Maybe it’s a next-level plan to demonstrate the value of a domed stadium with artificial turf. Or maybe it’s just the latest chapter in the grass at Soldier Field periodically looking like it had been invaded by a battalion of Marines.
Regardless, early reports on the quality of the playing surface aren’t good in advance of the Monday night game between the Vikings and the Bears.
From Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, from 4:42 p.m. ET: “Several members of the field crew at Soldier Field are surveying the turf right now and placing a sand/seed mix in areas that need to be filled on the playing surface. The field was re-sodded after a stretch of five concerts at the end of August.”
And here’s an earlier video from Chris Hawkey of ESPN.com, as re-posted by Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.
The league has minimum standards for field quality. Of course, the financial impact and practical consequences of scrapping a game because it was a potential safety hazard for the players would be difficult to manage.
What would the Vikings and Bears do? Play tomorrow in Minnesota or at some other site?
Regardless, the field doesn’t look good. We’ll find out in a less that three hours how it plays.