Or if they're committed to grass, they need to grow the entire field as a whole.... not in puzzle pieces. There are newer hybrid strains of grass that can withstand little to no sunlight... the Astros use it at MMP, and the grass has looked great for entire seasons now (whereas in the early years, there were clear dead spots throughout the parts of the field that got very little sun). The problem is, they use Reliant Stadium for too many other events, and the field will never be able to take root for long enough. And they currently don't have the capability to take the entire field outside like Arizona's stadium. That being said, isn't field turf also put together in "pieces"? I guess less-so than the current basketball-court puzzle piece config.
MMP has a much more open design than NRG. I don't buy this anyways. Knee injuries happen in football. Players will tell you they prefer reliant grass over any artificial turf.
Reliant still gets enough sun on the field to make grass grow... even with the shadows... but it would require the roof being open all day/everyday, and the grass staying on the floor (which are impossibilities given the amount of events Reliant hosts before, during, and after football season).
They wont have time to grow it properly, they're literally booked with non-texan events from now til the end of time. The best thing is long grain turf. It looks and feels just like grass and they can cover it for events and it won't wilt
http://www.examiner.com/article/reliant-stadium-playing-surface-was-ranked-nfl-s-4th-best-past-survey-of-players I know it's old but the field is generally considered one of the best in the NFL. The holes and visible seams must be attributed to the field crew.
Events are a "problem" but so is sun. I don't think you can say it gets enough sun, I personally doubt it does. Both of these add up to either keep the current system, or go with an artificial turf. Players much prefer grass and the Texans don't even allow Andre Johnson to run inside the bubble on artificial turf.
Whichever way you slice it... "bad luck", "injury prone", "made of glass" Texans have likely wasted a pick. Our medical staff already fumbled by unknowingly drafting an injured player (Clowney) to begin with. Yes other teams didn't know either, but some did. Having the #1 pick and drafted him meant we HAD TO know. Clowney can still turn it around, but the situation currently looks horrible.
I've seen it get enough sun... there are times of day when basically the entire field is covered in sun. See below picture (which given new hybrid strains and a sprinkler system, would be more than enough for it to grow). Shadows really only creep on the field in the late afternoons, and there are significant shadows at MMP (or any stadium) around those times as well, which still allows for growth.
What about that field turf that's made out of recycled tires? I thought the players actually liked that better than grass because it has more give than traditional astroturf? I would think players would like grass grown the normal way in an outside-only stadium more than our version which is on pallets and moved in and out of the stadium on a regular basis. I'm not an expert on playing surfaces though.
But it isn't brought in random squares to where there are seams on the field, leading to the very avoidable injuries.
Again, its circumstantial as to whether or not these injuries are really being caused by the squares/seams/holes any more-so than injuries that occur on a regular field or field-turf. Guys step on sprinkler holes or divets on real fields... guys get caught up in seams on field turf fields... the system at Reliant is easier to blame because people know its different, but its entirely unproven (and likely not even true) that it directly causes more harm.
Another pic of the field with near total sun (spoilered due to size)... note the time on the scoreboard (11:27am). Its the events, not the lack of ability to grow it there. Spoiler
Reliant isn't comparable to MMP in terms of open sunlight, anyone who has been to both knows that without thinking. The picture you posted is very wide angle and makes the stadium look shorter. The shadows a wall makes are not like those of a tree on your yard. Light doesn't penetrate a brick wall like it will leaves. Even if you disagree, the Texans bring in less money than the Rodeo and other events in Reliant. Nothing will be permanently installed.
IF the grass got enough sun in these huge open roof stadiums, University of Phoenix Stadium wouldn't have the turf roll out on train tracks. Post more wide angle pictures, the sun is enough to keep grass alive for a while but it won't thrive. I know a little about grass.
I see nearly the entire field covered in sun. Same for the other picture I posted. I don't think its camera trickery or an angle issue... the field gets plenty of direct sun. Combine that fact with hybrid grass strains that need little to NO sun to grow well (which is what MMP uses now... remember, regular grass died there in the early years, despite the more "open" design). I understand the differences in the stadium, but that is more tied into "wind" and heat effects of being exposed to the direct sun... but has nothing to do with growing grass. You also don't want any grass field to get "too" much direct sun, because that will also kill it.
At high noon it does, by the third quarter if you have the wrong seats you will cook from the sun and half the field is shade. The amount of sun isn't comparable between the two. Reliant is shady around 3pm. MMP is bright all afternoon because the extremely open side is to the west.
I figured that was still because of the events held there. Tell me about the new grass they installed at MMP 2-3 years ago vs. what they used when they first open (vs. what was used in the Astrodome when it first opened, that was designed to grow indoors).
And the roof is closed during that time, on days when they have games in the evening during the summer, and the grass survives. The bottom line is, they could find a strain to grow there given the amount of sun it gets. Its the events that kill that chance.
