Sunday, August 23, 2009

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Poly Turf




(Top) The Orange Bowl field during Super Bowl X in 1976. (Middle) Orange Bowl field during Super Bowl V in 1971 and (Bottom)An overhead view of the Orange Bowl during the early 1970s

Former major league baseball player Dick Allen once said of his disgust with artificial turf, "If a horse won't eat it, I don't want to play on it." Hated by athletes, but used as a then cost-cutting maintainance measure, artificial turf became a staple at outdoor sports stadiums around the nation in the 1970s. The Orange Bowl was among the first in this trend. In 1970, the City of Miami decided to replace the natural grass field of the Orange Bowl with a form of artificial grass known as Poly-Turf. From the 1970 season through Super Bowl X in January of 1976, Poly Turf covered the Orange Bowl field.

Poly-Turf was manufactured by the company American Biltrite. It was one of three different types of artificial grass used in stadiums at the time, along with Tartan Turf and Astro Turf. When Poly-Turf was installed at the Orange Bowl, its impact on the game was huge. The playing surface became faster enabling running backs and receivers to make quicker cuts.

"When I first got on it, I felt superfast," said former Miami Dolphin running back Jim Kiick. "But then I started thinking, what do the fast guys feel like?"

The Miami Dolphins quickly used Poly Turf to its advantage. Players like receiver Paul Warfield and running back Mercury Morris thrived on the surface. Both players were quick on any surface. But on Poly Turf, they were almost impossible for defenses to contain. Another characteristic of Poly-Turf was its ability to absorb heat. At times playing conditions became unbearably hot.

"It was difficult. It was hard because the heat reflected off the artificial turf," Kiick said. "There were times when the temperatures were 130 degrees on the field."

While the Dolphins were used to playing and practicing in the hot climate of South Florida, visiting teams often wilted on the Poly-Turf. From 1971 through 1974, the Dolphins won 31 consecutive games at the Orange Bowl, including three consecutive AFC titles from 71-73 and back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973. It may not be a coincidence that the glory years of the Dolphin franchise corresponded with the Poly-Turf years.

On January 17,1971, the Orange Bowl hosted Super Bowl V between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Colts. It was the first Super Bowl played on artificial turf. Poly Turf continued to cover the Orange Bowl playing field until the beginning of 1976. Super Bowl X would be the last football game played on the fake grass.

As the years went by, it became apparent Poly-Turf was becoming a hinderance rather than an advantage. The hard surface led to an increased number of leg, ankle and knee injuries. The turf began to deteriorate over time and many players claimed they would trip over the seams of the field. The turf began to discolor from green to blue due to the harsh UV intensity of the Miami sun. It had run its course.

Natural grass returned the Orange Bowl for the 1976 season and remained there until the end of the stadium in 2008. But while the Dolphins enjoyed unrivaled success on the hard, plastic surface, the legacy of Poly-Turf remains mostly negative. It only proved that sometimes technology can never replace something created by Mother Nature.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks very much for sharing interesting blogs. I enjoy reading this post.

Unknown said...

Thanks very much for sharing interesting blogs. I enjoy reading this post.
Samantha
Wireless Home Alarm Security Systems

mi patria es la literatura said...

Is Samantha a ROBOT????

Unknown said...

Here's a good question that I cannot seem to find the answer to: what happened to the polyturf after they took it up? Is any still floating around in collector's circles?

Unknown said...

Interesting... I was searching this info for my uncle. He will be happy for such a great info. Thanks for sharing...
Ana
Artificial Grass Supplier

scarlet reynolds said...

There is a very wide range of Synthetic tennis courts grass products on the market now, tailored for various different sports from bowls to equestrianism. Of course natural turf is managed in countless different ways specifically for the sports played on them and, likewise, synthetic turf has been developed with the various qualities required by different sports.

Bob Gassel said...

re ryan:

The Orange Bowl Poly Turf was cut up and sold as collector's items...I actually have (somewhere) a small 2" X 2" piece...

Anonymous said...

These blogs are quite incredible that have provided the best knowledge.
sports and safety surfaces

Unknown said...

This is actually a fantastic blogs! More of these details are superb -it is nice to see one that current. agen taruhan

Unknown said...

Hey!!! There Very Nice And Impressive Blog. Its so Helpfull.

Turfgrass miami said...

Hey,That was a really Cool and stuff info.I Will keep it to clean my artificial grass for dogs.Thanks..

Unknown said...

I was eagerly looking for some assistan on maintainance and found a web page on .

Unknown said...

Wow, great blog.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool.

Dermot Ronan said...

Great post! Thanks for sharing such an amazing post with us. Keep sharing!
fake grass mat Ireland

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this information. It’s really useful for our business. Offer on Synthetic Turf | Synthetic Grass |Fake Grass | Artificial Turf near your location USA. We provide the best services at affordable price.
Visit Artificial Turf USA

Md.Riday Khan said...

Thanks for your post.
At Greenline, all of our grasses are designed by us; we purchase the highest quality components from around the world to bring you the best one! View or Buy Artificial Grass online. Request a FREE sample. Our Artificial Grass (Or Fake turf) is the best on the market and at the lowest prices!

Grass Carpets Dubai said...

Informative post, The stuff which you have been shared is really helpfull. Keep blogging and thanks for sharing this one.
Grass Carpets Dubai deals in artificial grass dubai possible and minimum price in dubai across the UAE. Contact us Now if you are looking for artificial grass suppliers in dubai

Unknown said...

This is really interesting and informative post. Thank you for sharing this helpful information with us. We also offer a wide range of artificial grass in UAE with best installation and best services. Do contact!

Dermot Ronan said...

I really like this playground grass.

synthetic grass Ireland