University of Texas DKR Football Stadium Expansion and Renovation - Page 9

urbancore · #**161** Posted **Jul 31, 2019, 4:11 PM**

i seem to recall we replaced the "astro turf" from the 80's with grass at some point in the 90's when we got rid of the track oval. Then we went with the plastic turf and crumb rubber (no way that shit is safe to breath in, let alone the leaching chemicals)

fun fact:
I remember the astro turf felt like concrete....my buddies and I would play touch football at 'Memorial Stadium' back in the late 80's-early 90's. if you tripped and fell, holy crap....that is REAL exfoliation. I did kick a 40 yard field goal once there....cool memory watching that thing sail through the uprights on the same field I watched so many games.

Bring back the grass! We're Texas, FFS quit fucking around.

freerover · #**162** Posted **Jul 31, 2019, 7:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

IMHO that is a weak argument against grass. Plenty of schools do it - why can't Texas? Additionally, almost every major sports team in the world practices away from their "home stadium." That's why teams develop training centers.

Furthermore, the "Bubble" is going bye-bye in a few years. Either way, the team has grass practice fields and turf in their indoor facility (old and forthcoming new one). They do not "need" to practice in DKR. In fact, they practice mostly outdoors, on grass, during the season - weather permitting, of course. The "Bubble" is not used as much as you seem to assume.

Keeping it alive?!? If TCU (and countless others) can figure it out...I think Texas can.

Two more things...grass is cooler during hot days and grass also produces fewer injuries versus turf.

"Plenty" of schools don't do it. Only 3 schools in the big 12 have real grass. Only 2 of the 12 FBS programs in Texas have real grass.

The Bubble is going to be rebuilt soon so 1) there is a need and use for an indoor facility and 2) it won't be available for use while it's being rebuilt.

It's also easier for the team to be able to practice next to their offices/weight room etc. than go through the process of busing players over and back to Denius.

Basically, I wouldn't be for it until the team came out and asked for it. It doesn't make any difference for fans and modern turf is pretty safe.

urbancore · #**163** Posted **Jul 31, 2019, 7:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

modern turf is pretty safe.

jury is still out on this one.

https://www.fairwarning.org/2019/04/...rubber-cancer/

inhaling "tire dust" super heated in the sun all day....can't be good. I sure as shit wouldn't do it. If smoking cigs is bad, how is this stuff not bad for you? These players spend hours and hours for years on end playing in this stuff.

the Genral · #**164** Posted **Aug 1, 2019, 3:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbancore

jury is still out on this one.

https://www.fairwarning.org/2019/04/...rubber-cancer/

inhaling "tire dust" super heated in the sun all day....can't be good. I sure as shit wouldn't do it. If smoking cigs is bad, how is this stuff not bad for you? These players spend hours and hours for years on end playing in this stuff.

That's a valid point. Before I saw your link, I cited a similar report from HuffPost, but deleted it due to redundancy. The majority of schools in the BIG12 are using a-turf, I think only about a third use grass. It is a fact that even with the latest advancements with a-turf, there are still more on field injuries associated with it than grass. It takes more money and effort to maintain a grass playing field and many poorer schools can't afford the added expense. I guess UT falls into that category or they simply can't afford it at this time due to the money they had to allocate to this expansion and for the future new basketball arena. I'm really curious as to who made the decision to stick with a-turf and why. My vote would be for grass, at least until a-turf is proven safe. The problem is I think, it may take years before the health risks start taking their toll, ie: Roundup weed killer. Been around for years, now people are starting to get cancer from it, or at least now there is legit data to link it.

ILUVSAT · #**165** Posted **Aug 1, 2019, 10:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

"Plenty" of schools don't do it. Only 3 schools in the big 12 have real grass. Only 2 of the 12 FBS programs in Texas have real grass.

Oh...so TEXAS has to be conformist? Brilliant.

Who gives a f'in crap what others have in the state of Texas. If UT wants grass, they'll put in grass. A&M has grass and a fabulous indoor facility - are they bitching? So does TCU (as perviously mentioned). Geez...doesn't Myers Stadium have grass???

Turf sucks. I played on it and hate it. No matter how many "improvements" are made, it still sucks!

Texas has the money to put in & maintain grass at both DKR and The Disch. They are simply lazy.

Geckos_Rule · #**166** Posted **Aug 2, 2019, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Oh...so TEXAS has to be conformist? Brilliant.

Who gives a f'in crap what others have in the state of Texas. If UT wants grass, they'll put in grass. A&M has grass and a fabulous indoor facility - are they bitching? So does TCU (as perviously mentioned). Geez...doesn't Myers Stadium have grass???

Turf sucks. I played on it and hate it. No matter how many "improvements" are made, it still sucks!

Texas has the money to put in & maintain grass at both DKR and The Disch. They are simply lazy.

I played college baseball and liked playing on turf better. Either way, I seriously doubt it's out of laziness, nor out of any other reason than it's what the football program wants. If CDC thought that Grass would make the players better, or make the team better, or make more people go to games, he'd have it put in.

Austin1971 · #**167** Posted **Aug 2, 2019, 3:40 PM**

[

freerover · #**168** Posted **Aug 5, 2019, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Oh...so TEXAS has to be conformist? Brilliant.

Who gives a f'in crap what others have in the state of Texas. If UT wants grass, they'll put in grass. A&M has grass and a fabulous indoor facility - are they bitching? So does TCU (as perviously mentioned). Geez...doesn't Myers Stadium have grass???

Turf sucks. I played on it and hate it. No matter how many "improvements" are made, it still sucks!

Texas has the money to put in & maintain grass at both DKR and The Disch. They are simply lazy.

It's an issue of climate. It's hard to keep grass alive when putting that kind of activity on it. I'll be for grass when Herman is for grass and for now he wants the ability to practice at the stadium.

freerover · #**169** Posted **Sep 12, 2019, 6:04 PM**

They'll be drilling piers during the 2 week break and then they have a month without a game so we'll hopefully see some more progress.

jg6544 · #**170** Posted **Sep 12, 2019, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

They'll be drilling piers during the 2 week break and then they have a month without a game so we'll hopefully see some more progress.

I wish they could figure out some way to make what remains of the Steinmark scoreboard permanently visible as opposed to being hidden at the end of a tunnel.

freerover · #**171** Posted **Oct 21, 2019, 6:19 PM**

Chris Del Conte seemed to suggest the east/west lower bowl seating closest to the south end zone will be closed before the season is over. I think these are student areas without assigned seating.

Also, seems like we'll have the new scoreboard in place and operating for next season while the rest of the end zone is still in construction.