Peter King makes his Conference Championship picks

[Fahrenhype]

The bar has already been set - the Chargers have to play at least as well as the Jaguars to keep this within two scores. Philip Rivers is not as good as David Garrard and it remains to be seen if LT with a banged up knee can do as much as a healthy Fred Taylor or MJD.

One thing they will have going for them is the depth in key positions. The Patriots don't really have a lot of Billy Volek in a chargers uniform to look at. The guessing game they're stuck in is probably the Chargers biggest advantage at this point.

 

[mb6592]

Monty Beisel! Now you're talking! H-O-T wife!

Third time I've heard this, can someone post a picture?

 

[marty]

Someone explain to me what this "Field Turf" stuff is... all I know is natural grass and Astroturf.

Field Turf and Astro Turf are both artificial surfaces. Right or wrong most people associate Astro with the 70's flat carpet type, and Field Turf as the new age "more like grass" version, when they are both brand names with similar grass-like products today. Astro Turf was first installed for the NFL at the Astrodome I believe, thus the name. Field Turf is getting the more recent installs in venues like Foxboro, Seattle, and I believe Indy ripped out their old Astro and replaced with Field Turf a few years ago.

I only know all this due to research for our town playing field and potential conversion from grass to field turf (many NE towns are doing this).

 

[VJCPatriot]

Field Turf and Astro Turf are both artificial surfaces. Right or wrong most people associate Astro with the 70's flat carpet type, and Field Turf as the new age "more like grass" version, when they are both brand names with similar grass-like products today. Astro Turf was first installed for the NFL at the Astrodome I believe, thus the name. Field Turf is getting the more recent installs in venues like Foxboro, Seattle, and I believe Indy ripped out their old Astro and replaced with Field Turf a few years ago.

I only know all this due to research for our town playing field and potential conversion from grass to field turf (many NE towns are doing this).

I don't think it's quite fair to lump field turf as being the same as astro turf.
The innovation with field turf is they tried to make the surface resemble artificial grass as much as possible. That way it will act more like grass when players run on it, cut on it, fall on it, etc.

http://www.fieldturf.com/product/overview.cfm

"But FieldTurf is much more than just the absence of abrasions. Unlike traditional turf, FieldTurf does not rely on an underlying shock pad for safety, resilience and player comfort. Rather, like its natural grass cousin, FieldTurf’s grass fibers are surrounded and stabilized by a special blend of “synthetic earth” - FieldTurf’s patented mixture of smooth, rounded silica sand and rubber granules.

The rubber granules are a key component. Tire rubber is cryogenically frozen, shattered into smooth, clean, rounded particles, sized and shaped to stay “in suspension” with the sand, which is of a similar size, shape and weight. The sand and rubber are precision layered to guarantee uniformity, with an installation process that is also patented."

 

[FrontSeven]

More interesting is that the Pats are unbeaten on the new Field Turf <knock on wood>

More interesting is that the Pats are undefeated in 2007 for every game on a full moon, new moon, quarter moon, and half moon, and during months with 30 days as well as 31 days. Additionally, they are undefeated every time a player takes a dump before 1:30PM.

 

[marty]

I don't think it's quite fair to lump field turf as being the same as astro turf.

."

Actually it's quite fair an association as Astro Turf and Field Turf are product names, with very similar features in their current product line. Astro Turf, while much associated with the first product of the 70's, now has product called Astro Turf gameday surface, with the same features that you mentioned in describing Field Turf. So my point, which apparently wasn't very clear, is that they are similar products, but most people still associate the Astro Turf with the original product, and Field Turf as the newer.

 

[TripleOption]

Actually it's quite fair an association as Astro Turf and Field Turf are product names, with very similar features in their current product line. Astro Turf, while much associated with the first product of the 70's, now has product called Astro Turf gameday surface, with the same features that you mentioned in describing Field Turf. So my point, which apparently wasn't very clear, is that they are similar products, but most people still associate the Astro Turf with the original product, and Field Turf as the newer.

They are nothing at all alike. Astro Turf is basically concrete painted green. It is horrible to play on, hard, unyielding and results in burns. Field Turf is nice, it's much softer and realistic. Night and day.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Is he using something like "sacks per pass attempt," 'cause the Seahawks didn't finish with the second most sacks in the league.

The Hawks are not only OVERRATED, but they're NOT very good either.

They just happen to luck out in a very, very bad division that features the Niners/Lambs/Cards(3 franchises going nowhere for awhile), AND the "12th man" at Qwest Field is HUGELY unbearable, which is why it's very difficult for opposing offenses to run their snap counts there.

Otherwise, they have a VERY undersized front 7 that's not physical at all, Shaun Alexander is SOFT, Matt Hasselbeck gets the bad case of happy feet when pressured, and their OL gets manhandled by the better pass rushing teams in the league.

Ultimately, when you see them play on the road, their TRUE COLORS come out...majorly.

With that being said, I honestly feel the Giants have a shot at the Packers-GB has a hard time stopping the run(Jacobs and Bradshaw could have potentially big days with that mauling OL in front of them), Toomer/Plax/Steve Smith/Kevin Boss match up very well with the Cheeseheads' overrated secondary, and the Giants have the personnel to get in Brett Favre's face.

 

[unoriginal]

I don't think it's quite fair to lump field turf as being the same as astro turf.
The innovation with field turf is they tried to make the surface resemble artificial grass as much as possible. That way it will act more like grass when players run on it, cut on it, fall on it, etc.

They are nothing at all alike. Astro Turf is basically concrete painted green. It is horrible to play on, hard, unyielding and results in burns. Field Turf is nice, it's much softer and realistic. Night and day.

It's in one ear and out the other with you two. Look here:
http://www.astroturfusa.com/product/gameday-grass.html

(Warning: its a stupid Flash-based website.)

PatsChick87's point is that there are a number of companies making almost identical artificial "natural" grass playing surfaces these days, two of which are named FieldTurf and AstroTurf.

 

[PatFanMary]

Third time I've heard this, can someone post a picture?

This is the only one I could find.

 

[TripleOption]

It's in one ear and out the other with you two. Look here:
http://www.astroturfusa.com/product/gameday-grass.html

(Warning: its a stupid Flash-based website.)

PatsChick87's point is that there are a number of companies making almost identical artificial "natural" grass playing surfaces these days, two of which are named FieldTurf and AstroTurf.

When I refer to Astro Turf, I am referring to old school turf. It sucks. The new stuff is light years better.

 

[jbb9s]

Field Turf is a proprietary product which is so popular it has basically branded its name as a term, kind of like Kleenex. They are out of Canada and they do have a good product - but way overpriced by about 30% per sq yd. There has been serious consolidation in the industry over the last 5 years so many products are now under the FieldTurf brand now. In general, along with other companies such as Sprint Turf which I install, use synthetic rubber product (recycled tires) as fill between 3" threads. It used to be a sand/rubber mix but they have recently migrated to exclusive SBR 100% rubber infill. The magic to this stuff is that it drains on a bed of engineered class II perm. drainage rock which contains finned pipes which drain to a perimeter PVC pipe. The pipes are sloped within the rock so the surface is flat but the pipes are arched below the 50. The rock is engineered, sometimes in two layers, or 'flavors' which max out its drainage capacity but also provides a perfectly flat and safe surface for athletes on the field. I tested a cylinder of this rock and it drained like a sieve. No flooding.

Injuries are way way down and you can play 10 games a day on the field without maintenance or wear. The field is perfectly level (within 2/10ths every 10 ft) so it is great to play on. Before they play, an inspector walks around and testing the field in what is known as a GMAX rating. The rating equates PSI per SF and determines the safety of the field. There is one dude in all of Northern California that does this test and he makes a damn fortune. Someone should learn and get licensed - it would be a great career to make some serious bank.

 

[marty]

When I refer to Astro Turf, I am referring to old school turf. It sucks. The new stuff is light years better.

Sigh....Your maken my point!!!! Ok, you've driven me to my Grey Goose and bed!!!