‘Sodfather’ explains what went wrong with Super Bowl 57 field
“The Sodfather” has spoken.
George Toma, the longtime groundskeeper who has prepared and then consulted the NFL for every Super Bowl field, said this year’s field at State Farm Stadium was overwatered and that the issues at Super Bowl 57 were entirely preventable.
During the game, an eventual 38-35 Kansas City Chiefs victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, players slipped on the grass surface of the stadium in Glendale, Arizona, often chewing up chunks of sod. At least half a dozen Eagles players switched cleats during the first half in an attempt to get a better grip, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, who changed from Jordan 11 cleats to Jordan 1 cleats.
In 2001, the Pro Football Hall of Fame presented Toma, known as “The Sodfather” and “God of Sod,” with the Pioneer Award for innovative contributions to professional football.
What did George Toma say about why the Super Bowl 57 field was so slippery?
In an interview with ESPN, Toma said the field was watered the Wednesday morning before the game, which took place on Sunday, Feb. 12. After the watering, the field was then immediately rolled into the stadium, using the hydraulic system that allows the turf to catch sun. Toma’s belief was that the field should have remained in the sun
Wednesday morning to dry out before being rolled in, advice that NFL field director Ed Mangan did not heed.
“So, what he does, he waters the hell out of it and puts it right into the stadium and that’s it,” Toma told ESPN. “Never sees sunlight again. He can’t do that.”
Toma added that a tarp was laid over the field to protect it from rehearsals for the pregame and halftime shows. Toma said he was told in the lead-up to the game that the field was starting to decay.
“It had a rotten smell,” Toma said.
Were there any other issues with the field at Super Bowl 57?
Toma also told ESPN that Mangan did not allow the field to be sanded enough, a process that encourages efficient drainage.
“He sanded it two weeks too late,” Toma said. “He had only one sanding. He should have had two or three sandings, but he didn’t do (expletive). And that was it. And not only that, he didn’t take care of it. He wouldn’t listen to anybody.”
What did Eagles players have to say about the field conditions at Super Bowl 57?
Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, who said he’s “not a grass expert,” described the conditions as “pretty slippery,” similar to “playing on a water park.”
While the Eagles players were quick to stress that the field condition was not the reason why they lost, they did indicate that it was something they had to account for.
“I changed my cleats and right before the second half wore the different ones,” Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert said after the game. “The second half, you know, the field was tearing up a little bit but, you know, once again, we’re playing on the same field as the Chiefs.”
Did the NFL say anything about the field conditions at Super Bowl 57?
“The State Farm Stadium field surface met the required standards for the maintenance of natural surfaces, as per NFL policy,” the league said in a statement the day after the game. “The natural grass surface was tested throughout Super Bowl week and was in compliance with all mandatory NFL practices.”
What is next for George Toma after Super Bowl 57?
According to ESPN, Toma has retired after more than 80 years in groundskeeping, with Super Bowl 57 being his last.
“I can’t take it anymore,” Toma told ESPN, while adding that he was not pleased with how the league has responded to field issues in the past. “Me and the league are finished. They can’t tell me what to do anymore. We’re done.”