Why Lambeau Field is never the home of the Frozen Tundra (1 Viewer)

[smackdaddies]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

 

[DoubleG]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

The Bears don't own Soldier Field. The Chicago Park District does. HTH. Stay classy bro.

 

[cobalt_27]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

The Bears don't own Soldier Field. The Chicago Park District does. HTH. Stay classy bro.

Oh, so they have absolutely no say or influence in matters related to Chicago. Got it.If I were a company and repeatedly embarrassed on national television for, of all things, garbage work conditions...I might figure out a way to fix it. Just sayin'. Stay classy, Chicago.

P.S. Why are Bears fans so defensive about this? I'd think they'd want their team to step up and clean up that disaster, too.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

Ok that video was funny.And this.

"“It’s just like playing in the summer on the grass,” Green Bay offensive lineman T. J. Lang said. “It’s never hard, it’s never frozen.” "

>>>The ground below Lambeau Field has been heated since 1967, when Coach Vince Lombardi oversaw the installation of electric coils that zig-zagged under the turf like wires in an electric blanket. The aim was to keep the ground soft enough so that cleats could grab hold and players could keep their footing.

For 30 years, those coils kept Lambeau Field soft, with one exception. That came months after installation, when the Packers played host to the Cowboys for the 1967 N.F.L. championship. Temperatures well below zero were too much for the system. The field grew stiff and slick. The game was nicknamed the Ice Bowl. Writers in the aftermath dubbed the playing surface the “frozen tundra.” The term stuck. It remains frozen in time.

The electric coils were replaced in 1997 by a system of pipes filled with a solution including antifreeze. These days, the temperature of the soil is controlled by the field manager Allen Johnson. With temperatures Sunday expected to be in the 20s, Johnson will probably set the soil temperature to about 40 degrees. That will be enough to offset the subfreezing air temperature and keep the field soft. <<<

 

[DoubleG]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

The Bears don't own Soldier Field. The Chicago Park District does. HTH. Stay classy bro.

Oh, so they have absolutely no say or influence in matters related to Chicago. Got it.If I were a company and repeatedly embarrassed on national television for, of all things, garbage work conditions...I might figure out a way to fix it. Just sayin'. Stay classy, Chicago.

P.S. Why are Bears fans so defensive about this? I'd think they'd want their team to step up and clean up that disaster, too.

Oh don't get me wrong - as a Bears fan I ABSOLUTELY want them to do something about the condition of the turf. But no, the Bears do NOT have the final say as to how money is spent on Soldier Field - the park district does. I was trying to clarify for those who don't hear the endless hours of sports talk radio here in Chicago about why this is the case.And I am not defensive about the field - the youtube clip had nothing to do with the story posted - just a lame attempt to trot out the same tired song.

 

[Bri]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

The Bears don't own Soldier Field. The Chicago Park District does. HTH. Stay classy bro.

Oh, so they have absolutely no say or influence in matters related to Chicago. Got it.If I were a company and repeatedly embarrassed on national television for, of all things, garbage work conditions...I might figure out a way to fix it. Just sayin'. Stay classy, Chicago.

P.S. Why are Bears fans so defensive about this? I'd think they'd want their team to step up and clean up that disaster, too.

Oh don't get me wrong - as a Bears fan I ABSOLUTELY want them to do something about the condition of the turf. But no, the Bears do NOT have the final say as to how money is spent on Soldier Field - the park district does. I was trying to clarify for those who don't hear the endless hours of sports talk radio here in Chicago about why this is the case.And I am not defensive about the field - the youtube clip had nothing to do with the story posted - just a lame attempt to trot out the same tired song.

I thought that was awesome to hear how Packer fans went and shoveled Lambeau. If Bears fans(or any other team) showed that much initiative, it'd be awful hard for an owner to turn them away.

 

[DoubleG]

I thought that was awesome to hear how Packer fans went and shoveled Lambeau. If Bears fans(or any other team) showed that much initiative, it'd be awful hard for an owner to turn them away.

Now I am completely lost about what this has to do with the condition of the turf. Bears fans should show up Sunday morning with bags of fertilizer?? Or just rolls of fresh sod under their arms?Please unpack this a bit for me.

 

[Sabertooth]

Won't matter.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

I think it's great the Bears are a tough team willing to duke it out on an icy, muddy field. Too bad the Packers are unable and/or unwilling to play in the same conditions. Cold weather teams should embrace the elements they're in or simply build a dome.

 

[DiStefano]

I think it's great the Bears are a tough team willing to duke it out on an icy, muddy field. Too bad the Packers are unable and/or unwilling to play in the same conditions. Cold weather teams should embrace the elements they're in or simply build a dome.

The logical disconnect in this exceeds your usual standards.

 

[Donnybrook]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

Answer: Sounds like a expensive system that only a team with a license to print money could afford.

 

[Bri]

I thought that was awesome to hear how Packer fans went and shoveled Lambeau. If Bears fans(or any other team) showed that much initiative, it'd be awful hard for an owner to turn them away.

Now I am completely lost about what this has to do with the condition of the turf. Bears fans should show up Sunday morning with bags of fertilizer?? Or just rolls of fresh sod under their arms?Please unpack this a bit for me.

the previous post(and plenty of articles) whine about the parks dept. in the chicago area having control over the field's care.you wrote turf which is fake grass in your first sentence. In your second sentence you mentioned fertilizer, then sod and neither are applicable to turf.I thought it was awesome that fans showed up to help with the field in Lambeau.

 

[smackdaddies]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

Answer: Sounds like a expensive system that only a team with a license to print money could afford.

the only reason it hasn't happened in chicago is no one with money has stepped up and bribed the elected officials enough to make it happen

 

[Wrigley]

Good NYT Article today on both the heating and lighting system that keeps lambeau field in good shape

While heating the soil at Lambeau Field is a concept about as old as the Super Bowl, the artificial lighting system used there is a burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm S.G.L. — Stadium Grow Lighting. The founder of the company, Nico van Vuuren, tweaked a system he built for growing roses. He plans to attend his first N.F.L. game Sunday in Green Bay.

In essence, the system is a complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs. After a trial run in 2010, the Packers bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field.

The contraption fools Mother Nature. Johnson used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games. Because the lights hang about six feet above the grass, other groundskeeping duties — mowing and watering, mostly — can continue, though the blast from a high-pressure sprinkler can occasionally shatter one of the long, clear incandescent bulbs.

So why can't Chicago produce a decent field?

We all know that answer.

Answer: Sounds like a expensive system that only a team with a license to print money could afford.

the only reason it hasn't happened in chicago is no one with money has stepped up and bribed the elected officials enough to make it happen

you mean, like the Bears?