Super Bowl LVII was one of the greatest NFL championship games ever played, and that was despite brutal field conditions at State Farm Stadium.
Players on both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs struggled to keep their footing throughout Sunday night’s game in Arizona. In fact, Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata went as far as to say it felt like playing on a “water park.”
So, why was the field in such rough shape? And how could it even be in such a state after the NFL reportedly spent two years preparing the grass, which reportedly cost a grand total of $800,000? NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport provided some insight Monday during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“So, here is what I was told happened to the grass,” Rapoport said. “Obviously, they play the first half. I think the first half was mostly fine, right? The second half was worse. Basically, the halftime show — which basically spanned the entire field — it compressed the grass, it heated it up and it got it slick. It basically increased the moisture in the grass because it didn’t allow it to breathe because it was pressed down on the grass. Then you take the halftime show off the grass and it’s a little bit wetter and in the third quarter everyone was sliding around.”
Considering the Super Bowl has featured halftime shows with extravagant stage setups for decades now, the concert’s impact on the grass probably should have been front of mind when the NFL was preparing the sod. Here’s hoping the league prepares properly for Super Bowl LVIII at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, which can house both artificial turf and natural grass.
