Bucs Homefield Advantage — Crappy Turf
September 27th, 2011
There’s no question that the University of South Florida football team playing up and down the Bucs’ home turf a matter of hours before a Bucs game turns the field into a mess when the pros kick off.
That was the situation against Atlanta, and on opening day against Detroit.
Raheem Morris knows the home turf can be ugly, so he said on The Raheem Morris Show last night on WDAE-AM 620. Raheem responded to praise for Connor Barth nailing a 49-yard field goal on a wet field in a little wind and rain.
“Our field is not exactly the best playing conditions in the National Football League, actually, we need to get that fixed,” Raheem said. “Those conditions weren’t great. They never are. But our guys are used to it. It’s gray matter for us.
Now Joe knows that back when the Community Investment Tax Stadium was being designed, there was a lot of boasting about how it would have a state-of-the-art drainage system. And, as fans have noticed over the years from Bucs games to soccer games, the turf doesn’t puddle up and dries quickly.
So Joe thinks it’s a pretty safe bet that Raheem is referring to playing on a chopped up field. That can be dangerous, and Joe hopes it hasn’t led to any injuries.
But seemingly tough turf could be a home field advantage of sorts, especially against division rivals New Orleans and Atlanta, which play in domes. Throughout NFL history some great teams have thrived in similar situations. The legendary 49ers teams come to mind.
September 27th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Best news I’ve heard in a while is that Curtis Painter is starting for the Colts on Monday!
September 27th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
The Vet comes to mind when thinking of crappy fields
September 27th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Didn’t the CITS used to win awards for sports turf?
September 27th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I feel it is unreasonable to ask an NFL team to play on a field that a college team played on the day before. It really doesn’t make sense, and should be changed. Stimulate a new stadium for USF and let the other 49 states pay for it. Hey, can we get some of that high speed rail money back? Not really, but USF has a good football program and deserves their own stadium. It can be the BS Bowl.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
If USF (or “terrorist U”) was a real school with a real program they would have an on campus stadium, but alas USF is a crap hole of a school.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Barth is a beast. It’s nice not thinking twice about the kicker, punter and coverage units. They just quietly do their jobs.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
what a shot to the nuts for the grounds keepers that im sure work thier ass off to make that field playable for two games in one weekend.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
@Burg– “Terrorist U” Hah! Wow, your take is both relevant and timely! You must have graduated from… let me guess, DeVry? HCC?
September 27th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Burg…Number 18 in the AP poll and 17 in the USA Today poll. That sounds like a real football school to me. Not to mention they are academically governed by the same standards as the rest of the Florida University System, including UF and FSU.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
BigMac…I agree about the need for USF to have a stadium, but for different reasons. Look at those stadiums that have a baseballo team playing in them, they look aweful and I am sure they suck for the away team. For the students sake it would be nice if they coould walk to the game from campus, of course this would end the beer sales during the game which is pretty nice.
September 27th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
I really feel it’s a crime that the drinking age is 21. It was 18 for my old A$$. It sucks that at 18, you are old enough to die for your country but not walk in a bar and have a beer. I was just messing around on the Stimulus Crap.
September 28th, 2011 at 2:32 am
Seriously USF needs it own stadium and the fact that it dosent kinda makes it a joke school. That and the fact that the are geographically retarded…they arent in SOUTH Florida !!! Ease explain !
September 28th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I’m still curious as to why the Bulls play at the CTIS? what happen to the “Sun Dome” they used to play in?