The one area where variance remains is the effect of weather and playing conditions. Chief among them is the surface inside the stadiums themselves, where some teams have opted for turf while others have chosen grass.
While players have shown an affinity for playing on grass, some teams are still shying away from the option. However, the World Cup has put the idea back on a pedestal, leading one insider to reveal that the Los Angeles Chargers are particularly opposed to it.
Los Angeles Chargers Remain Biased Towards Turf
The NFL has been at the forefront of rule changes to ensure the overall entertainment quotient of its product remains high. Depending on what the paying audience values, the league constantly shifts its style.
However, the playing conditions are typically left to the teams’ discretion. As a result, weather can play a huge factor for some organizations, like the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears, while the surface matters for others, like the New York Giants.
But the ongoing FIFA World Cup, which specifically has grass pitches at every venue, has stirred the pot once again. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated quickly confirmed everyone’s worst suspicions after the first few days of soccer action.
“If you’re willing to throw money and manpower at it, grass is doable for NFL teams,” Breer wrote. Simultaneously, he also made a huge revelation about one stadium in particular, which serves as the home base for both the Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
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“SoFi Stadium hosted the U.S. team on Friday night, and the grass glittered for the Americans’ rout of Paraguay. The translucent roof, believe it or not, allows for enough sunlight to effectively grow grass in the indoor stadium.”
Then, he revealed, “And I’ve heard that if the stadium were a one-team stadium — if it had been just the Rams there — then they very well may have gone with a grass surface.”
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The main reason teams opt for turf instead of grass is that it is less expensive to maintain. Since stadiums host concerts and other events throughout the year, maintaining a grass surface is more costly, which impacts the overall bottom line for the stadium’s ownership.
However, the Rams, who have veteran players like Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams, could benefit from playing on grass. Beyond reducing wear and tear, it would also help them get accustomed to those conditions ahead of a potential deep playoff run, where grass surfaces are more common.
