Steelers Sticking With Natural Grass

POSTED: 3:23 pm EST February 1, 2008

UPDATED: 12:16 pm EST February 11, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing football at Heinz Field since 2001, but each year it seems the playing surface becomes more and more of an issue.

The NFL Players Union is voicing its opinion and asking for a change, but it appears as if their cries went unanswered.

Talk About It: Should Steelers Get New Turf

On Monday, Steelers officials announced that they would stick with the DD GrassMaster playing grass at Heinz Field.

Heinz Field opened in 2001 with natural grass before switching to "DD GrassMaster" in 2003. It's a 97 percent natural grass surface and root system stabilized by synthetic fibers.

"The majority of our players have told us that they prefer natural grass to any artificial surface, and grass is also the preference of our coaches and athletic training staff," said Steelers President Art Rooney.

Players Union Executive Director Gene Upshaw had called for a change from natural grass to field turf, and he's expressed his concerns about the field to Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney.

An article in the Tribune-Review cited a 2006 survey of some 1,500 NFL players who voted Heinz Field as the second-worst playing surface in the NFL, behind only the Patriots' Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., which has since switched from natural grass to turf.

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