Field turf? Just say no! The thing is this field and all of the soil, soil amendments, irrigation and sub-surface heating and cooling technology could provide a pristine playing surface if that was the desired goal.
I've said it before and some are probably tired of hearing it, BUT, I work in the turf field industry (sports and golf course) and one of the associations we belong to had an open house at Gillette just after it opened. We got to meet with the groundskeeper (at that time), who's name escapes me right now, and he explained how Kraft flew him around to all of the new stadiums to talk with the groundskeepers there to see what the liked, didn't like and would change with their new stadium. BK took all of this into consideration when they were building the field surface, no expense was spared (including zone field heating and air circulation).
Fast forward a year and long story short. BB wants to practice on the field. Groundskeeper says no, the field needs the off-time to recover and grow and the Revolution also play on the field. BB wants to practice on the field during the week, tells BK, BK tells groundskeeper, groundskeeper resigns. Field goes to heck. And continues to. Remember the Titans playoff game? The NFL made the Pats re-sod the field.
BB dictates the condition of the field, not the groundskeeper. They have the ability to micromanage the growing conditions on that field if they wanted to. It's funny, for the first couple of years, the companies that did the sub-surface heating/air, irrigation and turf seed/fertilizer all heavily featured their product involvement at Gillette. Not so much now, even at trade shows there is little more than a passing mention.
Being a turf guy it would pain me to see the field in the condition it always is if it weren't for BB wanting it that way. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me!
