Worst Field Condition Ever

[Steelers]

I'm as happy about the win as the next guy, but dear God, that field was horrible. That logo painted on the dirt didn't last 2 quarters!

Embarrassing...

I guess it doesn't matter, so long as we're not losing on it.

[Ward86XL]

Yeah I'm glad that somebody else noticed that too.. but like you said at least it didnt change the outcome of the game haha

[Atlanta Dan]

You may draw some comments about how playing on a dirt field in December is old school, but so are leather helmets and no facemasks.

I am hoping the league tells the Rooneys to get rid of that mess and put in Field Turf, which looks great on what previously was a terrible field at New England.

After Dan Rooney griped about the Jets not getting snow removed from the field quickly enough during a game at Giants Stadium in 2003, I am surprised he is not embarassed about that field when so many other teams with turf problems have gone to FieldTurf and been satisfied.

[Prosdo]

I have to say that field looks absolutely horrible. With how many teams Steelers, PITT, and high school kids we really need turf.

[plenewken]

Originally Posted by Steelers

I'm as happy about the win as the next guy, but dear God, that field was horrible. That logo painted on the dirt didn't last 2 quarters!

Embarrassing...

I guess it doesn't matter, so long as we're not losing on it.

The field is in horrible condition, it's an embarrasment for a Superbowl winner team. Without a doubt the worst field in the NFL. Hope the Rooneys open their checkbook after the season and install a state of the art turf like in Baltimore.

[X-Terminator]

What's really bad is I'm watching the Hawks/Broncos game, and their field looks much better than Heinz - and that's exactly the same surface. Sure, it has dirt patches, but it's nowhere near as bad as that slop they play on here. No doubt about it, Heinz has the worst turf in the league, and the Rooneys need to rip it up.

[Borski]

I believe they have FieldTurf in their training facility, I dont know why they don't have it on their field

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by X-Terminator

What's really bad is I'm watching the Hawks/Broncos game, and their field looks much better than Heinz - and that's exactly the same surface. Sure, it has dirt patches, but it's nowhere near as bad as that slop they play on here. No doubt about it, Heinz has the worst turf in the league, and the Rooneys need to rip it up.

Probably has something to do with climate and the soil conditions of Heinz Field being next to a river, but I assume Denver's stadium does not have a college team using it and 4 high school games being played on it in one day in late November (I am not criticizing the use of a taxpayer funded facility by the high school kids - just observing that if you wanted to run a lab experiment on how to ruin a football field in the Northeast/Midwest playing 4 games on the field in one day in early winter would be a productive part of the experiment).

The Rooneys are as stubborn about having a grass field at Heinz as Cowher was about having Coclough return punts, with equally successful results.

[Ambridge]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Probably has something to do with climate and the soil conditions of Heinz Field being next to a river, but I assume Denver's stadium does not have a college team using it and 4 high school games being played on it in one day in late November (I am not criticizing the use of a taxpayer funded facility by the high school kids - just observing that if you wanted to run a lab experiment on how to ruin a football field in the Northeast/Midwest playing 4 games on the field in one day in early winter would be a productive part of the experiment).

The Rooneys are as stubborn about having a grass field at Heinz as Cowher was about having Coclough return punts, with equally successful results.

The WPIAL need to find a different location for the high school championship games and Pitt needs to get their own stadium again.
When Pitt plays their games the stadium is lucky to be filled at 70% and the high school playoff games might fill most of the very lower tier.
Grass fields aren't meant to take the abuse of 5 or possibly 6 games played in a two day period especially late in the year when weather conditions can add to a sloppy field.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by Ambridge

The WPIAL need to find a different location for the high school championship games and Pitt needs to get their own stadium again.
When Pitt plays their games the stadium is lucky to be filled at 70% and the high school playoff games might fill most of the very lower tier.
Grass fields aren't meant to take the abuse of 5 or possibly 6 games played in a two day period especially late in the year when weather conditions can add to a sloppy field.

I believe Pitt getting to play its games at Heinz was part of the deal to sell the financing package to the State Legislature.

As for the WPIAL championship games being played at the Steelers' stadium, that has been going on for decades going back to Three Rivers. After the Pirates took incredible heat for not letting the WPIAL play a baseball championship at PNC Park, the Rooneys are not going to take any action to boot those games, nor should they - after the taxpayers strongly voted down being taxed to build Heinz Field and PNC Park, the corrupt PA State Legislature went ahead and spent tax dollars to build sports palaces for rich pro athletes and richer owners anyhow.

Throwing a bone to the taxpayers who are paying the freight, even if they are not Steelers fans, by letting Pitt and the high schools use the field is an issue that can easily be resolved by going to Field Turf.