In the Tall Grass at Northwestern

[EstronHawkKing]

The grounds crew has grown the grass turf to about 9 inches. They hope it slows down Ohio St. when the Cats play them tonight.

 

[homes]

It looks like the tape is bent as opposed to buried down to the ground. Regardless, it's still relative speed.

Now, if they mow that grass down before next weekend, the Hawks should take that as a slap in the face.

 

[kicker22]

It looks like the tape is bent as opposed to buried down to the ground. Regardless, it's still relative speed.

Now, if they mow that grass down before next weekend, the Hawks should take that as a slap in the face.

Only mowing down I want to see is OSU mowing down Fitz.

 

[Fryowa]

It looks like the tape is bent as opposed to buried down to the ground. Regardless, it's still relative speed.

Now, if they mow that grass down before next weekend, the Hawks should take that as a slap in the face.

Or they snipped 6 inches off that tape.

They're a private school; they can afford it.

 

[uihawk82]

Only mowing down I want to see is OSU mowing down Fitz.

Yes, you always pull for East Division rivals over our West division foes.

 

[M1911A1Hawkeye]

They on a dating app trying to impress the ladies?

 

[okeefe4prez]

What kind of grass is that? Most grass that grows vertically (as opposed to the grasses in the south that are basically weeds that grow horizontally) will start to seed once it gets anywhere near 5 inches or so.

 

[uihawk82]

The grounds crew has grown the grass turf to about 9 inches. They hope it slows down Ohio St. when the Cats play them tonight.

In the 1970's when Purdue invented Prescription Athletic Turf they were accused of letting the grass grow a little longer and controlling it to be wetter to slow down some teams. I first read about their PAT system and actions in a story in SI magazine in the 1970s when Bo Schembechler took his #1 or #2 Mich team to Purdue and they were upset in a lower scoring game. I am sure Bo and players bitched about the grass.

Notice below how they could drain away excess water or reverse water to make it mushy-er. And Purdue was generally a pretty strong team back in the 1960's and 70's.

How prescription athletic turf works

The Prescription Athletic Turf system was developed at Purdue University by agronomy Professor Emeritus William H. Daniel in 1971 because of the need for a safe and consistent athletic playing surface. It uses an underground system of vacuums, moisture sensors and drain pipes to either drain excess water from the field or to backflow and send water to the grass roots. Under the turf is a twoply plastic sheet that seals off the field from the surrounding earth. The growing medium above the liner is largely sand, which aids in drainage.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I can't handle 9 inches.

 

[hawkeyes87]

What kind of grass is that? Most grass that grows vertically (as opposed to the grasses in the south that are basically weeds that grow horizontally) will start to seed once it gets anywhere near 5 inches or so.

This is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff.

 

[Fryowa]

This is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff.

Outstanding work

 

[EstronHawkKing]

In the 1970's when Purdue invented Prescription Athletic Turf they were accused of letting the grass grow a little longer and controlling it to be wetter to slow down some teams. I first read about their PAT system and actions in a story in SI magazine in the 1970s when Bo Schembechler took his #1 or #2 Mich team to Purdue and they were upset in a lower scoring game. I am sure Bo and players bitched about the grass.

Notice below how they could drain away excess water or reverse water to make it mushy-er. And Purdue was generally a pretty strong team back in the 1960's and 70's.

How prescription athletic turf works

The Prescription Athletic Turf system was developed at Purdue University by agronomy Professor Emeritus William H. Daniel in 1971 because of the need for a safe and consistent athletic playing surface. It uses an underground system of vacuums, moisture sensors and drain pipes to either drain excess water from the field or to backflow and send water to the grass roots. Under the turf is a twoply plastic sheet that seals off the field from the surrounding earth. The growing medium above the liner is largely sand, which aids in drainage.

Athletic Turf from the 70's was like playing on concrete. Hayden hated it, always complained how it tore his players knees up.

 

[Fryowa]

Athletic Turf from the 70's was like playing on concrete. Hayden hated it, always complained how it tore his players knees up.

Can confirm. In '98 my high school team played a baseball game in the Metrodome, and any ball that got past you was rolling all the way to the fence.

All I could think the whole time was that I couldn't believe anyone played football on that stuff. It was like office carpet glued down to concrete. Still don't know how that shit was legal and how no one died on the field from their head bouncing off it.

 

[okeefe4prez]

how no one died on the field from their head bouncing off it.

People were tougher back then.

 

[Xerxes]

Can confirm. In '98 my high school team played a baseball game in the Metrodome, and any ball that got past you was rolling all the way to the fence.

All I could think the whole time was that I couldn't believe anyone played football on that stuff. It was like office carpet glued down to concrete. Still don't know how that shit was legal and how no one died on the field from their head bouncing off it.

I remember walking on Iowa's field after MSU game in 1985. My footsteps felt & sounded like I was walking on linoleum floor.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

tOSU might only win 42-10 instead of 49-10 now.

 

[kicker22]

So honest question with a great deal of sarcasm. How does grass length only affect one team? I mean if they're doing it to slow down OSU to gain some sort of advantage, how would it only affect OSU? Sure it might slow down a fast team, but if a fast team is "faster" they'd still be faster than the slower team in a taller grass. Or does Fitz have his guys essentially running on air where the grass doesn't affect them at all. Does Northwestern think their guys are taller where they wouldn't be affected. I seriously hope this is nothing more than a joke and I'm the sucker that bit.

 

[okeefe4prez]

So honest question with a great deal of sarcasm. How does grass length only affect one team? I mean if they're doing it to slow down OSU to gain some sort of advantage, how would it only affect OSU? Sure it might slow down a fast team, but if a fast team is "faster" they'd still be faster than the slower team in a taller grass. Or does Fitz have his guys essentially running on air where the grass doesn't affect them at all. Does Northwestern think their guys are taller where they wouldn't be affected. I seriously hope this is nothing more than a joke and I'm the sucker that bit.

The advantage is mostly psychological. It's like the pink locker room. Just a distraction for the road team. I think there might be a very very fractional advantage it would give to a home team that is really physical against a fast finesse team that is reliant on passing because it might throw off the routes by a millisecond. But you have to be a team like an old school Michigan team or Wisconsin where you have a good oline and bruising running attack for it to really help. If you can win the trenches, maybe it can slightly neutralize the outside, but if you are way overmatched in the trenches, like NU is, it doesn't provide any physical advantage whatsoever.

 

[tksirius]

I can't handle 9 inches.

I have openings if you'd like to discuss further. I'm a doctor.

 

[uihawk82]

Athletic Turf from the 70's was like playing on concrete. Hayden hated it, always complained how it tore his players knees up.

You are thinking of the original Astroturf that was developed after the Astrodome was opened in houston and they found out real grass wouldnt grow inside that stadium.

PAT turf system developed at Purdue was real grass.