Synthetic turf fields kicking up safety concerns

The News Tribune ^ | 5/17/09 | PHUONG LE

[Scythian]

I have also read that they can culture MRSA off of the artifical turf. In fact, it grows quite well in it, and great place to be getting scrapes and open wounds all over your body huh?

[Right Wing Assault]

I still fully support the installation of these fields

Yes, a bad grass field can be like concrete. These maintain their springiness for many years. Many practices or games can be played on them in a single day. Grass could never handle that.

[Tex Pete]

Texas High and Midway...nice pic!

[jroneil]

Do you notice these are only soccer kids complaining, not (American) football ones?
and they don't keep standing because they don't want winners and loose. Like the kids don't know how many games they one or loss and what team has won the most I think Soccer creates Socialist!

[Buckeye McFrog]

because you can’t sue grass.....

[Richard Kimball]

Thanks! It was a great game, too. Were you there, and who were you rooting for?

[Tex Pete]

No, I went to Copperas Cove. We have been making deep runs in the playoffs the last few years, and have beaten both teams recently.

I would have rooted for Midway, though. They were in our district two years ago, and John Hubert is a great talent.

[Skenderbej]

This is rubbish! I’ve played soccer and football extensively on these new fields and they are absolutely awesome! They hold up well to lots of use. The relatively invariable playing surface gives you confidence that you won’t step in a hole. As a goalie, I appreciate not having to dive onto plastic sprinkler heads!

In addition, for all the time I’ve spent on the ground on these fields, I have never once inhaled a “particle”, the rubber chunks mentioned in the article. They are about the size of a piece of Grape Nuts cereal, and you wouldn’t be able to “inhale” one without seriously choking!

[Skenderbej]

We wear plastic cleats on our college field. I forgot to mention in an earlier post, the wet-weather traction is awesome on these fields, especially when compared to grass!

[Richard Kimball]

I was hoping Hubert would go to Baylor and team up with your old QB, but I think he went to K-State. I get to photograph Griffin with Baylor quite a bit. Good player.

[proudpapa]

Boo!

That was bad. And very few FRiends got it.

[dblshot]

What goes ‘round comes ‘round.

[hoppity]

They might end up in traction.

[frogjerk]

ASTROTURF® MAKES ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION THE STANDARD IN ALL OF ITS SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS TurfAide™ Protects Against Growing Threat of Staph Infections

http://www.astroturfusa.com/technology/AntiMicrobial.html

Interesting

[Tex Pete]

I wanted Baylor to get him, too. He gave Cove fits when we played Midway at Floyd Casey in 2007.

Rob is a great guy. I mentored him in HS, and he really is as good a kid as he seems on TV. He deserves whatever good comes his way, and he works hard enough for that to happen. He comes back home a lot, and he is polite and gives me a “man hug” everytime we see each other. His mom and dad have been exemplary parents for such a talented athlete.

[saint]

Great stuff to play on, though I still like real grass and dirt just for old times sake. Once blood and germs soak into the ground, they aren't a problem. The rubber bits on these fields remind me of those playland pits full of plastic balls that every germ producing kid has left his saliva and worse on - ewww!

But I've wondered how long a field would burn if it was set on fire. Seems like those little rubber pieces could get quite a blaze going.

[xp38]

never underestimate lawyers

[Tex Pete]

Just read this on Griffin: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=feldman_bruce&id=4174191

"College football's top workout warriors..."

"3. Robert Griffin, Baylor, QB: A bunch of blazing-fast football players have legit track speed (Clemson's Jacoby Ford, Florida's Jeff Demps and LSU's Trindon Holliday all come to mind), but when have we seen a guy with world-class speed who was a legit college quarterback? Never. Griffin made this list last season, when he was an early-enrolled quarterback on the brink of almost making the U.S. Olympic team as a hurdler. Turns out he's proven to be an even bigger freak athlete, as last season he set an NCAA record for the most passes to start a career without an interception. He also has made Baylor football relevant again. Oh yeah, and Griffin, who has packed on almost 20 pounds (up to 210) since arriving in Waco, Texas, in the winter of 2008, says he's even more explosive now.

Baylor strength coach Kaz Kazadi says Griffin arrived with so much top-end speed but has really enhanced his quickness and ability to change direction. "This is one of the hardest-working young athletes you'll ever see," Kazadi says. "He's just got that quiet-storm demeanor. The guy always shows up on time. Always ready to work, and he just loves to compete." Watch out, Big 12, the Bears aren't pushovers any more."