I know, this was settled some time ago and grass won hands down. But that was then and now is, well, now. And I think there's a case to be made for turf. As apparently do a growing number of fields that are laying down turf fields. Before making the case for turf however let's acknowledge the potential supremacy of grass as an ideal playing surface. Years ago at the San Bernardino event the grass was magnificent. I would have carpeted my home with it and happily slept on it. It was that good but it also set a standard that is seldom approached. (The Riverside event in August may come close as the new venue looks pretty great.) Unfortunately a well used grass surface doesn't stay pristine for long and while that isn't necessarily a tournament make or break concern the post-event condition of a temporary venue does matter if a league wants to use that space again. And let's also acknowledge that even the best of turf surfaces is likely to be less forgiving in some ways than grass. So why turf?
Because a properly prepared turf field provides a uniform and ready playing surface year round. No cycling the field around the property trying to keep the grass growing and the worn and rutted patches from becoming permanent. No mud or puddles of water on wet and rainy days--or even those dry days after a week of rain. A turf field is ready to go, no worse for wear. And the simple fact is there are so many grades of turf available (including used football fields) that creating a very playable and consistent surface isn't hard and can be done economically too considering the near permanence of a turf field compared to a grass field.
Yes but major league paintball has been there and done that--and it didn't work out too well. Again, that was then and this is now and there is so much more to the world of turf than slapping some indoor outdoor carpeting down on asphalt that past experiments are irrelevant. What isn't irrelevant is the cost consideration, It's all well and good for a local field to weigh the benefits versus the cost and decide on trying turf and another thing altogether for a league like the PSP to consider turf. I don't have any idea if it's even feasible but every event this season would have benefited from a controlled surface. (And a related reality is that the event dates are relatively fixed. There simply aren't a lot of alternative to the current schedule. The only real flexibility is in the location order of the events. And even if those choices were optimized around the likely weather there are no guarantees.) The likelihood is that the cost would be prohibitive but if turf is being ignored only because grass "won" in the past maybe it's time to reconsider.
Because a properly prepared turf field provides a uniform and ready playing surface year round. No cycling the field around the property trying to keep the grass growing and the worn and rutted patches from becoming permanent. No mud or puddles of water on wet and rainy days--or even those dry days after a week of rain. A turf field is ready to go, no worse for wear. And the simple fact is there are so many grades of turf available (including used football fields) that creating a very playable and consistent surface isn't hard and can be done economically too considering the near permanence of a turf field compared to a grass field.
Yes but major league paintball has been there and done that--and it didn't work out too well. Again, that was then and this is now and there is so much more to the world of turf than slapping some indoor outdoor carpeting down on asphalt that past experiments are irrelevant. What isn't irrelevant is the cost consideration, It's all well and good for a local field to weigh the benefits versus the cost and decide on trying turf and another thing altogether for a league like the PSP to consider turf. I don't have any idea if it's even feasible but every event this season would have benefited from a controlled surface. (And a related reality is that the event dates are relatively fixed. There simply aren't a lot of alternative to the current schedule. The only real flexibility is in the location order of the events. And even if those choices were optimized around the likely weather there are no guarantees.) The likelihood is that the cost would be prohibitive but if turf is being ignored only because grass "won" in the past maybe it's time to reconsider.
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14 comments:
I fully agree with you.
But, it has to be good quality turf and has to be put on a flat surface, as it otherwise defeats the purpose.
Watching the pinnacle of the sport being played in the mud is kind of depressing.
There is something to be said for playing on grass in terrible weather..... I used to love playing in the rain, because bad weather benefits certain players.
But, in the interest of fairness, turf is the better choice for paintball.
It's a real chore to set up and put away, but turf is ideal for the the reasons stated above...
It's actually become a bit of a crutch to play on turf all day long for some teams. It's difficult to adjust to the slipperiness, stickiness and water that mud brings. On turf fields, water pooling is a rarity and can be dealt with. (it only takes a few slides into that bunker to clear out all that water)
If one more event this year is subject to bad weather, I'd say the PSP should make the decision to purchase turf and hire staff to handle it.
It's not like they can't afford it, they only keep raising our entry fees every year.
Turf is awesome, when it is used correctly. In order for it to work right the field need to have a bed or gravel and dirt for water drainage. If turf is just laid down on dirt or over grass when it rains the water just collects. So lets say it was used in Chicago, there would have been HUGE puddles of water.
Remember that horrible stuff that was used in 07 (I think) at the Home Depot center, the ground was like ice.
A primary concern I would have if I was the PSP would be the representation of the games, for both new players and current ones. Going to and watching Millennium events, a lot of paint ends up sitting all of the field. The PSP does haven't this problem because the ground (mud) helps hide and soak up the paint. Just look way better on camera.
Just alter the schedule. Phoenix, California, California, California, Phoenix.
Buying the turf is a large one-time expense. Moving the turf from event to event is a horrible ongoing expense that would likely not be welcomed by the league. If they did go with turf, it would be for Champs only, and a whole other can of worms would get opened with that decision.
Also, the better the turf is, the heavier it is. The turf that players want has rubber in it. Once you have rubber in the turf it needs its own flatbed truck. Think one flat-bed per field, if you're lucky, due to transit weight restrictions. Alternatively, go with cheaper turf (carpet) and deal with the fall-out that will come from the teams and anti-establishment blogger-types.
I think the uniformity that turf gives would be a great step up for paintball. Having played and watched when one teams starting area is 6 inches of mud everywhere and the other team has normal grass is a killer regardless if you switch sides at the half or every odd point. I just see so many benefits, besides the cost, to try and make turf work.
Pros: More even playing field, rain/mud benefits, more event location opportunities, clean up, injury prevention, advertisement/logos
Cons: Cost, storage/transportation
I'm sure there are more. Just no indoor outdoor carpet(Homedepot Center or Boston Nppl). Consult some of the turf field owners for which types work best and where to source from(used or China). Im sure if you give some of the other big field owners a heads up you could set up some large bulk orders. What was the argument for grass in the past?
It is probably not realistic to shoot for top level turf financially, not just because of purchase price, but especially because of the cost of logistics from event to event.
However, the stuff the MS use is pretty decent, and far more cost effective - but it has to be laid down on a flat and stable surface (the best instances have been when it has been laid down on asphalt (Euro Disney).
So, as I doubt any of the current venues are able to facilitate 4-6 turf fields, the PSP would either be forced to go "turf is for Pros only" or chose other venues.
Thus, I don't really see this happening in the near future, unfortunately.
Oh, and the turf will get heavier the more you use it...
I think the best argument for turf is, as stated, the uniform playing field versus one Start Box being a mud bog during bad weather. Muddy fields like we saw at MAO and Chicago this year are high risks for broken ankles and potential career ending injuries.
As far as storage/ care/ maintenance, I think PSP would look to the venues themselves to step up and offer a better field surface as an incentive/ prerequisite to get a PSP Event at their establishment. I dont know what the profit margin is for a field to host a PSP event, but I'd imagine the investment would only help a field's image all around, PSP event or not. Although Im sure outfitting 4-6 fields at one establishment isnt cheap, but we all know there is a market for Used Turf out there with sports venues replacing their turf.
Another good argument for turf, is that it is way easier on the equipment.
Not something that matters much for Pros - but for the broad majority of players it is significant.
Turf will get destroyed from PSP use, the most brutal form of paintball there is. Turf will mess up gear, but not more than mud...although players will gripe easier about it. Turf would be an insane ideal to attempt in the psp, therefore the powers that be, having tried everything else that's insane are obviously now considering this.
Do some basic napkin math - how much would this increase the cost of the event (and estimate how much more the event attendees would have to put up)?
1015 Anon
If they are nobody told me--which is not all that uncommon admittedly but the idea only occurred to me when I looked at the Riverside venue since it has a number of turf soccer fields.
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