"Why do we still have turf fields?" - David Bakhtiari voices his concern following Odell Beckham Jr.'s Super Bowl injury
Turf fields have been under scrutiny for years and this year's Super Bowl appears to have made another case for eliminating turf from football.
The Los Angeles Rams lost wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. early in the game from a non-contact injury due to his cleat getting snagged by artificial turf at SoFi Stadium. He ended up with a torn ACL that could threaten the rest of his career, and now many NFL players are calling for a ban on turf fields.
馃徑Odell Beckham Jr. goes down with a non-contact knee injury.
He was able to walk off on his own, and after a stint in the medical tent, he's headed back to the Rams locker room 馃檹馃徑馃檹馃徑 #SuperBowl
https://t.co/7TGBZG11O9
Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiari is one of the players who is against turf being used as a playing surface. Bakhtiari recently took to Twitter to ask why the NFL is still using turf fields. He even went as far as to state that in this day and age, the league makes enough revenue to simply "maintain natural grass at this point".
"It鈥檚 2022. Why do we still have turf fields?.. I think all franchises make enough to afford and maintain natural grass at this point."
It鈥檚 2022. Why do we still have turf fields?.. I think all franchises make enough to afford and maintain natural grass at this point.
Bakhtiari, who is dealing with a torn ACL of his own, was not shy in his statement, which has also sparked much debate. Particularly about whether the NFL is cutting corners and choosing to ignore the seemingly obvious dangers of artificial turf.
Some fans have even gone as far as to call the NFL completely outdated since they still choose to use the classic sticks and chains combo to spot the ball.
@DavidBakhtiari It's 2022. Why do we still measure the spot of a ball with literal chains on sticks and an old man's eyesight? NFL makes enough to invest in sensor technology.
NFL players unite under #FlipTheTurf after Super Bowl injury
NFL players, both past and present, are rallying behind Odell Beckham Jr.'s Super Bowl injury and are calling for all turf fields to be eliminated via the #FliptheTurf campaign.
SoFi Stadium, where Super Bowl 56 was held, is a $5 billion stadium that just recently opened and the owners may not want to spend another $1 million or so this quickly. However, Rams ownership now finds itself under fire following an injury to their own star player seemingly due to their own turf ground stadium
Regardless, players have solid points of discussion about why turf is hurting the league. George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers also took to Twitter, saying he is tired of "playing on cement," alluding to the hard surface of an artificial field.
I鈥檝e been saying, artificial turf feels like playing on cement. It鈥檚 time to play smarter, not harder! Help us #FlipTheTurf by signing the petition change.org/fliptheturf @Penningtonlawn #penningtonpartner
馃憖I鈥檝e been saying, artificial turf feels like playing on cement. It鈥檚 time to play smarter, not harder! Help us #FlipTheTurf by signing the petition change.org/fliptheturf @Penningtonlawn #penningtonpartner https://t.co/Z3z27P9Row
Kittle's teammate, Nick Bosa, upped the ante, saying that every player in the league "is one play away from altering their career forever" when they step out to play on artificial turf.
Every player is one play away from altering their career forever when playing on turf. I experienced the
bad side of this and it could have been avoided. Help me #FlipTheTurf to real grass with @penningtonlawn. Sign here: change.org/fliptheturf #penningtonpartner https://t.co/NXpqC8bGMo
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb took to Twitter to speak from experience as he suffered a severe MCL injury on articificale turn turf:
90% of NFL Players prefer real grass, including me! In 2020 I sprained my MCL on artificial turf. #FlipTheTurf to real grass with @PenningtonLawn and sign the petition: change.org/fliptheturf #PenningtonPartner https://t.co/2bV3GVSzQo
Kicker Justin Tucker brings up an additional point on how bad turf is for the environment:
Turf is an environmental hazard. Because it can鈥檛 be recycled, 330 million pounds of it end up in landfills. Help me and @PenningtonLawn protect the planet and #fliptheturf to grass! Sign the petition here: change.org/fliptheturf #PenningtonPartner #ad
Turf is commonly used in the NFL today because there is minimal maintenance required as compared to grass and it can easily be assembled and torn down for other events held in a particular stadium.
However, convenience will only go so far when players keep getting injured. It will be interesting to see how Roger Goodell and the rest of the NFL handle this situation that is now squarely in the spotlight.