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HTTR24-7.com; Tough Turf Times; It's Time To Say Goodbye To FedEx's Grass Field

KCClybun

By KCClybun
in The Stadium

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BringEmBacktoDC

BringEmBacktoDC

Posted
Posted
I have worked in the the turf industry in the Mid - Atlantic for the last 20 years as a golf course superintendent and I am at a loss as to why on earth this cat at FedEx cant seem to figure this thing out. For the love of god you have less than 4 acres of turf that you have to nurse along through roughly 40 days when the plant is edging into dormancy. For gods sake ever here of soil ammendments and overseeding ? I had an opportunity to tour the underbelly of FedEx back in 2000, it is state of the art evn by today's standards. There are literally miles of pipe both for drainage and irrigation, this gives you the ability to heat the rootzone and enhance the plants response to the cold. Beyond that there are several materials available to cover the field that will create a convection like process and still allow for photosynthesis to occur. There really is no excuse, I mean the occasional rock concert can tear it up a little bit, but not to the extent that the field is unplayable. Fed Ex is a complete embarassment and gives professionals in the turf industry a bad name.

BlueIndian's comments jive with what I have been told by the Groundskeeper of a prestigious area golf course. I posted about it in another thread so I will not repeat it all. Bottom line though is that he said it should be a matter of having a coherent plan for the year for the stadium and then providing those responsible for the plan, the resources to execute it. BlueIndian seems to indicate that the facilities are in place to support natural turf year round. I am starting to think that this has simply been a case of neglect or perhaps even a negligent ground crew.

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Hitman21ST

Hitman21ST

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Posted
Lets try this again, but change the starting " strength ' percentages.

Our best is 90%, Their best is 100%.

The " full natural grass " reduction is 50%. for both teams.

Instead of the other team having a 10% advantage, their advantage has now been reduced to 5%

The only problem in that is, with a fully healthy RG3, there are very few (read, maybe only one or two) teams that are better than us, and none in the NFCE. Now, the odds that they play us, at home, are very small. I'll even give you those two games at home that they're better than us. That means we're 6-2. I'll take playing two teams that are 10% better than us if it means playing 6 more that are 10% worse than us.

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Guest Spearfeather

Guest Spearfeather

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The only problem in that is, with a fully healthy RG3, there are very few (read, maybe only one or two) teams that are better than us, and none in the NFCE. Now, the odds that they play us, at home, are very small. I'll even give you those two games at home that they're better than us. That means we're 6-2. I'll take playing two teams that are 10% better than us if it means playing 6 more that are 10% worse than us.

I see what you're trying to say, but

Mathematically speaking, 100 / 90 = 50 / 45 = 10 / 9 = 5 / 4.5

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Hitman21ST

Hitman21ST

Posted
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I see what you're trying to say, but

Mathematically speaking, 100 / 90 = 50 / 45 = 10 / 9 = 5 / 4.5

I know that. What I'm saying is I'll give those two hypothetical teams those wins on an artificial surface if it means we win the other six.

Taking it down to its simplest terms does nothing to change the argument.

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Guest Spearfeather

Guest Spearfeather

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I know that. What I'm saying is I'll give those two hypothetical teams those wins on an artificial surface if it means we win the other six.

Taking it down to its simplest terms does nothing to change the argument.

The thing I was pointing out is:

We start out at 100%, the other team starts at 90%, each team drops 50% because of natural grass.

We are now at 50%. They are now at 45%.

We still have a 10% advantage, .... not 5%.

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  • 1 month later...
SonnyandSam

SonnyandSam

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Larry Michael announced on Tuesday's Redskins Nation show that the Redskins would be announcing big news about improvements planned for the playing surface for Fedex Field in about 2 weeks. He said it would be announced on Redskins Nation. Michael also made it clear that the field would remain grass. But he made it sound more than just re-sodding.

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mistertim

mistertim

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Maybe they're changing from Bermuda grass to Kentucky bluegrass. Never really understood why FedEx field uses Bermuda...from what I've read that is more suited to warm climates, etc. Maybe they're going to install a lighting/heating system like Lambeau field has.

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skinnyskins

skinnyskins

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Maybe they're changing from Bermuda grass to Kentucky bluegrass. Never really understood why FedEx field uses Bermuda...from what I've read that is more suited to warm climates, etc. Maybe they're going to install a lighting/heating system like Lambeau field has.

Im really hoping they go with a hybrid. Preferably a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 4 quarters on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get Davis and Williams stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff

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Warpath11

Warpath11

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Posted
Hoping it's the DESSO system.

I'm not in the area, but does anyone know if they still have the old "astroturf" field at Redskins Park? If they do, that's just pathetic.

I hope for DESSO as well if a team like Manchester United can switch to it for next season the Redskins can too...as far as the old astroturf field Im pretty sure I saw pictures of it still being there during training camp.

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SonnyandSam

SonnyandSam

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Hoping it's the DESSO system.

I'm not in the area, but does anyone know if they still have the old "astroturf" field at Redskins Park? If they do, that's just pathetic.

They have one synthetic field...it looks like the old astroturf stuff. They don't play on it. Just use it for walk throughs in bad weather and non contact stuff primarily. During training camp they often used it for VIPs, training staff tents, etc. The bubble has some kind of field turf in it.

Despite Michael's railing how the Redskins will always play on grass, the way he portrayed the magnitude of the changes, it does make me wonder if the Skins are putting in DESSO or a DESSO like system. It did not give me the impression of a resodding program or changing the type of grass. Sounded bigger than all that.

---------- Post added April-4th-2013 at 12:13 PM ----------

Im really hoping they go with a hybrid. Preferably a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 4 quarters on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get Davis and Williams stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff

I think that used to be a "weed" back in my younger days. :D

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Tulane Skins Fan

Tulane Skins Fan

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Im really hoping they go with a hybrid. Preferably a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 4 quarters on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get Davis and Williams stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff

Canonball.

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jnhay

jnhay

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Ignoring that they are going to re-sod is pretty silly.

I remember them saying they missed their opportunity to re-sod last season because of the weather, I think. Why wouldn't that possibly happen again?

On the other hand though, I don't remember this being a big issue late in the season in years past.

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