Bye Bye Grass!

[popanot]

Hate to see a natural grass field go, but that pallet system was far from 'natural' and was probably one of the worst ideas ever. Well, next to a retractable roof that's never retracted...

Houston Texans ‏@HoustonTexans · 5m5 minutes ago
Smith: "The decision has been made to change the surface of our field from natural surface to an artificial surface."

[popanot]

Maybe they still have the old turf from the Astrodome. :p

[chuck]

When are they going to do this? And why would they make such a decision in the middle of a season?

Next thing you know they're going to start switching quarterbacks around willy nilly.

[popanot]

They're swapping it out this week while they're on the road and it will be in place for the rest of the season. Supposedly, they're going to look at going back to a natural surface in 2016 so they have a grass surface in place when they host the Super Bowl. Who knows for sure, though. Maybe McNair can fleece the taxpayers again (like he did with the retractable roof he never uses) by saying they need a full-field length pallet system like they have in Arizona.

[WMH]

They're swapping it out this week while they're on the road and it will be in place for the rest of the season. Supposedly, they're going to look at going back to a natural surface in 2016 so they have a grass surface in place when they host the Super Bowl. Who knows for sure, though. Maybe McNair can fleece the taxpayers again (like he did with the retractable roof he never uses) by saying they need a full-field length pallet system like they have in Arizona.


The roof is in place for the rodeo as much as the Texans.

[Joshua]

I'll defend Bob on the roof. The reason it's not open anymore can be traced back to the Steeler game in, I believe, the second or third season. September game and they left the roof open as a "competitive advantage" since we're theoretically used to the heat and humidity. The fans lost their minds and complained for weeks. And that was the end of the roof being open.

[chuck]

The roof was a stupid idea in the first place. It serves no purpose at all. When it's open it gives no sense that you're in an open-air stadium. The vast majority of events are not sporting events so even if the roof did anything to add to the experience of a football game, which it doesn't, it would still have been a stupid waste of money.

Reliant is exactly the sort of stadium a team like the Texans deserves.

I wonder how much Hartman is going to win in his suit.

[HPF Bob]

The latest type of artificial turf is different in ways I both like an dislike. It seems to be made up of tiny little rubber pellets. Really soft to land on and doesn't give rope burns like the old Astroturf used to do if your bare flesh slid on it. What's really cool is how the Super slow-mo will tell you if a receiver's feet are in bounds just by the trail of pellets that fly up as the feet drag.

The downside is that sweaty players start clinging to the pellets and, in hi-def, they look they have a terrible flea problem.

I felt the pallets were a poor base for footing and too many guys were sliding around. I think some knees and other body parts fell victim to the Reliant Roach Trap.

[popanot]

Granted, I don't hit the rodeo all that often, but I don't think I've ever been to the rodeo when the roof is open. I remember the Pittsburgh game, and yes, it was miserable being in the sun. It IS miserable being in the sun in Texas - especially in a stadium with little to no air circulation. However, the roof has been open many times since that PITT game. They really stopped opening it when we finally made the playoffs a few years ago and they realized how loud it can get in there with it closed. Now they think that's the comptetetive advantage and leave it closed even on perfect fall and winter days and night games. I don't mind either way whether it's open or closed. I just think was a colossal waste of money which the taxpayers footed the bill for. My fear is they will hit the taxpayers up again for a solution if they do decide on grass because obviously the pallet system is not working.

[WMH]

Granted, I don't hit the rodeo all that often, but I don't think I've ever been to the rodeo when the roof is open. I remember the Pittsburgh game, and yes, it was miserable being in the sun. It IS miserable being in the sun in Texas - especially in a stadium with little to no air circulation. However, the roof has been open many times since that PITT game. They really stopped opening it when we finally made the playoffs a few years ago and they realized how loud it can get in there with it closed. Now they think that's the comptetetive advantage and leave it closed even on perfect fall and winter days and night games. I don't mind either way whether it's open or closed. I just think was a colossal waste of money which the taxpayers footed the bill for. My fear is they will hit the taxpayers up again for a solution if they do decide on grass because obviously the pallet system is not working.

Way back when, it was my understanding that the team wanted open air, but the county, mainly due to the rodeo wanted coverage. Since it is a county owned stadium, the Texans don't have much say in the matter.

[popanot]

New fake turf at NRG. Granted, this isn't the best picture and it might just need to be worked more, but it looks like they went on the cheap side to me. Best looking fake field, IMO, is the Baltimore Ravens field and this doesn't even look close to that. Ganguli says it's AstroTurf, not Field Turf, which I thought went out of style in the 90's. My assumption is the black areas are rubber pellets that just need to be worked in, but it's the whiter or lighter areas that makes it look like a lower quality turf to me. Hopefully, I'm wrong and we just need a better picture.

https://twitter.com/taniaganguli/status/647505419305381888

Could be worse, I suppose. Like Tampa Bay Rays worse...

http://www.guide-to-baseball-betting.com/images/Tropicana_Field.jpg

[WMH]

New fake turf at NRG. Granted, this isn't the best picture and it might just need to be worked more, but it looks like they went on the cheap side to me. Best looking fake field, IMO, is the Baltimore Ravens field and this doesn't even look close to that. Ganguli says it's AstroTurf, not Field Turf, which I thought went out of style in the 90's. My assumption is the black areas are rubber pellets that just need to be worked in, but it's the whiter or lighter areas that makes it look like a lower quality turf to me. Hopefully, I'm wrong and we just need a better picture.

https://twitter.com/taniaganguli/status/647505419305381888

Could be worse, I suppose. Like Tampa Bay Rays worse...

http://www.guide-to-baseball-betting.com/images/Tropicana_Field.jpg

AstroTurf is a name brand, not the old concrete carpet from the dome days. Its field turf, just a different name. Not sure if you watched the college kickoff @ Reliant, but I believe its the same turf. It'll look fine come game time.

[popanot]

AstroTurf is a name brand, not the old concrete carpet from the dome days. Its field turf, just a different name. Not sure if you watched the college kickoff @ Reliant, but I believe its the same turf. It'll look fine come game time.Are you sure they didn't just knock the rat $#!t out of the old Astrodome turf and install it at NRG? Starting to think Bottom-Line Bud Adams runs this team.

[popanot]

BTW, I'm just messing around. I know it was a short turnaround on the turf and you go with what you have for this year rather than buy new. I just hope they make it right and get a quality surface in there (w/o the taxpayers footing the bill!).

[HPF Bob]

Bye Bye, Bullard. Apparently, he can't kick on artificial turf.