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Carolina Panthers turf receives criticism

Much has been made about the artificial surface at Bank of America Stadium. The players hate it, and the fans hate it, but this is clearly what team owner David Tepper wants as part of his grand plan for the facility to become a leading sports and events arena. 

This decision is one of many Tepper got wrong during the first few years of his tenure. But the safety of players should come before anything else given what valuable commodities they are in the grand scheme of things. 

The Carolina Panthers turf was signaled out for criticism in a recent article from JC Tretter via the NFL Players Association. This was thanks in no small part to the on-field conditions before their Christmas Eve game against the Detroit Lions, which Steve Wilks' men won convincingly.

"We currently have a single test for all field surfaces called the “Clegg” test, which simply measures a field’s hardness. However, even this simple measure was too much for the NFL to adhere to when push came to shove in Carolina. Last year on Christmas Eve, Carolina’s field failed the Clegg test. For a surface to pass this test, it must measure below 100g (units of gravities), and the meter for this test goes up to a maximum of 150g. When the field in Carolina was tested during the pregame check, it came back as -- you guessed it -- 150g."

- JC Tretter via the NFLPA

This further magnifies how dangerous artificial turf is compared to grass. Whether it's enough for Tepper to alter his train of thought is another matter - but it might be smart to listen to those giving up their bodies for his organization.