NFLPA CONTINUESTO PUSH FOR NATURAL GRASS Compiled by Suz Trusty
Te battle continues. NFL players are once again making their push for natural grass fields. Te time is right to boldly state their position, supported by the latest injury data AND the natural grass demands of World Cup soccer players. Following is just a bit of the buzz on this topic.
Te NFL/NFLPA committee uses an independent third- party company, IQIVA, to compile and analyze injury data. Injury data compiled since 2015, including the recently published 2022 report which is referenced in this article, can be found at the following link. https://www.
nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/health-and-wellness/injury- data/injury-data
On April 19, 2023, JC Tretter, president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), tweeted, “Last year the NFL touted data to push the narrative that turf was just as safe as grass. Here is proof that the data they used was an outlier, how it highlights the credibility gap on health and safety, and why players are right to call for safer surfaces.”
As ESPN Staff Writer Kevin Seifert reported on April 20, 2023, in an article titled, “NFLPA: New injury data shows grass 'significantly safer' than turf,” Noncontact injuries for NFL players occurred at a higher rate on artificial turf compared to grass during the 2022 regular season, according to data released this week by the NFL Players Association. Te gap arose one year after the league moved to neutralize the debate about the two types of playing surfaces based on 2021 numbers.
“Players have long said they prefer grass over artificial turf, arguing it was not only safer but also that it feels better to play on. In an essay posted to the NFLPA website Wednesday (April 19, 2023), union president JC Tretter noted that the injury rate on grass surfaces was lower from 2012 to 2020. Although the rates were essentially the same in 2021, Tretter termed that outcome an ‘outlier.’”
"Instead of following the long-term data (which is clear on this issue), listening to players, and making the game safer," Tretter wrote, "the NFL used an outlier year to engage in a PR campaign to convince everyone that the problem doesn't actually exist.
"In short, last year, the gap—much like the NFL's credibility with players on this issue—was as wide as it has ever been," Tretter continued, "proving that (as the NFLPA suspected) 2021 was in fact an outlier. Now, 10 of the previous 11 years show the same exact thing—grass is a significantly safer surface than turf." To read the full post from JC Tretter, “Why the NFL’s Approach to Field Surfaces Is Uneven,” go to the link that follows. https://
nflpa.com/posts/nfl-approach-field-surface-uneven
Real Sports Makes Case for Grass
Over Turf in Football Support for the NFLPA’s position is getting louder. As Mike Florio posted on May 24, 2023, “More and more NFL players want to play and practice football only on grass. Te NFL seems to be more and more determined to not make a universal change.
“A new episode of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which aired on May 23, 2023, explored the grass vs. turf question, both from the perspective of the NFL and the perspective of high-school football. Te problem is that, with thousands of turf fields, young players are suffering injuries at a potentially higher rate on turf than on grass.”
Dr. Timothy Kremchek has served as the Cincinnati Reds’ team physician since 1996, and he also provides medical services at high-school football games. As Kremchek told Andrea Kremer of Real Sports. “You put your foot in grass and grass gives.” On turf, that’s not the case. “What happens is the foot hits the ground, and when the body is gonna change direction, the foot stays planted, and it gets stuck,” Kremchek said. “And as the body starts to turn, all the stresses go from the foot, the ankle, and then up to the knee. And as the knee turns, boom.”
Tis was the closing statement, “At a time when the NFL wants safety measures to trickle down to lower levels of the sport, it’s unfortunate (to say the least) that unsafe playing surfaces are embraced by high-school programs, since those surfaces are deemed acceptable by the NFL—a supposed bastion of player health and safety.” Check out the entire Real Sports segment at the link that follows.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/24/real-sports- makes-case-for-grass-over-turf-in-football/
Suz Trusty is co-editor of Turf News.
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TPI Turf News July/August 2023
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