What does West Coast Turf have to do with Odell Beckham, Jr? A lot, actually. Most importantly, if OBJ had been playing on our natural grass, he may not have been sidelined for half of the Super Bowl game. Although United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, former home of the Rams, is our client, the Rams now play at Sofi Stadium, which uses artificial turf. Something as simple as what’s beneath your feet can be crucial to an NFL player’s livelihood. 

In a recent analysis, former NFL player, Chris Simms, says: “Can we get rid of field turf in football? Owners don’t want to spend money on anything. But owners, you will save so much money [if you have natural grass]. You won’t have to sign extra players on your roster. Maybe you’ll have to take care of the grass and cut the lawn, but can we get grass fields in every stadium? The great soccer players in Europe won’t even play – it’s in their contract – they won’t even play on field turf. We are ruining people’s careers. None of the players like to play on field turf over grass, none.”

Simms expressed frustration as a former NFL player and remembered when he played that “If we had a day that we were going to go on field turf, the players hated it. Especially the linemen. It feels different. There’s less give in the ground when you make cuts. The cuts can be very jarring, there is no give. That cleat gets in there and gets stuck. The rubber sends forces into your feet, legs, knees. You’re more tired.”

He makes many good points. NFL owners who have invested in their players don’t have their own interests at heart when they cut corners and use artificial turf. Any of their starting players can much more easily get injured on turf, possibly ending their season or career. West Coast Turf counts among our clients many sports fields in Major League Baseball, National Football League, Major League Soccer, College Football and many more and have a long history of providing natural turf to many sporting facilities. For more information visit our website at westcoastturf.com.