Packers, Bears Complain About Soldier Field Turf
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As Soldier Field is about to host one of the most historic games in recent history, many NFL players are complaining about its turf – including some of the Bears.
The turf at Soldier Field is natural grass, and is described by the New York Times' Bill Pennington as "often scuffed, squishy or rock-hard," or even all three at once.
Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings called the playing surface at Soldier Field "probably the worst in the league," and said it would "play a huge, huge role in the game."
But even the stars of the Bears have complained about the field.
Last month, quarterback Jay Cutler called the playing surface "one of the worst fields in the league," the New York Times reported.
Linebacker Brian Urlacher called the footing on his home turf "horrible," and said, "You can count on slipping at least four or five times a game," the New York Times reported.
Added Charles "Peanut" Tillman, "You can't tell when you're going to fall down, you just know it's going to happen," the Times reported.
The field was recently resodded, which Cutler says doesn't necessarily mean an improvement. He told the New York Times that with the freezing temperatures, the sod might not fully take hold, and might be uneven or soft in some spots.
But Soldier Field head groundskeeper John Nolan says the criticism about the turf just isn't fair.
He told CBS 2's Dana Kozlov on Thursday that using natural grass in Chicago in January means the playing surface is inevitably going to get cold.
"You know, they compare us to Pittsburgh too and they complain about Pittsburgh and we're still … the two stadium still playing, so I don't think it's as bad as everybody's trying to make it out to be," Nolan said.
Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is often cited as the other candidate for worst turf in the NFL, but Heinz Field and Soldier Field are also the only stadiums hosting an NFL game this weekend.
Asked if he thinks critics on the Packers were just being cry babies, Nolan laughed and said, "I don't want to start any wars."
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