well as many of the bandwagon fans dont remember, Texas did have astro turf before. So its not like we have always had grass and we are ruining UT tradition by switching to turf grass. Sorry but as much as i like football being played outside on grass, thats not the world we live in. I pride myself being a Longhorn that we are the best and have the best, and we have had some horrible grass at the end of the past few seasons. Obviously the powers to be agreed so they are getting the best turf grass out there
I remember it was just 10 years or so ago when they took out the old carpet and replaced it with real grass - there was even a "turf cam" to show the progress. I played a couple of high school games on the old carpet and it was terrible. Hard as a rock and hot and humid as heck. I didn't know we were going back to plastic. I understand the reasons why, but it's still disappointing.
I went to UT back in the Astroturf days. I hated playing on plastic then and I hate it now. I don't see the field as 'equipment.' I see grass growing as a natural God given reality. I don't see plastic carpet the same way. I don't like it, you can't make me like it, and I see nothing wrong with saying so on this board. Also, if you don't think grass grows in Texas then I invite you over to my house, and I don't have the budget that UT has.
have you guys actually seen or use the new turf in person? this is not the same old astro turf that's going back in... the players seems to like it... and they're the ones actually using it. i used a cellphone 20 years ago and it was the size of a watermelon... why would anyone want to go back to carrying such a monstrosity with them?
I don't care for field turf due to the heat and due to the little black particles that get in your shoes, eyes, mouth, etc. Eliminating all day games prior to the RRS would likely solve item 1.
I might be able to become accustomed to the artificial turf, but they only allowed room for it to be 90 yards long. That's going to be hard to get used to.
The grass was a failure. We could throw oodles of cash at people who say they can fix it, but the bottom line IS cost. I bet all of you "purists" also want pitchers batting and no 3-pointers in basketball either. The FieldTurf will be excellent in quality. No one's going to notice the temperature change in September day games because it was already 100 degrees on it anyways. If NFL teams can use it, we can.
The problems started occurring when they dug the field down in 1999. From 1996-98 with the track still in place, the grass was pretty darn good. I'll never forget the season opener against Mizzou. I hate rain, but I ******* loved it that day. But for some reason or another, they couldn't get it right after the expansion. I'm not sure if it was the type of grass, or quality of care, or whatever. Then they dug it out AGAIN a couple years ago, and we saw during the A&M game what had become of it. If you watch some of the late 1999 clips from either jcdenton's old page or Youtube (NU and Tech games), the turf looked god-awful. The players are going to love the FieldTurf, and that's what I care about most of all. I can't imagine how anyone would complain about switching to it when our offensive style of play is geared towards a spread with quick routes and cutbacks. It's not your local school district's lowballed attempt at FieldTurf, either, it's the stuff the NY Giants use.
I would rather UT paint the dirt shown in the pictures above than play on plastic. That is the God's honest truth. I played football in Nov. at Jr. High fields in Texas. Guess what? There was a good bit of dirt on the fields. Guess what? No one cared or commented on playing on some dirt. Same thing goes for futbol pitches as well. The soil God made is far better than plastic.
It looks like a road today since they finished laying the blacktop or whatever surface goes down over the dirt. It looks weird. It looks like ugly.
Nordberg, There is indeed difference between DKR and the Jr. high fields I played on. One was made from natural stuff, the other is plastic. I am just not a fan of playing on plastic... Heck, maybe we can get a rubberised basketball court next!!! Yeah!
It is amazing that the Rangers manage to grow a solid field in Arlington during the stress of a Texas summer and during the course of a 162 game season. It CAN be done. This argument that grass does not grow here is just stupid. Arizona State and Arizona play on beautiful natural grass fields with less water than Austin. Hell, I am shocked that all of the Hill Country golf courses are apparently field turf, after all grass does not grow here right? Seriously, play Barton Creek in November and see what the grass looks like. It is still beautiful and immaculate despite enduring the daily hacking of the duffer set. It can be done. It is being done. If Bellmont just wants FieldTurf, that's fine. Just don't make out like it is the only option, because it is not. If anything grass should grow better in Austin in November than in Ann Arbor, Michigan or South Bend, Indiana which have already sustained significant frosts by that time.
What are they going to put up there in that gap in the north west corner where the upper deck seats don't line up?
Wesser -- Well stated and I agree 100%. I fail to see how an athletic department that has the amount of resources we have cannot grow grass.
