Why did so many Eagles slip in the Super Bowl? Even the folks who sod the Linc are unsure

Keith Salmon knows grass — especially the kind used in pro football stadiums.

Salmon is director of warm season turf grasses at Tuckahoe Turf Farms, a New Jersey-based business that supplies and installs the sod at Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Subaru Park, home to the Union.

He was watching intently Sunday as players started slipping during the Super Bowl. Salmon said he had no direct knowledge of how the field was prepared and can only surmise what could go wrong on a playing field with real grass.

And, for some players, things did go wrong, as they were clearly seen on the broadcast losing their footing without being touched.

“I’m not going to lie — this is the worst field I’ve ever played on,” the Eagles’ Haason Reddick said following the Eagles 38-35 Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening, though he did not blame conditions for the loss. Kansas City players also complained and cited previous issues playing on the field.

» READ MORE: Eagles players rip State Farm Stadium’s turf, ‘the worst’ field conditions

The Super Bowl was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which bills itself as “the most unique in the industry” because it hosts trade shows, consumer events, and banquets after retracting a grass field contained in a 40-inch deep tray that rolls on train-like tracks. Two giant roof panels also retract.

Salmon notes that he is no position to criticize the staff handling State Farm Stadium, which is vastly different from the Linc. His knowledge of the field situation came from what he’s read online. But he does know the type of grass used, which is about the same as the Eagles play on at home.

“It’s tough to really say what the exact problem was,” Salmon said, noting neither the Eagles nor Union had any such problem last season. “I saw a ton of slipping. There was some pretty rough footing on some certain plays. But I don’t want to point any fingers.”

Problems could arise from either condensation that developed or with overseeding — or a combination of both, he said. The slipping did not occur at any particular part of the field, such as on paint, he noted.

State Farm Stadium used the same combination of turf that the Linc uses: Bermuda grass, overseeded with rye when needed.

ESPN reported recently that the stadium installed a newer type of turf, Tahoma 31, which was developed with funding by the United States Golf Association. Tahoma 31, a mix of China Bermuda and African Bermuda grass, was introduced within the past few years because of its tolerance for cold, drought, and wear. But the grass has also been used at Lincoln Financial Field.

Rye is added when cooler weather and shorter days cause the Bermuda grass to stop growing. The Union, for example, don’t need rye because they play during the summer and early fall. But the Eagles need it in late fall and winter.

Though Philadelphians might think of Arizona as perpetually warm, temperatures dropped into the 40s overnight Sunday into Monday, with highs in the mid-50s and a sunset of 6:12 p.m. In other words, cool nights, still short days — conditions perfect for rye overseeding.

Salmon said that the crew at State Farm Stadium were likely under a tight window and that both the time frame for overseeding and condensation could have caused issues.

“There can be a lot of factors involved. It really comes down to temperature,” Salmon said. “When the field sits on a retractable rail system, you can start to build up condensation once the field comes in … and overseeded grass, which I think has been said to be rye grass, can be a little bit slippery.”

Regardless of the cause, Salmon said, those who prep the fields for NFL games are totally focused on player safety. While conditions might not have been ideal, Salmon said he didn’t notice any leg or “lower extremity injuries — which was really great to see.”

The online version of this story has been updated to note the use of Tahoma 31 as the mix of Bermuda grass used at the Super Bowl.