re: UT going Field Turf, when will we?

I was told the current management is no more.

As I said earlier,,im attending a meeting friday with guys from LSU ag center to talk about TS grass and some products I carry to help the situation.

quote:

---

As I said earlier,,im attending a meeting friday with guys from LSU ag center to talk about TS grass and some products I carry to help the situation.

---

Give us an update after the meeting. I am not yet ready to go to field turf, but we have to do something differently with the grass.

We need to do everything possible to preserve the natural grass surface before we do something that will help destroy the historical beauty of Tiger Stadium. This is an old structure that they have tried to preserve and improve at the same time, keeping it as real as possible. Nothing real about turf. I'm against it.

Yeah, and what do you want to pay for your tickets?

quote:

---

I played a game with some Harvard frat boys and didn't even need a fricking shower afterward.

---

Couldn't find a shower buddy?

I'll admit that I'm not the most knowlegeable person about the subject, but it would seem to me that the type of grass being grown would have a lot to do with the condition of the field.
St. Augustine grass is the most prevalent and easiest type grass to grow in La. Most all of us who grew up there and played sandlot sports played on it and it always held up very well, generally with very little care. I know, I mowed enough of it! And that was it's biggest drawback-it grew too fast, too well.
Here in Oklahoma, St. Augustine won't grow.It's too hot and dry. Bermuda, which I think is what is on the field at TS, is the predominant grass. It is very drought resistant but doesn't hold up to the wear and tear like St. Augustine, plus it needs plenty of care such as fertilizer and water.
Also, a lot depends on the base. If it is too sandy, it will get torn up easily and the root structure will be destroyed. I remember visiting TS when they were redoing the field and that is what I saw.
I would think that if it were possible, LSU should switch to St. Augustine with a more solid base and that would help solve the problem.

Why is this so difficult? What are the options?

1- A playable, sustainable natural grass field.
2- A shitty, barely playable, looks like arse natural field.
3- Field turf.

Is there anyone here who would rather play on Field Turf instead of a quality natural surface?

Is there anyone who would prefer to play on a shitty natural field rather than a playable artificial one?

The question is simple...is LSU ever going to solve the problem of it's current shitty natural field? and, I think we'd all agree that what we've seen the last few years is simply unacceptable.

If we can expect the grass to get fixed and be what we want it to be, then great! If not? then call a spade a spade and bring in a surface that allows our athletes to compete at the higest levels possible.

But to continue to have a shitty playing surface in TS is not acceptable. It's not just a question of WANTING to play on FieldTurf. Given LSU's complete lack of fixing the problem it seems as though it may be the only alternative.

Here's an article from late last year on the turf. Don't have a link on-line:

quote:

---

Sub-par standards: LSU turf wears down
Turf at Tiger Stadium broke down just like the team
Amy Brittain • Special to the Advertiser • December 11, 2008

Post a CommentRecommend (2)Print this page E-mail this article Share s
BATON ROUGE - The LSU football team wasn't the only thing to take a beating in Tiger Stadium this season. The young field grass endured an equally rough season and enters the winter cold in sub-par shape.


Of concern are an abundance of sandy patches, some quite visible during nationally-televised contests. It has caused sufficient concern that artificial turf is being mentioned, although the Tiger Athletic Department remains optimistic that grass will prevail.

Ronnie Halliburton, director of athletic facilities and grounds, said the wear-and-tear is linked to the grass' youth, considering it was planted in June and did not have a full-growing season to gain optimum health.

"It's healthy. Is it aesthetically pleasing to the eye? No," he said. "Are there some bare spots on the field? Yes."

The "Mississippi Choice" Bermuda grass, originally developed in a Mississippi lab and shipped from Arizona, was "sprigged" this summer for the first time in Tiger Stadium history. The sprigging process involves a machine that cuts a slit in the grass, drops the grass stalk in and then rolls back over the sprig.

Halliburton said the new grass was sprigged to replace the failing sod plots planted about three years ago. The sprigging process was also cheaper - costing about $20,000 compared to an estimated $200,000 needed for new sod plots.

"The grass that was there before was not performing as we wanted it to," Halliburton said. "It wasn't recovering in certain areas. It looked like the field had the measles."

The new Bermuda grass barely had enough time to cover and spread over the field before the team began preseason scrimmages in August.

Halliburton considers Todd Jeansonne, assistant director of athletic facilities and grounds, to be the staff's expert on grass.

"The field is still not completely grown in," Jeansonne said. "It's an infant."

Its infancy, Jeansonne explains, is the reason for the bare spots. Another cause for ailing grass is the paint used for logos and hash marks. The darker colors, such as purple, cause more harm to the young grass.

"When it gets worn down and ugly like this, people think it's dead," Jeansonne said. "But it's not dead, the crown of the plant is still there. It's the main growing point."

After the Tigers' game against Mississippi State in late September, the staff decided to seed the field with rye grass to supplement the struggling Bermuda.

"You typically don't want to put rye grass down when you have a new field. You want the grass to go through a full year of growing before you put rye grass down," Jeansonne said. "Unfortunately, we're not in a situation where we can allow that to happen. We have to put rye grass in to keep the color on the field."

The staff remains optimistic the young Bermuda grass will recover in the off-season and be a picture of health by August. But with the construction of the east upper deck and renovation of the westside upper deck during the past decade, the field does not receive as much sunlight as it did in past years.

Some have questioned if artificial turf is the answer.

"I like grass myself," said LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva. "But if, in fact, it proves that we can't grow grass in there, we would have to look at some other options down the road. That would be a worst-case scenario."

Halliburton said he is not opposed to artificial turf, especially given the advancements in materials available. But he describes the cost as "astronomical" - estimating a price tag upwards of $1 million.

"We would rather keep it natural, but time and technology continues to evolve with synthetic grasses, we could adjust," he said.

---

"Halliburton considers Todd Jeansonne, assistant director of athletic facilities and grounds, to be the staff's expert on grass".
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH expert my arse

Since Louisiana HS do not have field turf Im willing to bet very few of you have ever played anything on it...

I have, its better than grass and it would be better for this team...All this shite just goes long the whole idea of many Tiger fans to make everything look as OLD FASHION as possible...Not about whats better for the game of football..