Soldier Field’s Turf Is a National Embarrassment

Another week, another chapter in the never-ending saga of Soldier Field’s turf looking like a high school practice field after a monsoon. Hours before the Vikings and Bears kick off their season on Monday Night Football, the playing surface looks less like a pristine NFL gridiron and more like my backyard.

Soldier Field Is Falling Apart Before Week 1

Chris Hawkey, part of the Vikings‘ radio network, posted a video from the broadcast booth that should send a shiver down the spine of every player, coach, and fan. “Look at the seams on this field,” he lamented, pointing out that he could see them all the way from his perch. “I don’t think it’s overstating it to say this could be a factor in this game.”

You think? It’s Week 1. This is supposed to be the best the field looks all year. Instead, groundskeepers were seen frantically trying to smooth out the Soldier Field seams and dump sand into divots like they were patching up a pothole on the interstate. It’s a national broadcast, for crying out loud. The whole country gets to see this mess.

Why Does Soldier Field Always Look Like This?

So, how did we get here? Simple. The field just hosted a rock festival that would make Woodstock blush. Five massive concerts in five nights, featuring bands like Oasis and System of a Down, tore the place to shreds. Over a quarter of a million fans trampled that grass into submission. The result? A playing surface that one player last year described as “slippery in some parts, and then some parts were sticky.” That sounds less like a football field and more like the floor of a movie theater.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, trying to be diplomatic, essentially said, “Hey, both teams have to play on it.” True. But that doesn’t make it right. We’re talking about the health and careers of world-class athletes. Asking them to cut and sprint on a patchwork of sod and sand is just begging for a non-contact injury. It’s an absolute liability.

The Bears are desperately trying to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, and scenes like this are Exhibit A in their argument. Soldier Field might be historic, but it’s proving it’s no longer fit for the modern NFL. Tonight, let’s just cross our fingers and hope the biggest story isn’t a torn ACL because of a field that is better suited for a game of lawn darts.