Chicago Bears: Team Should Be Embarrassed About Hypocritical Player Safety Stand

Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey recently supported the team's refusal to install Field Turf at Solider Field by saying, "It's at this point, primarily it's a safety issue."

McCaskey is saying that grass is safer for the players and normally I would agree, except that the grass field the Bears play on at home is simply horrible.

In fact, player safety is the primary reason why some players, coaches and fans are screaming for artificial turf at this point. Grass may be optimal, but not when it's so poorly maintained by the Chicago Park District.

Look, I understand that the Bears do not control the watering and maintenance of the field, but they do have the power to install Field Turf if they so desire.

But up until now, the Bears refuse, all the while insisting that it's not a money issue. Well, I beg to differ.

The current Soldier Field playing surface is an embarrassment and a disgrace to the city of Chicago. For a major market professional football team to be reduced to playing in such substandard conditions is unacceptable.

Friday night, the Bears were forced to cancel a fan fest because the field was not in condition for the players to practice on. Yet Olivet Nazarene University was fine.

Mind you, when a college field is such a better alternative to a professional field, something is clearly amiss. 

So can't the Bears see this? Or is it indeed a money issue, contrary to what Bears management is telling us?

Meanwhile, artificial turf has come a long way since the old Astroturf days when that surface was rock hard and led to an early end to the great career of one Gale Sayers.

My old high school even had Field Turf installed a few years back. Now, are we saying that it's fine for high school kids to get injured or that they are less important than million dollar athletes?

I don't think so.

Rather, the new stuff is good. In fact, it's very close to real grass. Hey, when the harsh winters and U2 concerts destroy the Soldier Field grass and it becomes a slippery, messy field, that is not safe.

Gee, it becomes a player safety issue, doesn't it?

But in addition to safety concerns, players like Brian Urlacher would love to see Field Turf installed because it's a faster playing surface.

"We're a fast team. If you put us on Field Turf for eight home games a year? We're going to be real fast. Put [Julius] Peppers on turf? [Devin] Hester with those cuts?"

Until then, Urlacher is right, it is a "disaster." And very hypocritical, in my opinion.  

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