Report: Several players change cleats in second half as a result of turf issues at Super Bowl
Several Eagles players changed their cleats at halftime of Super Bowl LVII due to turf issues, FOX Sports sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi revealed ahead of the second half. Players had trouble with slipping in the first half and are hoping the change can make a difference.
“The field conditions have been an issue since the pregame,” Rinaldi said on air. “You’ll see players having a hard time keeping their footing. We’ve already seen almost half a dozen Eagles change their cleats, Haason Reddick among them. DeVonta Smith, Jalen Hurts. Then take a look after halftime. This is all of the folks out after the halftime performance by Rihanna trying to fill the divots.
“This is a new breed of grass called Tahoma 31. Look at the pile of cleats there. This is on the Eagles’ sideline, again, to try to improve the footing which has been torn up. This has been an issue on this field in this stadium that the Chiefs brough up after their season opener all the way back in September. Something to continue to keep an eye on.”
With the problems with the turf, it’s worth noting that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweaked his injured ankle in the first half. Thankfully, Mahomes returned to the game.
Seahawks defensive back and Pro Bowler Quandre Diggs took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the turf.
“That $800k grass ain’t worth a sh*t!” Diggs wrote in his tweet.
More on the Super Bowl turf
According to an ESPN article, the Tahoma 31 grass was developed at Oklahoma State University with funding from the United States Golf Association. Dr. Yanqi Wu oversaw most of the process, crossing China Bermuda grass and African Bermuda grass.
A year later, the seeds were harvested and the grass was tested and studied across the country until 2018. Although the turf was developed with the thought it would be used on golf courses, NFL field surface director Nick Pappas thought it would be great in a Super Bowl environment as well. In an interview with ESPN, he called it “one of the strongest varieties of hybrid Bermuda grass you can get.”
The league reportedly spent $800,000 for the Super Bowl turf, which was grown in Scottsdale, Arizona. The grass was reported to recover better from wear and foot traffic, though the issues Sunday say otherwise. It’s clear there will be questions about the decision after the game.