When speaking about unhealthy taking part in surfaces, the primary stadiums that come up are at all times MetLife Stadium and FedEx Discipline. Up to now few years, these stadiums have developed a horrible fame. Nevertheless, if we rewind a few a long time, the Steelers’ dwelling at Acrisure Stadium (then Heinz Discipline) would have been in that dialog.
The grass at Heinz Discipline was a multitude within the early and mid-2000s. When the Pittsburgh Steelers performed the Miami Dolphins in 2007, the turf was so unhealthy that on a punt, the ball didn’t roll; it simply ended up caught the place it landed. That sport is now affectionately often called the Mud Bowl.
It acquired so muddy, the ball didn’t even bounce 🤷♂️ (through @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/fEQeEGWbrN
— NFL (@NFL) Could 7, 2020
Whereas the muddied discipline led to cool-looking video games, gamers hated it. In 2011, gamers voted for Heinz Discipline because the worst taking part in floor within the NFL, and at present, former stars are nonetheless complaining.
The taking part in floor was unhealthy within the Inexperienced Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles sport final night time. Within the Nightcap podcast on YouTube, former Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Johnson recalled the Steelers’ grass was so poor he needed to put on particular cleats.
“There was just one place the place I needed to put on seven studs,” stated Johnson. “And that was once we went to Heinz Discipline. I believe again throughout these days, clearly it was a working period, I believe Heinz Discipline, they stored their discipline messy to maintain the opposing group at an obstacle.”
Seven studs are a sort of cleat that helps give further traction to keep away from slipping on poor grass. They’ve screw-in studs that dig deeper into the grass, giving a greater grip so that you don’t slip in poor situation. Earlier this yr, J.J. Watt was on The Pat McAfee Present and defined the several types of cleats soccer gamers put on.
“With regards to cleats it’s a particularly vital dialogue and it is dependent upon your place..
As a cross rusher I just like the shorter molded cleats and the one time I wore a seven stud was if we have been in a really unhealthy scenario” @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VqXPL9eJjy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 3, 2024
Though Johnson thinks Pittsburgh was being malicious by having a nasty taking part in floor, that’s in all probability not the case. Sure, Pittsburgh did run the soccer usually within the 2000s, particularly within the early 2000s with RB Jerome Bettis, however the danger of damage with unhealthy turf could be too excessive for the group to take that danger. Although the Steelers had Bettis, in addition they had Willie Parker, a pace again. Having an deliberately unhealthy taking part in floor with Parker because the lead again doesn’t make sense, as it could neutralize essentially the most distinguished a part of his sport: his pace.
The extra seemingly situation is solely that the grass they used was poor, and the Steelers sharing the sphere with Pitt and internet hosting highschool championship video games on the stadium made the unhealthy grass even worse. As expertise and groundskeeping work have improved, Pittsburgh has been capable of maintain its turf in higher form. In solely about 10 years, the Steelers have gone from having one of many worst taking part in surfaces within the NFL to one of many higher ones.
