<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Might be out there, but sounds like the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> will be switching to field turf for tw upcoming season.</p>— PDS (@PatDStat) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatDStat/status/563741672203243522">February 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquoteclass="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sounds like it all but a done deal, but the field turf looks more than likely for NRG. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— PDS (@PatDStat) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatDStat/status/563741981415710720">February 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script asyncsrc="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Solves the field problem, but not sure if it's the best solution.
I'd like to see the complaints when a player fractures their neck on it. Didnt Michael Irving break his neck on a field turf? Or was it astroturf? Is there a difference between field and astro turf?
I like the move to Field Turf...the natural grass had too many reported injuries to both Texans players and their respective opponents.
Field turf is the stuff that's made out of recycled tires, correct? It's much softer than astroturf from what I understand. I don't think anyone still uses astroturf anymore. If this is true, this is a great move. If nothing else, just for the visual aspect. Our grass always looks like crap on TV.
Astroturf was a much harder playing surface than field turf. Field turf is a much softer playing surface. That's why those Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk Rams teams were called "The Greatest Show on Turf".
THIS...I remember their season finale against JAX and then the very next night, they used the same field for the Texas bowl when ARK played TEX. It was a mess, to say the least.
I prefer to watch them play on natural grass, but it just doesn't work with the square palates. Like others have said, if anything it'll look better on TV, especially after a season of wear.
Astroturf and Fieldturf are very different. Astroturf was essentially flat green carpet on top of concrete. Fieldturf actually attempts to mimic the feel of grass on soil. Obviously it clearly feels different but its much softer and is well tested. Astroturf was always a choice of last resort when natural grass wasn't viable. Nowadays you even see open air stadiums using field turf because it is well proven and requires far less maintenance. I'm not sure anyone (outside of a few high school stadiums in the US) uses astroturf anymore.
Oh, man. Nick is not going to be happy about this. After all...Andre Johnson has never suffered a season-ending injury on the grass, so why change it?
Both are brands of synthetic turf...Coke & Pepsi. What Irvin played on is completely different than what is on the market today. I'll be curious to see what company gets the field. They all have their pluses and minuses. A company called UBU did the practice field. Astroturf provided the field that was supposed to be used for the college/high school games. Field Turf is the biggest and has the most fields in the NFL...but they're quality is beyond horrid and are the ones that look the worst on TV (see Seattle's field). The only use for what you guys call "Astroturf" is field hockey, indoor training centers, and the random indoor soccer facility that refuses to upgrade. They have not been produced as a football/multiuse field in over a decade. For reference sake, I worked for a company called TenCate and TigerTurf for 7 years. TenCate supplies about 60% of the worldwide market of the polyethylene yarn (grass) used to make synthetic turf. TigerTurf was a brand that was purchased by TenCate and now goes by the name GreenFields USA.
Technically, both of those are just brands. Teams use Astroturf, it just isn't like the stuff they used to have in the Astrodome.
Slightly expanded article: http://hou.scout.com/story/1511063-repot-nrg-stadium-to-change-to-field-turf?s=116
Seattle, New England. Indy has a hole in their roof and uses it as well. That's for the brand FieldTurf. The Jets/Giants and the Bengals use a different brand, but it's essentially the same. And then JerryWorld uses a different brand too. That's at least 6 open air (or dome with a hole) stadiums that use turf.
I can't say that I've ever been watching a football game and thought, man, this would be better if they were playing on real grass. I really just don't get why it matters and why it took them so long to do this. The majority of pro sports use the field turf anyhow.