INDIANAPOLIS -- Steve McKinney spent the first four years of his career playing his home games on the AstroTurf at the RCA Dome, and although he's almost two seasons removed from his days as an Indianapolis Colt, his opinion about the playing surface hasn't changed.
"I didn't like it when I was up there, and I don't enjoy having to go up there and play on it," McKinney said.
Unfortunately for McKinney, he doesn't have a choice. In an era when new stadiums are springing up seemingly on a yearly basis, increasing the number of grass fields and improved artificial surfaces, players say the Colts, who host the Texans today, are behind the times.
The RCA Dome is one of just four NFL venues that still use AstroTurf, considered a wonderful invention when it was introduced at the Astrodome in 1966 but a nuisance to to some who play on it 37 years later. Indianapolis, St. Louis, Minnesota and New Orleans are the only teams that play their home games in stadiums with AstroTurf.
"They're all equally bad," McKinney said. "They all have that same feel. It's just like playing on carpet."
The rest of the league is playing on grass or a new form of artificial turf that simulates a natural playing surface by using a mixture of sand and rubber pellets to promote softness and lessens the wear on players.
The Falcons, Lions, Jets, Giants and Seahawks play on FieldTurf, the most popular variation of the product. The Bills use AstroPlay, and the Cowboys play on Sportfield Realgrass. Each of the 21 remaining teams plays on grass.
The player's biggest concern about playing on AstroTurf is the high risk of injury, particularly knee injuries that have occurred because there is little, if any, give in the turf. Injuries are often freakish in nature, but there is no scientific evidence to support that more injuries occur on AstroTurf than other surfaces. Nevertheless, the vast majority of players feel more comfortable playing on any surface other than AstroTurf.
Texans nose tackle Seth Payne saw his 2003 season come to a painful end in Week 2 when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on the AstroTurf at New Orleans' Superdome. Payne was off to a strong start and likely would have earned a hefty contract extension before the start of next season. Now, his days consist mostly of rehab and wondering if he'll be the same player after the injury.
"To me, when I got hurt, it didn't seem like that was an injury that would have happened on grass or FieldTurf," Payne said. "My foot was stuck in the turf. When my body got twisted, there was no give. The only thing that could give was my ACL. I can't speak for the general population or make an argument or a generalization. But in my case, if I had been making the exact same play on grass, I doubt it would have happened.
"It probably wouldn't have happened on FieldTurf, either. I don't think you'll find many guys who would have a problem with playing on FieldTurf. It plays just like grass. It might not feel like it to the touch, but it gives, it's soft, and it has good footing. You slip when you need to slip."
Ideally, each team in the league would play on a grass field, but in some cases it's impossible because of domed stadiums, and in other cases, it isn't feasible because of the cost of maintaining a grass field in a heavily used multipurpose stadium.
So far, the next best thing to grass has been FieldTurf. New Orleans' Superdome hasn't switched to FieldTurf because the stadium is used for a variety of other events. There is some debate as to whether the surface can hold up to constantly being rolled up or having other surfaces placed on top of it.
However, Detroit's Ford Field and Atlanta's Georgia Dome are multipurpose facilities and have managed to use FieldTurf for football. Ford Field, which has been the venue for concerts by the Rollings Stones and Eminem, uses a hard cover to protect its FieldTurf during other events and a solution to wash the FieldTurf once the event is over. A spokesman for the Lions said the process has worked fine.
The Saints are toying with the idea of installing FieldTurf in a tray system, similar to the portable grass system the Texans use at Reliant Stadium. If putting FieldTurf in trays is possible, players see no reason why they should be subjected to playing on AstroTurf.
"That would be perfect," Texans defensive lineman Steve Martin said. "That would make it great for everybody. You don't want to lose key guys for any reason, but you definitely don't want to lose guys because of AstroTurf.
"The good thing is that we don't have to play on it every week. I feel sorry for the Colts' players who have to play eight games (actually 10, including the preseason) on it. It's tough for them. You know the difference. You can feel it. The game is faster, but when you hit the ground, it's like you're taking three hits."
What baffles players most about the AstroTurf issues is that owners who invest more than $70 million in player salaries would allow their players to play on anything less than what they say are the best surfaces available.
"People are willing to pay $36 million for a free agent, but not (what it would cost) for a new field," Payne said. "It doesn't make any sense when you might be able to get that same free agent for less money. If it came down to choosing between a turf like they have in New Orleans, a lot of players would take less money to go to a stadium with grass or FieldTurf, all things being equal."
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"I didn't like it when I was up there, and I don't enjoy having to go up there and play on it," McKinney said.
Unfortunately for McKinney, he doesn't have a choice. In an era when new stadiums are springing up seemingly on a yearly basis, increasing the number of grass fields and improved artificial surfaces, players say the Colts, who host the Texans today, are behind the times.
The RCA Dome is one of just four NFL venues that still use AstroTurf, considered a wonderful invention when it was introduced at the Astrodome in 1966 but a nuisance to to some who play on it 37 years later. Indianapolis, St. Louis, Minnesota and New Orleans are the only teams that play their home games in stadiums with AstroTurf.
"They're all equally bad," McKinney said. "They all have that same feel. It's just like playing on carpet."
The rest of the league is playing on grass or a new form of artificial turf that simulates a natural playing surface by using a mixture of sand and rubber pellets to promote softness and lessens the wear on players.
The Falcons, Lions, Jets, Giants and Seahawks play on FieldTurf, the most popular variation of the product. The Bills use AstroPlay, and the Cowboys play on Sportfield Realgrass. Each of the 21 remaining teams plays on grass.
The player's biggest concern about playing on AstroTurf is the high risk of injury, particularly knee injuries that have occurred because there is little, if any, give in the turf. Injuries are often freakish in nature, but there is no scientific evidence to support that more injuries occur on AstroTurf than other surfaces. Nevertheless, the vast majority of players feel more comfortable playing on any surface other than AstroTurf.
Texans nose tackle Seth Payne saw his 2003 season come to a painful end in Week 2 when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on the AstroTurf at New Orleans' Superdome. Payne was off to a strong start and likely would have earned a hefty contract extension before the start of next season. Now, his days consist mostly of rehab and wondering if he'll be the same player after the injury.
"To me, when I got hurt, it didn't seem like that was an injury that would have happened on grass or FieldTurf," Payne said. "My foot was stuck in the turf. When my body got twisted, there was no give. The only thing that could give was my ACL. I can't speak for the general population or make an argument or a generalization. But in my case, if I had been making the exact same play on grass, I doubt it would have happened.
"It probably wouldn't have happened on FieldTurf, either. I don't think you'll find many guys who would have a problem with playing on FieldTurf. It plays just like grass. It might not feel like it to the touch, but it gives, it's soft, and it has good footing. You slip when you need to slip."
Ideally, each team in the league would play on a grass field, but in some cases it's impossible because of domed stadiums, and in other cases, it isn't feasible because of the cost of maintaining a grass field in a heavily used multipurpose stadium.
So far, the next best thing to grass has been FieldTurf. New Orleans' Superdome hasn't switched to FieldTurf because the stadium is used for a variety of other events. There is some debate as to whether the surface can hold up to constantly being rolled up or having other surfaces placed on top of it.
However, Detroit's Ford Field and Atlanta's Georgia Dome are multipurpose facilities and have managed to use FieldTurf for football. Ford Field, which has been the venue for concerts by the Rollings Stones and Eminem, uses a hard cover to protect its FieldTurf during other events and a solution to wash the FieldTurf once the event is over. A spokesman for the Lions said the process has worked fine.
The Saints are toying with the idea of installing FieldTurf in a tray system, similar to the portable grass system the Texans use at Reliant Stadium. If putting FieldTurf in trays is possible, players see no reason why they should be subjected to playing on AstroTurf.
"That would be perfect," Texans defensive lineman Steve Martin said. "That would make it great for everybody. You don't want to lose key guys for any reason, but you definitely don't want to lose guys because of AstroTurf.
"The good thing is that we don't have to play on it every week. I feel sorry for the Colts' players who have to play eight games (actually 10, including the preseason) on it. It's tough for them. You know the difference. You can feel it. The game is faster, but when you hit the ground, it's like you're taking three hits."
What baffles players most about the AstroTurf issues is that owners who invest more than $70 million in player salaries would allow their players to play on anything less than what they say are the best surfaces available.
"People are willing to pay $36 million for a free agent, but not (what it would cost) for a new field," Payne said. "It doesn't make any sense when you might be able to get that same free agent for less money. If it came down to choosing between a turf like they have in New Orleans, a lot of players would take less money to go to a stadium with grass or FieldTurf, all things being equal."
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