Patriots field being kept in shabby condition on purpose?

[PATRIOT64]

Patriots.com radio hosts tonight said that BB is intentionally keeping the field in poor condition specifically to gain a bit of an advantage against opponents and has no intentions on doing anything about it unless the Goodell or other NFL official steps in,"If Bill Wanted it to get an overhaul it would have been done by now" They also Said.​

Then They go on to say that even though the Patriots themselves will also be affected by some possible slipping situations throughout the year that the pats are at an advantage because they are on that field much more often and can better adjust to it - Kind of makes me look back to that 3-0 snow plow victory against Miami in the 1980s​

AAHHH only Vintage Belichick can figure out more ways to make it harder to beat us at home-thats why we are always a step ahead of most teams when it comes to strategy in a game.​

 

[fnordcircle]

There's no doubt in my mind the field is the way it is because they want it that way. I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick sneaks out at night with a firehose and blasts the sod himself.

I'm sorta mixed on whether or not I like it though. There's a part of me that appreciates that sort of tactical thinking and then there's the part of me that wants this team to line up against other teams fair and square and beat them on even terms instead of messing with the field condition to slow things down.

It's a grey area to me. If you found out the team was purposefully taking steps to screw with the other team's headsets how would you feel and how would that be any different from this?

That's Belichick for you, though, only coach in the league who would hipcheck Marvin Harrison.

 

[Remix 6]

im sure thats why bill is saying everyone agrees we need a better playing field. no1 really gets an advatange..sure your team might be used to it a bit more but when injury strikes because a slip on the field..whos got the advantage when your missing your good player?

 

[richpats]

Considering we have Indy coming to town in a few weeks, I bet Belichick arranged for The Rock to get hurt and delay filming of "The Game Plan" until now just to mess up the field even more

A bad field definitely gives us an advantage in January over fleet teams like Indy, Denver, San Diego and Cincinnati. And I'm not sweating Baltimore or Jacksonville coming to Foxboro.

 

[Underoath]

cool, but like someone above me said, it's not going to give us an advantage when someone from our team slips on it and breaks a tailbone.

plus, it's annoying to look at while watching. but i can deal with that, as long as we win the rest of our home games

 

[Pats726]

I'm not at all sure that is true...others who have talked to the groundskeepers are ssaying that not much CAN be done at this point..and that it will only get worse.
Is it to the advantage of the Pats?? I really don't think so..As for this report that BB wants it like that..I really wonder..so the sand that was put on before the Stones show was because BB wanted it that way?? And he wanted the Stones there>> And one can't get new grass because of soccer??
And?? I don't think it is an advantage at all..Gee..really did wonders in the Denver game didn't it??

 

[mtbykr]

From everything I have heard, this is dead wrong. BB was on the big show on WEEI monday and was pretty pissed about the field conditions. Ordway said after the show (off air) he even went farther about how the field sucks. The problem is the concerts and such (not the revolution) that they have coming in every week or so. They laid down sand to try and "lessen the damage" to the field before the stones played--however it rained like crazy before they could get the sand up and it sank down into the base of the turf.

The pats would love to fix the field, but it's not exactly the "growing season" in NE right now. They can't plant new grass becuase you can't walk on new grass for quite a while, and they have the Rock coming in plus another concert--so that can't happen. They would like to resod it, however becuase of the time of year and the fact that the field would get used so much the sod will not take root...then it would be like playing on a throw rug. By the end of the game clumps as big as Seymore's head would be coming up with everybody's cleats.

In the past during the playoffs i can see why BB would want a crappy field. If they were playing indy it would slow them down plus dillion would be fine on that kind of a field. however now i don't buy that. The pats have maroney who relies on being able to cut to be effective. Plus they have a athletic o line that does a lot of pulling, ect.. and having a crappy field would hurt them. Also the "well the pats are used to it" card doesn't make sense becuase NE only plays on it--the game is the first time they are seeing the field and it's changed quite a bit (from the concerts ect...) since the last game--so there's no advantage there. (all this according to wilfork on NEST last night)

So basically the pats would love to have a nice field, but there's really nothing they can do about it now....Kraft spent a ton of money on the field when building ( heater, ect...) to make sure it was a good playing surface. The problem is they use the razor for everything else, in fact pats games are a rarity there considering everything else going on. If they are going to do anything it's going to have to be during the offseason!

 

[tailgater]

From everything I have heard, this is dead wrong. BB was on the big show on WEEI monday and was pretty pissed about the field conditions. Ordway said after the show (off air) he even went farther about how the field sucks. The problem is the concerts and such (not the revolution) that they have coming in every week or so. They laid down sand to try and "lessen the damage" to the field before the stones played--however it rained like crazy before they could get the sand up and it sank down into the base of the turf.

The pats would love to fix the field, but it's not exactly the "growing season" in NE right now. They can't plant new grass becuase you can't walk on new grass for quite a while, and they have the Rock coming in plus another concert--so that can't happen. They would like to resod it, however becuase of the time of year and the fact that the field would get used so much the sod will not take root...then it would be like playing on a throw rug. By the end of the game clumps as big as Seymore's head would be coming up with everybody's cleats.

In the past during the playoffs i can see why BB would want a crappy field. If they were playing indy it would slow them down plus dillion would be fine on that kind of a field. however now i don't buy that. The pats have maroney who relies on being able to cut to be effective. Plus they have a athletic o line that does a lot of pulling, ect.. and having a crappy field would hurt them. Also the "well the pats are used to it" card doesn't make sense becuase NE only plays on it--the game is the first time they are seeing the field and it's changed quite a bit (from the concerts ect...) since the last game--so there's no advantage there. (all this according to wilfork on NEST last night)

So basically the pats would love to have a nice field, but there's really nothing they can do about it now....Kraft spent a ton of money on the field when building ( heater, ect...) to make sure it was a good playing surface. The problem is they use the razor for everything else, in fact pats games are a rarity there considering everything else going on. If they are going to do anything it's going to have to be during the offseason!

Gimmee a break! You believed him?! He also said the groundskeeping staff is 'doing a great job'! One concert didn't do that damage. If you remember, this has been an issue since Gillette opened. Was it once or twice now that the NFL made them change it? Last year the Pats resodded the middle of the field in late October. I see them doing it again...after the Indy game, and before the Bears game.

The first groundskeeper, supposedly the best in the business, quit the team rather than put his rep on the line. BB was giving the orders on how the field was to be maintained and Kraft backed him up. It's not those visous soccer pklayers or the crowds ruining the field. It's deliberate and i applaud it. Hey, if teams like Indy (dome), FIns (Heat, humidity, infield) and Broncos (altitude) have homegrown advantages, it's a competative disadvantage NOT to do something about it. Some teams do not have any HFA beyond whatever crowd noise they can generate. I'd bet those teams don't have dominant records at home either.

As to possible injuries caused by this field, tell me just what injuries have the pats or visiting players suffered since Gillette opened that could be attributed to the surface? Can you think of any devestating knee injuries? I can't. Most of the Pats leg injuries occurred on the road (Harrison, Light, among others). Ty Law is about the worst i can think of offhand, with his ankle issues 2 yrs in a row. I can see that field causing a ankle sprain, but no way do cleats get stuck in that surface at any time. Just the opposite. They can't plant, so they slip.

 

[captain stone]

I wonder how the players feel about about Field Turf. I haven't read anything negative, so far, about this next-generation artificial surface. It at least looks a lot more like real grass than any of the old phoneyturfs used to look. I love the look, the feel, the smell, and the taste of grass as much, if not more, than most folks; but this has been a problem, both aesthetically and functionally, ever since the old Foxborough Stadium tore up the original phoneyturf around 1990.

 

[Pats726]

One concert didn't do that damage. If you remember, this has been an issue since Gillette opened.

Let's see..dumping sand on the field, covering it up and having people walk on it..and having it that way for awhile...Hmmm I think that caused a bit of damage..don't you??? As for resodding it after Indy..from what I have heard..it will not be possible to do that at all given the schedule there..Yes, it has been bad in the past..different problems than now though..I remember years with pieces of sod being ground up..no sod now..just sand dirt..which will in time be a mudbowl...

 

[Two Eight]

My feeling is that BB has always wanted the field to have a little "character" but that the condition of the field right now has probably gotten a little worse than even he would like. It certainly doesn't mean he's going to install turf next week or anything crazy like that.

On the talk of an advantage, I think it absolutely provides an advantage to the Pats since they get to practice 4 days a week and play 8 games a year on it while the visiting team only gets to play 1 game a year on it, if that. It adds an extra dimension that any opposing team coming in has to gameplan for and contend with whether they like it or not.

 

[SamBam39]

My feeling is that BB has always wanted the field to have a little "character" but that the condition of the field right now has probably gotten a little worse than even he would like. It certainly doesn't mean he's going to install turf next week or anything crazy like that.

On the talk of an advantage, I think it absolutely provides an advantage to the Pats since they get to practice 4 days a week and play 8 games a year on it while the visiting team only gets to play 1 game a year on it, if that. It adds an extra dimension that any opposing team coming in has to gameplan for and contend with whether they like it or not.

BB's acting when he says he's pissed.
it's definately on purpose.
no different than indy pumping in fan noise.
every advantage.

 

[patological]

This is practice for male & female Beach Football becoming a trial sport at the 2012 Olympics. As with professional beach volleyball, it will be one of the few sports where athletes are mandated to wear a uniform which does not exceed a certain size, essentially encouraging a "less is best" approach. TB in a thong, girls.

 

[mtbykr]

Gimmee a break! You believed him?! He also said the groundskeeping staff is 'doing a great job'!

Call me strange but ya i believed him. Because in the past when asked about the field he has always diverted the topic and not really answered the question. He went out of his way to rip the field this time

One concert didn't do that damage. If you remember, this has been an issue since Gillette opened.

Please read my post before responding. It was not JUST one concert, and this has been a problem. Gilette always has something going on there, concerts, ect... all the time. The stones concert was much worse than normal though, as they brought in a ton more equipment than normal and had people setting it up on the field for days prior to the show.

Was it once or twice now that the NFL made them change it? Last year the Pats resodded the middle of the field in late October. I see them doing it again...after the Indy game, and before the Bears game.

Yes they redid it, and yes in the past I am sure that BB wanted it messy when facing those fast teams. (again read my previous post) However now we have a back in maroney who depends on cuts and speed for his game, where as in the past it's been Dillion running, and the conditions actually favor him like that. This years field is much worse however. A lot did have to do with the stones concert. They put sand down and it rained so it got down into the base and then all those people walked on it which is like sandpaper grinding out the base....so yea that's bad

The first groundskeeper, supposedly the best in the business, quit the team rather than put his rep on the line. BB was giving the orders on how the field was to be maintained and Kraft backed him up.

No doubt, and I liked it--but that was in the past with a much different team.


As far as injuries go i am sure a crappy field is worse for them, but not signifigant. It would really only be worse (my opinion) with things like hamstrings.

 

[mtbykr]

My feeling is that BB has always wanted the field to have a little "character" but that the condition of the field right now has probably gotten a little worse than even he would like. It certainly doesn't mean he's going to install turf next week or anything crazy like that.

On the talk of an advantage, I think it absolutely provides an advantage to the Pats since they get to practice 4 days a week and play 8 games a year on it while the visiting team only gets to play 1 game a year on it, if that. It adds an extra dimension that any opposing team coming in has to gameplan for and contend with whether they like it or not.

Negative, the pats don't practice there. The first time they see the field each week is gameday--same as the opponent. Wilfork talked about that last night on NEST.

 

[Two Eight]

Negative, the pats don't practice there. The first time they see the field each week is gameday--same as the opponent. Wilfork talked about that last night on NEST.

I don't want to post SPOBI but I was under the impression that they did or at least could practice there at times. Even patriots.com says that "The Patriots opened a new 80,000 square foot indoor practice facility in 2003 and now utilize four practice fields in addition to the Gillette Stadium game field for their year-round training."

 

[Digger44]

A bad field definitely gives us an advantage in January over fleet teams like Indy, Denver, San Diego and Cincinnati. And I'm not sweating Baltimore or Jacksonville coming to Foxboro.

I don't understand what you are talking about. Here in NE the frost is beginning to take place and that feild is frozen solid by January. That means it doesnt come up or tear. It is a frozen, solid mass. How does trashing it now give is any advantage over the teams you listed?

 

[SVN]

the field is just one injury away someone from becoming a major issue if it isnt already now...advantage or not it needs to be better..

 

[mtbykr]

I don't want to post SPOBI but I was under the impression that they did or at least could practice there at times. Even patriots.com says that "The Patriots opened a new 80,000 square foot indoor practice facility in 2003 and now utilize four practice fields in addition to the Gillette Stadium game field for their year-round training."

I was just posting what I heard Wilfork say on NEST last night--he said exactly what I wrote! They may practice there from time to time, but he said the first time they see the field is for the game and that they don't practice there!

 

[Digger44]

I was just posting what I heard Wilfork say on NEST last night--he said exactly what I wrote! They may practice there from time to time, but he said the first time they see the field is for the game and that they don't practice there!

you are right. gameday only.