[TIMSCAR20]

I figured I would come here to get an answer rather than look it up. Flamefans has turned into "ask the Wizard" or something. Anyway, everyone that has seen our field turf on TV knows how shiny it looks esp at night. I have been watching tons of football on Saturdays including 1AA and I have seen field turf like ours that looks shiny on TV and I have seen different looking field turf that looks really good on TV like at Dallas, Indy and Howard University to name a few off the top of my head. IU has field turf (Penn St beat them on it yesterday Yes!), and it looked different than our stuff. Can someone shed some light on the differences? Is there anything we can do to make ours look better for TV? I need Answers. I want the truth. And yes, I CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH.

[Fumblerooskies]

I don't think Jeff Meyer will visit...so a substitute Wizard will have to do.

There are different manufacturers of what is called Field Turf (or other company's products), and my crystal ball and magic dust tells me that the night-time sheen is all in the manufacturing process. Different companies product will look different at night. Our's happens to look like its wet. Fortunately, no more of our games are at night, and we won't have that issue the rest of the season.

[TIMSCAR20]

Not so fast my friend. I just saw highlights of the Delaware St game I was watching yesterday and their turf is exactly like ours. It was a day game and they had more shine on their turf than I do on my head when I was doing sideline reporting (sorry Haize, Critic, I beat you to it). We will see on Saturday if we have a sunny day, we may still have some shine problems.

[Cider Jim]

Not an expert, but I'm wondering if the issue is more with the lights than the turf.

[Fumblerooskies]

I am sure the lights, or the angle of the sun, makes the sheen.

[TIMSCAR20]

You guys should be on the quiz bowl team Yes I agree that the lights and angles make that look. I hope we can get more lights in the stadium for next season. It htink it will help somewhat but I do think our brand of field turf tends to look that way as complared to the other stuff I have seen on TV.

[TIMSCAR20]

The next time Syracuse is on TV you will see their turf look like ours because the carrier dome looks dark on TV. I feel like I am post padding this morning because I keep thinking of things after I post.

[Sly Fox]

I'm going top add another element ... the angle of the cameras. In the larger stadiums the primary shots come from a higher level in the stadium.

[TIMSCAR20]

I'm going top add another element ... the angle of the cameras. In the larger stadiums the primary shots come from a higher level in the stadium.

True. I wonder what Dallas' turf look like from the audience on the 1st level. Everywhere in our stadium you stand, it looks shiny. I would think an overhead view or a higher camera angle would help.

[El Scorcho]

I'm going top add another element ... the angle of the cameras. In the larger stadiums the primary shots come from a higher level in the stadium.

True. I wonder what Dallas' turf look like from the audience on the 1st level. Everywhere in our stadium you stand, it looks shiny. I would think an overhead view or a higher camera angle would help.

Then it's settled. We'll start on an upper deck to get better camera angles.

[Sly Fox]

Countdown to SJ's entry ...

[Fumblerooskies]

Also, some of the highest dollar surfaces are coated with texture to make the turf "stickier" when it is actually wet. That would cut down on the sheen, as well.

[TIMSCAR20]

See, I knew I would get immediate answers. Thanks guys.

[DutchyNY]

This was mentioned a few months ago, but they have some sort of rake that determines which way the plastic blades lay, and it also will bring up the black pellets closer to the surface causing it to show different shades of green as was the case with ohio state yesterday. I know that wake forest had had issues similar to what you are talking about scar...i remember my freshman year about 5 yrs ago i saw a game there when they played clemson and the turf looked horrible in person (very streaky and shiny) also if i can remember it looked the same two or three years later when we played at wake last season. I bring this up because when they played the noles on espn the surface looked really good. I am sure there are quite a few variables to how it appears but as in the case with most products the manufacturer probably has a solution to fix it...its just up to the staff here to 1. realize there is an issue (they are prolly so busy this is the last of their concerns) 2. just contact field turf (which will result in either we aren't doing something we should with the surface...or we bought an application of the product that was not best fit for tv and or varying conditions of light)
but im no expert just scratchin my brain outloud for everyone

[DeathCab4LU]

IU has field turf (Penn St beat them on it yesterday Yes!), and it looked different than our stuff.

You had to go there Scar I am a die hard IU fan and it has always been basketball and IU football has made a HUGE turn-a-round...but it was a good game yesterday and both teams played great.

[FlamingYalieWahoo]

HI All

Check out this article from Charlottesville's Daily Progress today - any comments?

PS Remember this is Berkeley East.

Synthetic turf: Saving grace or harmful place?
Health risks could come along with new fields

By Barney Breen-Portnoy / bbreen-portnoy@dailyprogress.com | 978-7277
October 22, 2007


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Synthetic turf fields, which several local high schools are looking at installing, may pose significant health risks, according to several scientific studies.

These risks include toxic gas emissions and the susceptibility of turf burns to staph infections.

Recently, the Albemarle County School Board approved the construction of synthetic turf fields at Albemarle, Monticello and Western Albemarle. The Charlottesville School Board heard information about synthetic turf last week but has yet to vote on the matter.

An anonymous donor has pledged to contribute $325,000 to each of the four local schools for the construction of turf fields.

A typical turf field holds more than 450,000 pounds of rubber tire particles, which essentially serve as artificial soil. A study released in August by Environment and Human Health Inc. found that these particles release at least four toxins, including one carcinogen, at elevated temperatures. The surface temperature of turf fields can reach up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

“We’re asking that no more of these fields be built until additional testing is done on how human health is affected,” said Nancy Alderman, the president of EHHI - a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization made up of physicians, health professionals and policy experts.

Benzothiazole, butylated hydroxyanisole, n-hexadecane and 4-(t-octyl) phenol are the four chemicals that the EHHI study conclusively found are released by turf fields. These compounds can cause serious skin and eye irritation and harm the immune and nervous systems, according to the study.

The study also states that 4-(t-octyl) phenol corrodes the mucous membrane. This particularly affects people with asthma, Alderman said.

EHHI was contacted about the issue last spring by numerous parents from Westport, Conn., where a turf field project was being proposed.

“This issue was brought to us,” Alderman said. “We did not choose this issue.”

According to Alderman, several EHHI board members looked into the health concerns related to turf fields and concluded that an in-depth study was warranted.

EHHI had tire particles tested by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s chemical laboratory and based its report on the results.

In 2004, a study done by the Connecticut Department of Public Health cited turf burns, as well as body shaving, as risk factors for the spread of staph infections.

A strain of staph - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - regained national media attention this month after several schools around the nation reported they had students who had become infected. A Bedford County teenager died last week after battling such an infection, which is resistant to certain antibiotics.

Turf fields have been found to increase lacerations and abrasions through which infections can enter the body.

The 2004 study was prompted by a staph infection outbreak on a college football team.

Albemarle School Board member Diantha McKeel, who raised several health concerns during discussion of the project, said that both superintendents have been alerted to the staph issue.

“We need to make sure that if blood gets on this turf that it gets cleaned properly,” she said.

Several countries have prohibited the construction of turf fields. Norway banned synthetic turf because of concerns about latex allergies and Sweden did so because it classifies tire particles as hazardous waste.

Materials presented to the Albemarle School Board when it voted on the matter on Sept. 27 did not specifically mention gas emissions or staph infections. Neither did materials presented to the Charlottesville School Board last week.

Sue Friedman, chairwoman of the Albemarle School Board, said that parks and recreation staff have been studying turf fields for years and have looked at all of the relevant health concerns.

“We’re fully aware of the health issues that are out there,” Friedman said. “But there are also health issues with grass. Our job is to know what the issues are and what needs to be done if they are at a level that needs to be addressed.”

McKeel expressed a similar sentiment.

“Grass fields have risks too,” she said. “So with the turf fields, we just need to know what the risks are and how to minimize them.”

Turf fields have been found to reduce contact injuries and long-term injuries, according to information presented to both local school boards.

[LUconn]

Staph is what our old turf was made of.

[TDDance234]

Perhaps it could be the quality of the camera as well?

[TIMSCAR20]

Perhaps it could be the quality of the camera as well?

I don't know about that. We have state of the art equipment in the Vines and we must use the cameras from there plus we bring in a giant truck as the control room. Our telecasts are top notch. Plus it is not just us. The Syracuse game I was watching was on ESPN regional.

[RedDog]

There are different types of turf such as field turf, momentum turf and other types of field turf ... They all have to do with the length of the blade of grass and the rubber pellets in the field ... If the grass is low and there are a lot of pellets in the field, the field will look dull ... If you have a field with long blades of grass like the Carrier Dome ... The pellets are lower and thus there is more shine to the surface of the grass ... Some schools that have a lot of speed like the shorter grass to make the field play faster ... Schools with less speed and more power like the longer grass.

[TIMSCAR20]

There are different types of turf such as field turf, momentum turf and other types of field turf ... They all have to do with the length of the blade of grass and the rubber pellets in the field ... If the grass is low and there are a lot of pellets in the field, the field will look dull ... If you have a field with long blades of grass like the Carrier Dome ... The pellets are lower and thus there is more shine to the surface of the grass ... Some schools that have a lot of speed like the shorter grass to make the field play faster ... Schools with less speed and more power like the longer grass.

Red Dog!!!!! MY MAN! Are you coming out to home coming? I hope you do. As far as what you say about the field turf, I think you are dead on. Some fields look really flat like they have short blades (Dallas Cowboys). It almost looks like the players are wearing turf shoes. Liberty's field looks to be a bit thicker to me. The carrier dome looks even thicker than ours. Thanks for the info.

[Fumblerooskies]

Heritage HS has their JV FBL/Soccer field loaded up with the pellets...real short bladed look. Feels like running in wet sand, though.

[RedDog]

SCAR -

Can't make it to homecoming ... Have my own tilt close to your old stomping ground at Rutgers ... Big game for us this week ... ABC at Noon .... Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul MaGuire and the lovely and talented Bonnie Bernstein ... We have three in a row that are big games, at Rutgers, Louisville at home and at Cincinnati ... If we can get past those, we might have a chance to make one of the BCS games ...

[TIMSCAR20]

SCAR -

Can't make it to homecoming ... Have my own tilt close to your old stomping ground at Rutgers ... Big game for us this week ... ABC at Noon .... Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul MaGuire and the lovely and talented Bonnie Bernstein ... We have three in a row that are big games, at Rutgers, Louisville at home and at Cincinnati ... If we can get past those, we might have a chance to make one of the BCS games ...

good luck this weekend Red. We will be tangled in some blue hose in Lynchburg.

[ludeal]

THANKS ALOT SLY......... because of you this thread will forever be SJ less.