association of Soccer Players (2006).

No. 02  FifPro. 

No. 01  New England Revolution notes.

[No. 43]: Soccer is best on natural grass. According to an article in The Vancouver Sun (July 9, 2011), the New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry has said recently,“As a footballer, you never want to be on turf, ever.” “[T]he ‘general buzz’ among many elite players is that natural grass is softer, easier on the joints and doesn't scar or burn the skin as does synthetic turf.” According to Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly, “from his experience, grass appears to be more ‘keeper-friendly.’ It just seems to be easier on the joints and better for diving.” Source: Bruce Constantineau, “Long and short of playing on turf,” in The Vancouver Sun, July 9, 2011, available at http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Long+short+playing+turf/5077816/story.html

[No. 42] Bangalore, India: Nobody likes it hot or hard!! The Aeronautical Development Establishment is an Indian research and development lab in the field of military aviation. Located in Bangalore, it has a soccer team known as ADE. Another soccer team in Bangalore is the Bangalore Mars. In May they played a match at Bangalore Football stadium, which sports an artificial turf field. According to a news report in the Deccan Herald (May 23, 2011), “The first competitive match on the artificial turf at the Bangalore Football stadium witnessed a lot of goalmouth action, but also attracted mixed reviews from the players involved. ‘It’s a nice pitch, but a lot of work needs to be done,’ said Sunil Kumar, the Aeronautical Development Establishment defender.” “The centre of attention was not the match, though; it was the pitch. ‘It is just too hard. I think one needs to play at least 25 matches before it settles down and plays well,’ one of Bangalore Mars’ stand-out players, U Babu, said. ‘There are good things about it, of course, because you get to play good football on this pitch. But right now, because of the rubber that is sticking out, it is really heavy and you need to put in a lot of effort. The pitch is just really energy sapping,’ added Sunil. ‘The other problem is the heat it is generating. It is just too hot on the surface and because of that, our boots have opened up,’ the former ITI player went on. ADE manager A Arokia Raj confirmed that they had at least five recently purchased boots completely open up during the course of the match.”

“The second match of the day saw Students Union comfortably beat Royals 3-0. Students Union defender Lewis felt keeping the pitch damp was necessary to prevent it from heating up too much. ‘Most of the artificial pitches I have played in, the pitch is a little damp before the match starts. Here, it is bone-dry, so you have so much heat coming through that it gets really hard to play,’ he said. ‘Our goalkeeper had to change his boots after just 20 minutes or so, because it opened up. But this is the way forward, because you get to play good football. It is just that it needs to be watered regularly to keep the heat down.’” Source: “Bangalore Mars hold ADE; Students Union win easy,”  in Deccan Herald, may 23, 2011, available at http://www.deccanherald.com/content/163649/mixed-reviews-turf.html .

[No. 41] Canales on price soccer players pay for playing on artificial turf. According to Andrea Canales of Goal.com (May 6, 2011), “There is a cost to lowering the standards of the game.” “With the New York Red Bulls finally settled into their gorgeous stadium with real grass, and with Toronto FC converting BMO Field to the genuine growing article, it seemed that plastic pitches were on their way out of Major League Soccer. However, the Pacific Northwest has fueled a resurgence. The Seattle Sounders, the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps may all share names that evoke Mother Nature, but when the home teams take the field, they are stepping on chemical compounds.” According to Canales, “Natural grass is clearly the ideal for the game, and as MLS strives to improve their product, getting quality, authentic turf for every team should be a priority.”

When asked about playing on artificial turf, Bryan Jordan, a former Timbers player who now plays for Los Angeles Galaxy “shook his head and said ‘Nobody likes that. It's hard on your legs.’” Artificial turf, according to Canales, “is most detested by those who actually have to perform on it.” According to Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, “The players pay that price." According to Canales, “No one will defend a poorly maintained, chewed surface of a few blades of weeds as better than an artificial field, but a lush, verdant live field is always the ideal. For players, the more forgiving nature of actual nature is a boon to joints and ligaments.” The USA star Landon Donovan said, “I’ve been fortunate to not have to play [home games] on a turf field, but any guy in the league that I’ve talked to that’s played on turf, trained on turf for a number of years said it’s taken years off their career." “When former Galaxy teammate Edson Buddle was questioned about his lack of goalscoring production before he joined the Los Angeles squad, he would invariably grin and say his difficulties were due to playing on the synthetic stuff New York used to have.” According to Donovan, “Over the course of the season, a lot of injuries occur from playing and training on turf every week. That’s pretty obvious.” Source: Andrea Canales, “Canales Corner: MLS players pay the price for popularity,” on Goal.com, May 6, 2011, available at http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2011/05/06/2473635/canales-corner-mls-players-pay-the-price-for-popularity

[No. 40] James Harrison on crumb rubber hurting eyes. James Harrison is a linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is known for his rough ways. Just prioro to Super Bowl XLV, he made the following a tongue-in-cheek statement about his oft-penalized ways and how he would comport himself in the big game: "I don't want to hurt nobody. I don't want to step on nobody's foot or hurt their toe … I don't want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on this field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt. I just want to tackle them softly on the ground, and if you all can, we'll lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them, so they don't hit the ground too hard ... Mr. Goodell." Source: Steelers' LB James Harrison jokes about not hurting any Packers player during the Super Bowl, on Fox Sports, February 1, 2011, available at http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pittsburgh-Steelers-James-Harrison-pillow-talk-tackles-Roger-Goodell-Super-Bowl-Media-Day-020111?GT1=39002

[No. 39] NFL Players Field Survey (2010): Artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury, soreness and fatigue, shortened career, and negatively impact quality of life after football. On January 24, 2011, the NFL Players Association has posted the results of its survey on playing surfaces in the National Football League. The NFLPA conducts a survey on the conditions of NFL playing fields every other season. The 2010 playing surfaces opinion survey (see item 24 below) was conducted by the NFLPA at team meetings during September through November 2010. This year, a total of 1,619 active NFL players from all 32 clubs voluntarily participated in the survey. The survey is found at http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/Surface%20Survey%202010.pdf and here.

Here is a sampling of what the NFL players had to say about playing on artificial infilled turf:

1. 82.4% of respondents think artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury.
2. 89.1% of respondents think artificial turf causes more soreness and fatigue.
3. 89.7% of respondents think artificial turf is more likely to shorten one’s career.
4. 64.4% of respondents think artificial turf is more likely to negatively affect one’s quality of life after football?
 

Photo by Dan Anderson (procam), posted on twitpic http://twitpic.com/2nffjl - September 11, 2010

[No. 38] Artificial turf is reviled for adverse effect on players. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. September 19, 2010. When the end of summer rolls around, we typically get three threads of items about artificial turf: the unbearable heating of the surface, athletes and coaches bemoaning the effect of turf on their players and rotations and, every now and then, a picture that limns the irony – like this picture (left) of the water canons shooting across the artificial turf field, watering the fake grass at UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium before the game!

In this months’ reported stories about athletes a few caught or eye. In one story, by Joshua Mayers, “Injuries wearing down Sounders roster,” in Seattle Times, September 16, 2010, available at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sounders/2012920475_sounders17.html ,

 “Week after week, the [Major League Soccer] Sounders FC list on the league’s injury report has been one of the longest. Seattle is also one of the few teams left in Major League Soccer that plays on an artificial turf at Qwest Field.” According to coach Sigi Schmid, “the start of the NFL season has only worsened the playing conditions at the team’s shared stadium with the Seattle Seahawks.” “When turf is new and the blades stand up, it's OK. When it gets a little more matted down, which is maybe the situation at Qwest now a little bit, we really have to look at (replacing) that turf a little bit earlier than normal because of the additional wear and tear that's been put on it by having a soccer team and a football team,” according to Schmid. “How much the turf is to blame can't be easily determined, but general manager Adrian Hanauer said he’s been in constant communication with Vulcan Sports & Entertainment and the Seahawks in regards to the turf condition and potential replacement. Economics are not an issue, Hanauer said, and installing grass remains an option as well, despite popular belief.” Hanauer said, “There’s no doubt that the soccer guys optimally would prefer a perfect grass pitch. Again I don’t have enough information but my hunch is the football guys would prefer a perfect grass field, but there are just some realities to what we're dealing with and how we make it the best for everyone.”

In another story, “Beanie Wells (knee) status depends on Atlanta’s turf,” posted on RotoTimes.com on September 17, 2010, available at http://www.rototimes.com/nfl/player.php?tqid=7660&type=news&nid=79008 ,

Coach Ken Whisenhunt of the NFL Arizona Cardinals “admitted Friday [September 17, 2010] that the artificial turf in the Georgia Dome will affect his decision on whether Beanie Wells [No. 26, sunning back, with knee injury] will play, according to the Cardinals website.” According to another post by Darren Urban, “Blogs Beanie a game-day decision,” on Cardinals website, September 17, 2010, available at http://blog.azcardinals.com/2010/09/17/beanie-a-game-day-decision/ , “The Fieldturf in the Georgia Dome does make a difference in the decision as well. It does seem to affect the players. ‘Yeah it does, I think, at least that’s the feedback I get from the players, whether it is real or imagined,’ Whisenhunt said. ‘But you stand on it and you do feel it.’”

In a story in the Costa Rican paper Diario Extra (courtesy of Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe), September 13, 2010, Randall “Chiqui” Brenes, who plays for Cartagines, “dijo que prefiere jugar en un barrial que en una cancha sintética [says he prefers to play on a muddy filed (barrial) than on synthetic turf]. Source: Francisco Sanabria Mena, “Randall “Chiqui” Brenes: Mejor un barrial que una sintética,” in Diario Extra, September 13, 2010, available at http://www.diarioextra.com/2010/setiembre/13/deportes13.php

[No. 37] Portsmouth, UK: International footballers shun the Canadian plastic field. According to a news report in the News (Portsmotuh, UK, June 3, 2010), “Concerns have been raised about one of the pitches Pompey will play on in pre-season. Fears have been aired over the playing surface the Blues will use when they meet FC Edmonton on July 21 [2010]. They take on the Canadian outfit at their Commonwealth Stadium as part of the three matches they play in Canada and USA this summer.” Pompey is the nickname for the Portsmouth Football Club based in the city of Portsmouth. “There has been some reservations about the FieldTurf technology used to make the artificial pitch there. The synthetic material is used at sporting arenas across the world, especially [A]merican football, and is approved by world governing body Fifa.” “But some clubs have reservations about putting their players through their paces on it.”

Edmonton is spending some US $ 1.16 million to put on three games featuring Pompey, Brazil’s Vitoria Football Club from city of Viroria, and Chile's Colo-Colo. Colo-Colo has won a record number of national titles.

The Manchester Football Club, an English Premier League club who play in the City of Manchester Stadium, and the Scottish Celtic Football Club have turned down the invite.

“Edmonton spokesman Mel Kowalchuk admitted the FieldTurf has been a problem in attracting teams. Kowalchuk said: ‘We lost Celtic and Man City because of the turf. We lost Celtic the day after they announced they were putting artificial turf into Commonwealth Stadium. 'They had already agreed to a game in Seattle on FieldTurf and said they were only willing to play one game on it. Man City sounded excited to come to Edmonton until they found out it wasn’t grass any longer.” “Edmonton was one of the last major stadiums in Canada with real grass. What a shame that they've switched to Field Turf.” Source: Jordan Cross, “Fears over FC Edmonton pre-season surface,” in The News, June 3, 2010,

available http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/frattonlatest/Fears-over-FC-Edmonton-preseason.6340343.jp .

[No. 36] Minneapolis. Minnesota: Visiting team is happy about grass at Target Field. Target Field is the home baseball park of the Minnesota Twins. According to anew report on MLB.com (May 28, 2010), the visiting Texas “Rangers got their first look at Target Field on Friday [May 28] afternoon. “Their first impression was that it’s not the Metrodome. That made everybody happy.” “Anything has to be better than what they had before, said outfielder Josh Hamilton.” “The Rangers biggest complaint at the Metrodome was the indoor artificial turf. It was much harder than natural grass, and even a three-day visit could cause problems for players not used to the surface.” The Rangers’ All Star outfielder Joshua Hamilton knows. “He injured his back on the Metrodome turf in August last year and ended up missing most of September. He played in just two of the Rangers’ final 30 games. Manager Ron Washington used to consider giving his regulars time off or a game at designated hitter in the Metrodome. That no longer needs to be the case.” “It makes a big difference in that respect, Washington said.” “Washington was also interested to note that the Twins have made just 10 errors in 47 games, so moving from artificial turf to grass hasn't hurt their defense. “Going outside hasn’t affected their defense, Washington said.” “People said in the dome they had no bad hops, but now that they're outside, they can still catch that rock.” Source: T.R. Sullivan, “Hamilton, Texas glad to be out of Metrodome,” on MLB.com, May 28, 2010, available at http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100528&content_id=10534946&notebook_id=10534950&vkey=notebook_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex .

[No. 35] Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria concerned about effect of Tropicana Field turf on hamstrings – and an update. According to a news report in the St. Petersburg Times (February 22, 2010), “Evan Longoria’s sole goal for this season is to play all 162 games, and he worked extensively this winter on strengthening his hamstrings to increase his chances. But there's one factor he can't control: the wear and tear of the turf at Tropicana Field. Longoria joined LF Carl Crawford in identifying the turf (which sits on a concrete base) as an issue in staying healthy.” Longoria said, “The turf on your lower back and hamstrings is really tough. So that was my biggest focus this offseason. I did a lot of pushing and pulling stuff, training the hamstring. I did a lot of resisted running to kind of build that up. It’s definitely different. We go on the road and play for 10 days and you feel good and then you come back on the turf for a couple days and you definitely feel it in your hamstrings. If that can be prevented, I tried to do as much as I could this offseason. I worked as hard as I could this offseason to get my body ready for that.” Source: Marc Topkin, “Tampa Bay Rays’ Evan Longoria concerned about effect of Tropicana Field turf on hamstrings,” in St. Petersburg Times, February 22, 2010, available at http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-evan-longoria-concerned-about-effect-of-tropicana-field/1074909 or click here .

SynTurf.org Note: Longoria’s chronic laments about playing on artificial turf obviously did not go un-noticed by the purveyors of synthetic playing surfaces. It was announced in May 2010 that Longoria had joined forces with a manufacturer of artificial turf fields, to promote a certain brand, which happens to be the same company as the one that installed the current field. See www.fieldturf.com/artificial-turf-news/evan-longoria-fieldturf/ or click here.

According to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropicana_Field ) (or click here), the surface of the Tropicana Field was AstroTurf from 1998 to 1999 and then was made into FieldTurf with dirt infield from 2000 to present. How much did Longoria make from his lament? Is this going to be new easy-money making device for athletes – to complain about a surface in the hopes of remunerated cooption? Or Longoria just had to abide by a direct or flow-down non-disparagement clause about the playing surface? 

[No. 34] Toronto, Canada: Captain appreciative of the grass field at BMO field. According to a news report The Guelph Mercury (April 13, 2010), “Following Toronto FC’s first workout Tuesday [April 13, 2010] at the newly renovated BMO Field, it was pointed out to team captain Dwayne De Rosario that he had a chunk of the new grass in his hair, he replied “I’m keeping it there, to show people it’s real grass.” I his tenth season in Major League Soccer, De Rosario “was one of the most outspoken critics of the artificial Field Turf, which was installed when the city-owned soccer stadium was opened in 2007. So he’s thrilled to see the grass in its place.” “Smell that. Fresh air, man. It smells great. To step on grass in my home town, I can finally say soccer is here at the pro level. “It’s a great day not only for myself but for the guys in the locker room, for the fans and for the whole of Toronto to have a great facility like this.” Source: Daniel Girard, “‘It smells great,’ FC captain says of new grass,” in The Guelph Mercury, April 13, 2010, available at http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/620958

[No. 33] Harrison, New Jersey: Red Bulls players have no kind words for artificial turf. According to news report in The Record (March 28, 2010), “As thrilled as the [Major League Soccer’s Red Bulls] are with the atmosphere they have experienced in two games at Red Bull Arena, they are at least as pleased with the fact that all of their home games will be played on a grass field, rather than artificial turf. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is to the players.” They previously played on the artificial turf surface at Giant Stadium. The Arena’s cover is Kentucky bluegrass. “It makes a world of difference. It’s the way things should be. I think turf should be outlawed for soccer,” Red Bulls defender Mike Petke said. “They’re looking forward to playing an entire season here, not just for the reception, but also because the grass will be friendlier for their bodies. Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel has been an outspoken critic of the artificial turf at Giants Stadium, blaming it for a number of nagging injuries he’s had over the years. Angel had been sidelined for the past few weeks because of a knee injury, but made it back for the official home opener. After playing the full 90 minutes, he looked ready for more.” “Fans probably notice sand kicking up from time to time, but that will settle over time and help the field’s drainage system. Players expect the surface to contribute to their own good health. The team still has occasional practices on the turf at Montclair State, but players with injuries or even injury histories have been allowed to either skip those sessions or have had their workload reduced in the interest of remaining healthy.” “Last year, we had knocks and injuries, knees and backs and Achilles’. Playing our home games on grass will be huge for us,” second-year defender Jeremy Hall said. “When you play on turf so much, your body feels beat up. Grass feels better on your knees. It saves a couple of years on your career,” he told The Record. Source: Tim Leonard, “Red Bulls prefer new surface to playing on Giants Stadium's turf,” The Record, March 28, 2010, available at http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/89346927_Bulls_prefer_new_surface_to_turf.html  .

[No. 32] Mourinho blasts artificial turf. According to a news story by Reuters (April 5, 2010), the coach of Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, has stated that “Europe's premier club competition should not be played on artificial surfaces.” He said that of “32 Champions League teams, 31 play on natural grass and only one on a plastic pitch.” “The outspoken Portuguese, who earlier likened playing on artificial pitches to child’s play, however, stopped short of calling on European soccer's governing body UEFA to abandon synthetic surfaces altogether.” “You make your own judgment, who’s right or wrong in this case, but the fact is the game is much more beautiful when it is played on a natural grass,” he told reporters. Source: John Mehaffey, “Champions League Should Be Played on Grass Says Mourinho, Reuters (Moscow), April 5, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/05/sports/sports-uk-soccer-champions-cska.html?_r=1 .

[No. 31] Two Rays blame artificial turf for their woes. According to a news report in  St. Petersburg Times (February 22, 2010), Evan Langoria, third baseman, and Carl Crawford, left fielder, have identified the turf at Tropicana Field as an issue in staying healthy. Langoria, who spent the offseason to strengthen his hamstrings, tild the Times “The turf on your lower back and hamstrings is really tough. So that was my biggest focus this offseason. I did a lot of pushing and pulling stuff, training the hamstring. I did a lot of resisted running to kind of build that up.” Source: Marc Topkin, “Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria concerned about effect of Tropicana Field turf on hamstrings,” in St. Petersburg Times, February 22, 2010, available at

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-evan-longoria-concerned-about-effect-of-tropicana-field/1074909 .

[No. 30] Princeton, New Jersey: From the mouth of babes: Youth soccer player opposes artificial turf. Letter to editor by Fergus Binnie, on CentralJersey.com, June 15, 2009, available at http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/06/15/the_princeton_packet/your_views/doc4a36d26b771c7008551662.txt :

I am a youth soccer player in Princeton. I was reading the paper this morning and found there are plans to destroy some grass and replace it with synthetic turf. When I heard this I was furious!

For one thing, synthetic turf is hard to play soccer on because it’s so squishy that if you kick the ball along the ground it won’t even go five feet let alone to another player.

Also, synthetic turf stinks, a bit like poop. Plus, it gets really hot. I do think the Borough Council should ask the players what they think before changing our turf. I, and surely other soccer players, will be against it. I hope the council will reconsider this choice.

Fergus Binnie, 4th-grader

Community Park School

Princeton [New Jersey]

[No. 29] US soccer coach wants FIFA to ban turf fields. According to an Associated Press news report in USA Today (June 7, 2009), U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley called on FIFA to outlaw artificial turf. He said soccer’s governing body should address the subject. “The field is terrible, and FIFA should not allow artificial surfaces. They should have some courage. They should stop it,” Bradley said. “It’s no good for the players, and somehow I hope the players have the ability around the world to stand up and say we're not playing on this, plain and simple.” Source: “Bradley: FIFA should outlaw artificial turf,” in USA Today, June 7, 2009, available at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-06-07-3886410144_x.htm . See also: “U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley wants FIFA to outlaw artificial turf,” in The Canadian Press, June 7, 2009, available at http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5j9W7YV24suGV71or_TmNMSgxRQ3w .

[No. 28] Turf aggravates Torii Hunter’s groin injury. According to a news item in the Los Angeles Times (June 7, 2009), “Center fielder Torii Hunter, who leads the Angels in all three Triple Crown categories, did not start today because of a nagging groin injury. Hunter suffered the injury when he ran into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium two weeks ago. He said he has experienced soreness ever since, but the discomfort was pronounced when the Angels played on Toronto's artificial turf last week.” Source: Bill Shaikin, “Torii Hunter held out with groin injury,” in Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2009, available at  http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-angels-fyi8-2009jun08,0,5388871.story .

[No. 27] Cape Cod, Mass.: Sandwich baseball coach explains … Here are a few observations by the baseball coach Dave Aycock of Sandwich High School. His team recently played Brookline in post season tournament at Brookline’s Parsons Field (Northeastern University), which is artificial turf. About Sandwich’s loss: “Aycock says the artificial turf of Parson’s Field where Brookline plays and Brookline’s aggressive base-running made the difference.” About dynamics: “Aycock says the ball gets through the infield much quicker on artificial turf, which forces infielders to play deep. The result is the fielders can’t get to balls fast and have longer throws to first base. Brookline was more accustomed to running on the turf.” Source: Paul Babin, “Sandwich baseball team falls short in postseason,” in Yarmouth Register, June 3, 2009, available at http://www.wickedlocal.com/yarmouth/sports/x862903004/Sandwich-baseball-team-falls-short-in-postseason

[No. 26] Austin, Texas: UT’s baseball turf slows down the ball. University Federal Credit Union [UFCU] Disch-Falk Field is the baseball field of the University of Texas at Austin. According to a new report in the American Statesman (May 6, 2009), the FiledTurf surface of this stadium has turned out to be a pitcher’s dream, because the artificial turf slows down the ball. According to infielder Mike Torres, “As soon as I hit the ball, I knew I had a single up the middle,” but the new surface slowed the ball down so much that the shortstop was able to dive and stop the ball and throw me out.” He then witnessed the same thing happen to his teammate Travis Tucker, who “hit a ground ball just right of second base. Again the shortstop had time to come all the way over and make the play for the out.” This can “happen three or four times a game where someone thinks they have a hit (with a ground ball) and it ends up being an out because the field slows the ball down enough for the defense to make a play.” “[T]he FieldTurf artificial surface installed this season is making things easier for the defense,” according to the report. “It's much slower than the old turf,” said coach Augie Garrido, “it definitely changes the game because it gives the defense more confidence and the pitchers more confidence.” Source: Alan Trubow, “Disch-Falk's new playing surface slows down the game,” in Longhorn News, May 6, 2009, available at http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/05/06/0506texbase.html .

SynTurf.org Note: We have news for you all. The artificial turf field changes all the sports that it touches. It distorts the sports as they were meant to be played. It is no less pernicious in its effects on the game and the athlete as performance-enhancing products: It should be banned from college and professional sports. Period.

[No. 25] Like we did not know this already! According to a news story in The Globe and Mail (Toronto, April 20, 2009), the BMO’s “FieldTurf at Toronto’ss soccer-specific stadium could soon be covered with a lush, green, natural playing surface for one or more soccer matches this summer.” “The plan might be associated with attracting a high-profile European team to Toronto for a match or a series of matches, but discussions are in the preliminary stages and a time frame has yet to be determined. Many top-flight teams have refused to play on FieldTurf surfaces while several members of Canada's national team, including Toronto FC midfielder Dwayne DeRosario, have indicated their strong dislike for artificial surfaces.” Peter Mallet, “Grass playing surface in the works?,” in The Globe and Mail, April 20, 2009, available at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090420.GRASS20ART2216/TPStory/Sports .

[No. 24] NFL Players Field Survey: Artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. February 28, 2009. The 2008 NFL Players Playing Surfaces Opinion Survey is in. No surprises. 1565 players were surveyed. The type of turf field in use at NFL venues is the new generation (infilled) variety, not the old astro-turf variety of the earlier decades that is often used as a red herring by the present leaders of the industry. Here are some results:

1. Which surface is more likely to contribute to injury? 84.8% of respondents said artificial infilled turf.

2. Which surface is more likely to cause more soreness and fatigue? 91% of respondents (1565 players) said infilled artificial turf.

3. Which surface is more likely to shorten career? 92.6% of the respondents said infilled artificial turf.

4. Which surface is more likely to impact quality of life after playing days are over? 61.6% of the respondents said infilled artificial turf.

[No. 23] Toronto: Field of gripes. July 18, 2008. The Toronto Sun reports “Toronto FC coach John Carver is sick and tired of players using his club's Field Turf as a reason for either leaving or not signing with the Major League Soccer side.” Three players in particular have drawn attention. “[M]idfielder Ronnie O'Brien, who sought a trade after last season, and striker Darren Huckerby, who cited BMO Field as the reason he didn't want to play in Toronto.” “O'Brien had complained that a series of knee injuries that led to surgery last season, were exacerbated by the BMO Field turf, and Huckerby, a highly sought after goal scorer from English Premier side Norwich City, was traded to San Jose earlier this week after he said he preferred the grass at Buck Shaw Coliseum.”

Source: Dean McNulty, “The field of gripes – TFC coach tired of players cutting up BMO turf,” in Toronto Sun, July 18, 2008, available at http://torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2008/07/18/6192231-sun.html .

[No. 22] The horrors of Luzhniki Stadium’s turf field, revisited. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. Last October, SynTurf.org reported on the horrors of the turf field at Moscow’ Luzhniki Stadiums, as told by the Scottish soccer player Gary O’Connor to The Daily Mirror. See http://synturf.org/playersview.html (item No. 7)

It is July 2008 and the much ballyhooed third generation (3G) FieldTurf surface at Luzhniki is still getting bad press. This time, the horrors of the field are being retold in the context of the World Cup qualifying Russo-Welsh contest scheduled for September 10, 2008. The came is supposed to take place at Lokomotiv Stadium, which is natural grass. The Russians have now changed the venue to Luzhniki, promoting speculation that the Russians want to disadvantage the Welshmen, who are not used to playing on artificial grass. In a recent news story in Wales Online, professional soccer players let their feeling known specifically about Luzhniki’s turf.

A former Russian international Alexei Smertin said, “I’ve played on that pitch. What’s it like? It’s rubbish! I played there two or three times last year with Dinamo Moscow and, to be honest, it’s not so good. In fact it’s quite dangerous because it’s different, your feet stick, you can’t turn quickly and you can’t turn properly as you run. The Russian players are used to it. The ball does bounce a funny way and it depends, for example, if the pitch is slippery. Then the ball goes very quickly. If it’s not, it’s very slow.”

According to John Kennedy, a Scottish soccer player with Celtic Football Club, “That pitch is nothing like grass and there is no way international football should be played on it. You think the ball is going to bounce truly in front of you, and it spins away. At other times you think the ball is spinning and it takes a dead bounce. A lot of the boys came off the field with sore backs and joints. It is a difficult surface to play on and it can make you look daft because bounces are almost impossible to judge.”

Gary O’Connor, who played at Lokomotiv for a year, is still negative on his experience with Luzhniki turf field. “I had a fantastic time in Moscow, but playing on that pitch was not a highlight. It used to hurt me for three or four days after I’d played on it. I would really ache because it’s just not a natural surface. It really messes with your body. So, if anyone is a doubt with a muscle injury, they could be in trouble. Frankly, I don’t think Fifa should allow qualifying matches to be played on that surface.”

Chris Wathan, “Tosh and men get warning on perils of plastic,” in Wales online, July 9, 2008, available at http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-in-wales/2008/07/09/tosh-and-men-get-warning-on-perils-of-plastic-91466-21307719/ .

[No. 21] Malawi soccer players blame turf for loss. According to a news report in The Daily Times, “Northern Region based-side Eagle Strikers blamed Kamuzu Stadium’s newly laid artificial turf for their 0-4 loss they suffered at the hands of TNM champions Escom United on [June 29].” According to a news report in The Daily Times, “Northern Region based-side Eagle Strikers blamed Kamuzu Stadium’s newly laid artificial turf for their 0-4 loss they suffered at the hands of TNM champions Escom United on Sunday.” In the beginning of play most of the players on the Eagle Strikers squad were falling. Coach Audrow Makonyola said, “It was difficult for my boys to adapt to the ground. I don’t know whether the surface was slippery. I am yet to find out from them but my boys admitted at halt time that [the turf] was strange for them.” Source: Mphatso Malidadi, “Artificial turf difficult for Eagle Strikers,” in Daily Times, July 1, 2008, available at

[No. 20] Edson Buddle and other soccer players declare their dislike for turf. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. June 26, 2008. Edson Buddle is a striker on the LA Galaxy soccer team. The Galaxy’s home field is Home Depot Center, which is natural grass. Prior to coming to LA, Buddle played for New York Red Bull and just recently with Toronto FC, both of which teams’ home fields are artificial turf. So, buddle knows a thing or two about playing on artificial turf. According to a report by Soccer 365’s Andrea Canales (excerpted below), this is what Buddle and others have to say about playing on turf:

Buddle pinpointed playing on a natural field as one key reason that he has scored so often this year.

“I’m back on grass,” said Buddle, who scored two hat tricks this season. “Playing 16 home games on turf really takes a toll on your body.”

He didn’t mince words regarding his dislike for synthetic turf.

“I hate it,” Buddle exclaimed, then blamed specific injuries on having to play on it. “I got a bunion in New York the first year I got there. I got Achilles problems – it’s not good for the Achilles.”

Though he scored goals like a machine last season, New York’s Juan Pablo Angel has been sidelined this year due to various injuries, including severe back pain. His teammate, Claudio Reyna, has also been out for the majority of the season.

“They’re going to go through their problems,” sympathized Buddle. “They’re going to keep a smile on their face and not complain, because they’re good pros, but I’m pretty sure they’re frustrated, being on turf.”

Though most teams stifle their discontent publicly, Buddle assured that in private, the outcry against turf is nearly universal among the players.

“Oh, everybody does [complain about the turf]”, Buddle said.

In fact, more than a few players are now coming forward with their objections. Though BMO field, where Toronto plays, is designated as the national stadium for Canada, several of Canada’s top players have come forward to protest against playing there. They do not want to play the next crucial round of World Cup qualifying (where Mexico and other squads make up a “group of death” for Canada) at BMO . Stars such as Dwayne DeRosario and Julian DeGuzman have indicated their preference for the grass field Saputo Stadium, a United Soccer Leagues facility in Montreal.

“Toronto’s a good team,” said Buddle. “It’s a fun little city. It’s a good environment, with good fans. But as soon as you get on the field, it’s turf. It’s terrible.

For the complete story, go to Andrea Canales, “Turf Trouble,” in Soccer 365.com, June 25, 2008, available at http://www.soccer365.com/mls/story_25608225534.php.

[No. 19]  MLS: Kansas City Wizards captain and midfielder not fans of “new generation” artificial turf field. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. June 8, 2008. The Kansas City Star reported on Friday, June6, 2008, that Wizards’ captain and a member of the U.S. national team, Jimmy Conrad, and midfielder Kerry Zavagnin are not fans of artificial turf playing surfaces. Presently, the Wizards’ home field is CommunityAmerica Ballpark, which is a minor league baseball venue that also hosts concerts and other local events, the local area high school teams and the Blue Devils of Kansas City Kansas Community College. According to Wikipedia, its surface is Bermuda grass.

On Wednesday, June 4, 2008, the Wizards played the Colorado Rapids in a round of Open Cup competition at Shawnee Mission North District Stadium at Shawnee Mission North High School, in Overland Park, Kansas. The playing surface at Shawnee Mission North stadium is artificial turf. After that encounter, both Conrad and Zavagnin were sore, in most part perhaps because the game went on for 120 minutes. However, Star reported, “[A]sk the Wizards about the biggest culprit in the day-after hangover, and they come up with two words that leave as bad a taste in their mouths as Brussels sprouts. Field turf.” Even though the turf at Shawnee Mission is supposedly the new generation softer, Wizards said it was still artificial turf. “Field turf tales a lot out of everyone,”

Conrad told the Star, “And playing 30 extra minutes on it didn’t help.” According to the story in the Star, “The Wizards’ disdain for the fake stuff is reflected in their overall record in games played on it over the last seven seasons – six wins, none losses and nine draws.” “We don’t like it in general,” Conrad told the Star, “The stuff we’re going to play on in Salt Lake City [Rice-Eccles Stadium’s FieldTurf], I think you could play five vs. five basketball on it. It’s that hard.”   

According to the Star, “This season, the Wizards are 0-1-1 on field turf, having lost 2-0 April 26 at Toronto FC and having played the New York Red Bulls to a 1-1 draw May 17. Inexplicably, the one artificial-turf field the Wizards have enjoyed success on is against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium, where they’ve gone 4-1-4.

Even that hasn’t made them like the turf any better.”

Source: Bob Luder, “Wizards take on Real Salt Lake on field turf,” in The Kansas City Star, June 6, 2008, available at http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/653399.html .

SynTurf.org Editor’s Note: SynTurf.org is compiling a log of New England Revolution’s 2008 season. Their home field is Gillette Stadium, which an artificial turf filed (FieldTurf brand) laid on top of a drainage system that once accommodated a natural grass field. The idea is to get some rough data correlating the Rev’s results and the type of playing surface on which they play in competition (regardless of any other factor). The preliminary mid-season results will be posted on this site’s page “FactSheets.”

[No. 18] Major League Baseball: Rays’ out fielder blames turf for soreness in his knee. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. June 8, 2008. Crawford is the starting left fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. The Rays’ home field is Tropicana Field, which is a domed stadium, which has an artificial turf surface with a dirt infield. Crawford has been nursing a sore knee for a while. According to a report on MLB.com, the official site of Major League Baseball, “Crawford believes playing on artificial surface at Tropicana Field is the main culprit for his knee soreness.” Following a few days of not playing at Tropicana, Crawford’s knee felt a little better, according to MLB.com.  Crawford is looking to his four-game suspension as an opportunity to nurse his knee. According to MLB.com, Crawford is “to take advantage of the period away from the artificial surface” and “build up some strength for [his] leg.” Source: Bill Chastain, “Knee soreness not stopping Crawford,” in MLB.com, June 7, 2008, available at http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080607&content_id=2863928&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

[No. 17] As the suit don’t make the man, turf field don’t make a player. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. June 6, 2008. For the purist, there is an almost a religious reverence, if not preference, to play soccer on natural grass. This site often posts items that attest to this. For many in the world, playing on natural grass surfaces is a privilege that obtains by a combination of climate, infrastructure and other wherewithal. However, the absence of natural grass playing surface, or having one that is not in the best condition is hardly an impediment or deterrence to playing the sport, to developing into a soccer play, good bad or champion.

Jay Heaps is a defenseman on the New England Revolution. According to a piece in The Boston Globe, he grew up playing under difficult conditions in Longmeadow, Mass. “[Having played] on bad fields and in bad weather helps me now,” Heaps told the Globe, “I’m still the same kid who had fun playing on whatever kind of field we could find.” Source: Frank Dell’Appa, “Revolution’s Heaps learned fun approach,” in The Boston Globe, June 6, 2008, Sports section, page E7, available at http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2008/06/06/revolutions_heaps_learned_fun_approach/.

[No. 16] MSL should ban artificial turf, says Galaxy star Abel Xavier. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. May 31, 2008. Abel Xavier is a defender on the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team, which also features David Beckham. Beckham’s disdain for artificial turf is already a part of the record. See “Beckham’s Lament” at  http://synturf.org/beckhamslament.html. It is no secret that many professional players shun artificial turf if they could. This site has catalogued some players’ views on the subject. See http://synturf.org/playersview.html. 

Xavier is a former Portuguese national team player and “he does not play games on artificial turf because he said it bothers his knee,” according to a report in the Whittier Daily News. He therefore did not make the trip for the game against Toronto FC at BMO Field. According to the report, “Xavier said when he played at Toronto last season, it was the first time a field had something other than natural grass in his 20-year career.”

According to Xavier, "Yeah, I was shocked ... The question is why does the league allow it? I started having problems with my knee in Toronto (last year)," reported Daily News.

“Xavier, who played with Liverpool, Everton, Roma and Middlesbrough among others, said artificial turf should be banned by the MLS,” Daily News wrote. “If the league wanted to challenge to be the best, the turf is a big restriction,” Xavier said.

In the same report, Chris Klein, another galaxy defender, “admitted he felt worse after playing on turf last season.” “I played on turf in Salt Lake City and your body aches,” he told Daily News, “It takes a toll.”

Scott Wolf, “Xavier to sit out due to Artificial Turf woes,” in Whittier Daily News, May 31, 2008, available at http://www.whittierdailynews.com/sports/ci_9436063.

[No. 15]  Baseball player Joe Guillen is glad to be off artificial turf. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. May 28, 2008.  José Manuel Guillén is an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals. He is a controversial figure off the field, as he has been cited for a variety of “misconduct” by the Major League Baseball. What he says about artificial turf, however, has nothing to do with his attitude. Artificial turf gets to his bones. On Sunday, May 25, 2008, the Royals were playing the Blue Jays in Toronto. The Jays play at Roger Centre, which went to AstroTurf in 1989 and converted in 2005 to another artificial turf brand called FieldTurf. The Royals play their home games on natural grass at Kauffman Stadium, which from 1973 through 1994 was AstroTurf, but since 1995 it has been natural grass, composed of a mix of bluegrass and rye.

According to MLB.com, despite some of Guilklen’s injuries, during the series in Toronto, the Royals manager Trey Hillman slotted Guillen in the designated hitter's spot for the final three games. The reason for the designation: “the artificial playing surface at Rogers Centre has been known to cause and aggravate injuries.” On Monday, Guillen was disappointed about the fact that soreness in his right hip and groin contributed to his inability to score from second base.”

As reported by MLB.com,

"[injury has] been bothering me for a few weeks already," he said. "Back and forth, though. I was feeling good when we got [to Toronto], but the first game, when I tried to run, that's when I started feeling it." With the Royals now heading home to Kansas City, Guillen is happy to be able to get off Toronto's artificial turf and onto the grass at Kauffman Stadium. "The grass will help a lot," he said. "It's a big difference playing on grass than on turf. My first four or five years in the big leagues, it was on [artificial] turf. "It's not real good," he continued. "But, it is what it is. This is our job and we still have to go out and play somehow, somewhere."

[No. 14] NFL running back not allowed to practice on artificial turf.  Larry Johnson two-time All Pro running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, a National Football League. The team’s home games are played at Arrowhead Stadium, a natural grass field. The team has an indoor facility, which is artificial turf.

May 22, 2008, was the day that the public would get to see Larry Johnson running in Chiefs uniform. This would be his first sighting for the press after having missed the second half of last season with a broken foot. In a few weeks prior to May 22^nd Johnson has been working out with the Chiefs. But on May 22^nd the practice was moved indoors due to rain and Johnson had to sit it out. Reason, according to a story in The Kansas City Star, the Chiefs’ head coach, Herm Edwards, did not want Johnson to practice on artificial turf. Source: Kent Babb, “Johnson sits out practice as precaution,” in The Kansas City Star, May 22, 2008, available at http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/632346.html.   

[No. 11] Thompson’s Heel bruise related to turf? SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. April 15, 2008. The Boston Globe reported today that Revolution’s first-round draft choice last year,   Wells Thompson, “has returned to full-speed training after recovering from a left heel bruise. An orthotics specialist in Winston-Salem, N.C., appears to have solved the problem by modifying Thompson's shoes, opening the back to allow his Achilles' tendon more room. "It might have been the shoes, it might have been the [artificial] turf," Thompson said. "It's the first time I've ever had it." Source: Frank Dell’Apa, Soccer Notes, The Boston Globe, April 15, 2008, Sports section, page D7, available at http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2008/04/15/in_fathers_footsteps.

[No. 09] Brady ankle injury blamed on turf. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. January 25, 2008. The quarterback of the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots, Tom Brady, has a “mild high sprain to his right ankle.” The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Brady may have injured his ankle in a series of mishaps during the AFC Championship game last Sunday [January 20] against the San Diego Chargers. Reporting from a story by ESPN, the Globe reported that Ron Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and now commentator on ESPN, has reviewed the game films from multiple angles and had pinpointed the time when Brady received the injury. After tweaking his ankle, Jaworski said, “you could see him looking back at the spot, almost as if he was asking, 'What did I hit?' His cleat got caught.’" Mike Bass, "Jaworski hits on injury time," The Boston Globe, January 24, 2008, Sport section, p.E6,  available at

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/01/24/jaworski_hits_on_injury_time/. 

From Jaworski’s comment, it would appear that Brady fell victim to foot-fixation injury, which is more likely to occur on artificial turf. For a brief discussion of  foot-fixation injuries to athletes, see “Beckham’s Lament” at http://www.synturf.org/beckhamslament.html and also browse other items on this page (http://www.synturf.org/playersview.html).

Fred Taylor, No. 28 of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is a running back. To him traction is very important and he is not at all pleased with the slippery condition of the field at Heinz. In the aforementioned story, reporter Jim McCabe quoted Taylor as saying “That field is terrible. That’s lawsuit pending. That is ridiculous. Maybe they should try to invest in FieldTurf next year or in the future.” SynTurf.org does not know if Taylor has any pecuniary interest in FieldTurf. It was reported in February 2004 that “several American NFL players have come on board as investors through a licensing and investing partnership they call the NFL QB Club.” They included Troy Aikman, John Elway, Warren Moon, Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and others, who invested in FieldTurf a reported sum as high as $1 million.[2]

[No. 07] Horrors of Luzhniki Stadium Turf. October 2007. The artificial turf soccer field at Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, is notorious for the risks that it presents to players. It is not uncommon for Russian players to avoid rug burns by wearing tights when playing on that field. As reported by Neil Moxley in London’s Daily Mail -- according to Gary O’Connor, who played on it for more than a dozen times:

“[I]f you don't want your legs ripped to pieces you are better off wearing them. You know in the old days when you played on artificial pitches, you'd get bad burns. Well, things haven't changed that much. There's no shame wearing tights because if you have dived in a few times, your legs will be red raw at the final whistle.” 'Another thing to say is that you can't judge the bounce. The black rubber pieces they use might deaden the bounce but they make for an uneven surface. Also, they soak the pitch. They are aware that the ball does not roll as quickly as it does on grass and to get the ball rolling, so to speak, there are huge industrial hoses that they wheel out and drench the pitch for an hour before the start. 'Honestly, I've stepped on to the pitch and watched my feet sink. My boots have been covered by water. The ball comes at you quickly at the start because it skids off the water. Then, obviously, as that disappears it slows down. [If it is] a hot day … the heat causes the water to evaporate. It's like playing in a steam-room, you can hardly breathe. It doesn't matter what you wear on your feet. I used to wear moulded studs. Some of the other players used specially adapted boots that were supposed to help.

Editor’s Note: Luzhniki Stadium’s field is used mainly for soccer games. It is among a handful of major European stadia to use artificial turf. The turf at Luzhniki is FieldTurf and it was installed in 2002. However, assuming Luzhniki will still host the games, the field is supposed to be converted to grass for the Championship League Finals of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA games). Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luzhniki_Stadium. For details about Luzhniki stadium go to http://www.stadiumguide.com/luzhniki.htm.

[No. 06] Hines Ward, other Steelers prefer grass, no matter what. On November 26, 2007, “heavy rain turned Heinz Field's 24-hour-old sod into a points-depriving quagmire, with shanked punts, slippery footing, misdirected pass routes and numerous misplays all around.” http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=310647 (AP, Nov. 26). The Pittsburgh Steelers squeezed a 3-0 win over the Miami Dolphins. Afterwards, Hines Ward, the Steelers’ go-to guy (wide receiver, nine catches for 88 yards) said,  "Those conditions, whew, they were horrendous. The footing was bad, all of a sudden you'd hit a water puddle and sink down. Some of defensive backs were scared about falling down and giving up a big play." Ibid. The condition of the field was in part because of five high school and college games had been played at Heinz over the weekend a few days earlier. The new sod that was laid down hurriedly did not have time to take. During a 44-yard field goal try, the sod shifted under the kicker's feet, causing him to miss. Ibid.

These kinds of weather-related stories abound in circles that promote artificial turf fields ...
“However, Steelers owner Dan Rooney has long favored grass, believing it causes fewer injuries.” http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=310433 (AP, Nov. 26). “Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher always wanted to keep grass. New coach Mike Tomlin also sees nothing wrong with Heinz Field's grass.” Ibid. The Steelers however “practice regularly on Field Turf in their indoor practice building.” Ibid. This makes Hines Ward’s statement about artificial turf all the more informed, as he is familiar with both surfaces. According to SportingNews, while referring to the teams practice on FieldTurf, he said “Guys fall on it and it can get hard. You can still get a concussion. Players around here, if you ask them, even if it was pretty bad, we will stick with grass." Goldberg on Football: NFL loves bad weather, But not as bad as Pittsburgh, at http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=312839  (December 1, 2007).

In the Swiss Super League only BSC Young Boys from Bern play on artificial turf, in Stade de Suisse. However, in advance of hosting the UEFA Euro 2008, the venue has replaced its artificial playing surface with a grass filed in order to ensure that playing conditions are at an optimum level. The artificial surface used by club side BSC Young Boys will be reinstalled after the tournament. For details go to:

http://www.fifpro.org/index.php?mod=one&id=15352&PHPSESSID=a4c9be74e1b60f14332c9e6d3fd24319 and http://www.fifpro.org/index.php?mod=one&id=15385&PHPSESSID=a4c9be74e1b60f14332c9e6d3fd24319.

A grass field was re-installed at Gillette Stadium for the doubleheader international soccer matches on May 26, 2007. The local team, the Revolution, has mixed feeling about the change. According to a Boston Globe report, ?the coaches and players prefer natural turf to the synthetic.? However, ?[t]hey would rather be consistent with it.? The artificial turf speeds up the game and teams who like to play at a fast pace like the artificial surface for that reason. But, as to the change at Gillette, ?it?s good they are having international games here and that?s a good reason to play on grass,? said the coach of the Revolution. Source: Frank Dell?Apa, ?Revolution will need to defend new turf,? The Boston Globe, Sports section, 26 May 2007, page C3. http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2007/05/26/revolution_will_need_to_defend_new_turf/. In the aforementioned article, a Revolution defender was reported as saying, ?the grass slows up the ball.." For moe on players' perspective about playing on artificial turf, visit this site's page "WrapUpArticles" and scroll to Item No. 1(Beckham's Lament).