A controversial end wasn’t the one bother on the turf after Sunday evening’s Super Bowl. The grass developed at Oklahoma State University turned out to be an enormous matter of debate for, what some on the sphere mentioned, was a subpar efficiency.
Minutes earlier than kick off, OSU tweeted an ESPN article about their creation, Tahoma 31. It’s a breed of grass used on fairways and different stadiums; however primarily based on the Twitter replies the turfgrass might have been a weak link.
The subject for Super Bowl LVII took two years and $800,000 to make.
“Yes, brand new field that was just installed,” mentioned the NFL’s Senior Director of Events Planning, Eric Finkelstein.
The grass below the Chiefs and Eagles cleats was grown in Arizona however developed proper right here in an Oklahoma State University lab.
“It’s great for our variety, for Tahoma 31 to be recognized as a really resilient turfgrass,” the VP and Dean of OSU’s Agriculture program, Dr. Thomas Coon, mentioned.
Tahoma 31 is a bermudagrass. It was developed, partly, from funds given by the US Golf Association, different NFL stadiums and Churchill Downs. The Eagles gained the NFC East Championship on a variant at their dwelling subject.
“I don’t know if anybody can claim that they had plant material people were playing on and the performance of that,” the Associate VP of OSU’s Agriculture Research, Dr. Scott Senseman, mentioned.
The grass is supposed to be sturdy, engineered to face up towards Oklahoma’s local weather. But that isn’t all the sturdiness is nice for.
“Especially for playing surfaces where very heavy men wearing cleats tear it up,” Dr. Coon mentioned.
But throughout Sunday evening’s sport, gamers surfed on the turf.
“It’s been an issue since the pregame part. You see players having a hard time keeping their footing,” one FOX Sports commentator mentioned.
Eagles gamers mentioned in post-game interviews the sphere was one of many worst they’ve performed on. One likened the sphere to taking part in in a waterpark. Punters slid into their kicks, and touchdowns got here to a sliding cease, all on the grass meant to face as much as cleats and cease divots.
“We’ve already seen half a dozen Eagles change their cleats,” mentioned the FOX Sports commentators.
OSU mentioned in an announcement the highest layer of ryegrass was guilty for the slippage. The University additionally mentioned regardless that the seeds had been developed in Oklahoma, they had been cultivated and grown in Arizona.
Below is the total assertion:
“As a land-grant university, our mission is to advance science and extend knowledge. The bermudagrass variety Tahoma 31 took over a decade to develop before its release in 2017. This and other similar varieties are known for their exceptional winter hardiness, spring green-up, turf density, improved water use efficiency and traffic damage recovery.
While OSU scientists developed and patented Tahoma 31, they had no role in creating or preparing the field for Super Bowl LVII.
Tahoma 31 was used for the base layer, but the field also was seeded with a top layer of ryegrass, which has slick leaf surfaces when damp. That and other factors may have contributed to traction issues during play.
Notably, the Philadelphia Eagles played on Tahoma 31 at Lincoln Financial Field during the 2022 season, including the NFC Championship game two weeks ago. Tahoma 31 is widely used at high-profile sites across the country, including the Arkansas Razorbacks’ stadium, which was recognized as the 2022 College Football Field of the Year by the Sports Field Management Association.”
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