NEWSLETTER
Summer concert season at Soldier Field is over.
And with the end comes the stadium’s transition into a full-time sporting venue, where the Chicago Bears resume as the building most high-profile tenants.
The last time the Bears were at Soldier Field, it was a mess. I mean, the game was good. The Bears pulled out a preseason win against the Chiefs, handing Matt Nagy one more “L” for the road. But the field was a clown show. So much so that it was called out by NFLPA President JC Tretter for its poor quality. The City of Chicago, which owns and operates Soldier Field, has since made it clear that it would be re-sodding the surface ahead of the Bears’ regular-season opener against the 49ers.
And here is a first look at the fresh greenery, which was requested by the Bears:
The move to new turf isn’t just a nice touch. It appears to be an upgrade from what the Bears were rolling out there prior to this installment. And to think, that was – at one point – seen as an upgrade from what it had been. The bar is so low, a person with a negative vertical leap might be able to clear it.
So … what’s the deal with Bermuda grass?
Well, for starters, it is popular. According to reporting from NBC Sports Washington, nine the 16 NFL stadiums with real grass are rocking with the Bermuda cut. Four have Kentucky bluegrass, two roll with Desso Grassmaster, and one has a combination blend. The Chicago Park District switching out the Kentucky bluegrass for Bermuda adds another to the majority tally. And in doing so, has the Bears joining the Cardinals, Ravens, Jaguars, Chiefs, Raiders, Dolphins, Bucs, Titans, and Commanders in the Bermuda gang. I suppose if it is good enough for all those teams, it can be good enough for the Bears. More importantly, at least it shouldn’t be as bad as its predecessor. There is no way that can happen. Right?
I’ll admit that I had concerns about how the Bermuda blades would function in Chicago. This city experiences all four seasons and can be unforgiving. We can’t say that about all of the stadiums hosting Bermuda grass. But I suppose if climates in Baltimore and Kansas City can handle it, maybe it can work in Chicago. Just do a better job of maintaining it and maybe it won’t look all that bad at the end of the day.
