We hope the NFL kept its turf receipts.
The worst part of Super Bowl LVII wasn't when the "Game of Thrones" writers revealed themselves as the NFL's scriptwriters, but the countless times players slipped on the turf, which was developed by Oklahoma State.
The university was proud to share the fact the Super Bowl was being played on turf it developed before the game.
The Super Bowl is being played on #okstate turfgrass!
— Oklahoma State Univ. (@okstate) February 12, 2023
See what ESPN has to say about the special variety of turf https://t.co/AP99GgHxA1
In an ESPN article on the turf used for the Super Bowl, writer Josh Weinfuss reported the surface is the same used on golf courses:
The turf is Tahoma 31 and it's among the newer breeds of grass that have been developed with the funding of the United States Golf Association ... and it was developed at Oklahoma State University…
To say the people involved with the turf's selection were overconfident in how it would perform would be an understatement.
"It's satisfying and gratifying ... to see a grass that I guarantee it will perform so well on TV," USGA agronomist Brian Whitlark said.
Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick had a different take.
"Worst field that I've ever played on," he told reporters following the loss. (h/t: CBS Sports)
Perhaps the Cowboys were trying to stick it to their rivals. The Super Bowl featured former Big 12 QBs Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) while Oklahoma State wasn't a factor. The program made sure it found its way on the field regardless.
With the turf being the worst aspect of an otherwise high-quality game, Oklahoma State might be wishing it missed out on the Super Bowl entirely.
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