I've never understood how the Chi-caw-go Parks District doesn't turn on the Packer game and say, "Let's do whatever they're doing"
Turf question for our experts in regards to Soldier Field
- Thread starter JP4CY
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I've never understood how the Chi-caw-go Parks District doesn't turn on the Packer game and say, "Let's do whatever they're doing"
The Bears are committed to moving to Arlington Heights, it would take a miracle for them to stay at Soldier. The city owns soldier, and the park department does the turf. They move to a new venue, they get all of the cash and have their own turf guys. Makes too much sense not to
I'm no turf expert but if they stitched the field they might have a fighting chance of it being ready for that first game and lasting the season. But, I suppose if they stitched it replacing sections as necessary would be a lot tougher.
MLS is really picky about their playing surfaces as is most of the pro soccer world. I am surprised that the league finds a field that isn't suitable for NFL games okay or even passable for MLS matches. A rough or torn up NFL field mostly affects traction and cuts because an NFL ball is pretty much exclusively thrown or carried. In soccer the ball is traveling on the ground and bouncing while in play a hell of a lot so an even marginally bad surface affects the game pretty much constantly. And it still affects traction and cuts just like in the NFL.
MLS is really picky about their playing surfaces as is most of the pro soccer world. I am surprised that the league finds a field that isn't suitable for NFL games okay or even passable for MLS matches. A rough or torn up NFL field mostly affects traction and cuts because an NFL ball is pretty much exclusively thrown or carried. In soccer the ball is traveling on the ground and bouncing while in play a hell of a lot so an even marginally bad surface affects the game pretty much constantly. And it still affects traction and cuts just like in the NFL.
The original capacity was over 74,000 with the ability to add temporary seating throughout including that north endzone that could accomodate a huge bank of bleachers. Capacities approaching 100K were possible.
That is, before the aliens landed...
It's far from a done deal but the Bears are in the process to acquire land in Arlington Heights to get the process started. The sale of the property in AH is expected to close later this year or early next year.
Assuming this goes through, it becomes when not if the Bears move to AH. Even if it doesn't happen until sometime in the 2030s.
As far as replacing the grass shortly before a game. It is quite common. A lot of major league parks do it mid season while hosting a concert while the team is on the road. It is also a common practice at bowl game sites where they host one game and then say the national championship in short order.
I remember that. Apparently they played multiple high school championship games, a Pitt Panthers game all while they got 2019 Iowa State football levels of rain. Replaced the sod after the Pitt game and the rest is history.
They really blew it by not building a new stadium, would have possibly won their failed Olympic bid too.
I still think west or north suburbs of Chicago is easily #1 nfl expansion opportunity. I never went to bears games the 15 years I lived near downtown. Insanely overpriced even in horrific dangerous weather. Smallest stadium for the #2 sports media market with only one franchise. Plus I hated bears fans/media, just the worst. I’d have been fan of expansion team with new stadium on day one regardless of where they put it.
When I was living in Chicago as recent as ‘14 they would have horrible turf problems and blame the weather, but sometimes it’d only be October so had to be way more to it.
I moved there around time of space ship landing and only know spaceship. If it actually could fit 100k was it like big house at Michigan where fans were really far away and stadium not that loud?
In the space ship the worst seats do feel close, I’ve been to college games there with far back seats and it’s good place to watch. Just dumb the franchise with most demand per market capita has least seating available. The location by the lake is great for tourists or people making a trip but for people who live in Chicago anyway it wouldn’t matter where it was.
Supposedly the city offered to do turf a few years back and the Bears ownership said no. It goes both ways... The sad thing is that this isn't a new thing, Soldier has had the worst playing surface in the NFL for as long as I can remember.
I have a piece of the turf from the 85 Bears era.
I'd rather play in mud than on the old turf.
Either way that field is a **** show and has been for decades.
Soldier Field is great for TV, but I'm all for burning it to the ground.
It's been a disgrace for as long as I can remember. I love Chicago as a destination and city but damn the city government can't get out of their own way no matter who is elected. Don't get me started on Meigs...
Packers at the Bears. Monday night football, 10/31/1994
Played in a monsoon
That field was destroyed by the end of the game. It's too bad this video doesn't show the whole field as the majority of the game was played on one half of the field due to the wind. If you were facing the wind you couldn't punt more than 15-20 yards so the opponent kept getting the ball back at midfield. If you punted with the wind at your back you either punted it out of the endzone or pinned the opponent deep.
Played in a monsoon
That field was destroyed by the end of the game. It's too bad this video doesn't show the whole field as the majority of the game was played on one half of the field due to the wind. If you were facing the wind you couldn't punt more than 15-20 yards so the opponent kept getting the ball back at midfield. If you punted with the wind at your back you either punted it out of the endzone or pinned the opponent deep.
The parking meter privatization actually inspired me to move. 3x more expensive than mid town Manhattan running 24/7 even on Christmas Day.
When I got to LA I died laughing that the meters still accept nickels. A nickel doesn’t cover the time it takes to put in a nickel in Chicago and the meter wouldn’t even accept it. I can park in LA with whatever coins fell under my seat, in Chicago it’s like 10 bucks to go anywhere, it did get me into cycling when the roads weren’t bad.
75 year deal and the buyer paid off their investment in under 3 years. 73 years of pure unregulated profit stealing from the public.
