eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
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Location: Missoula, Montana
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The stories are in order as they appear in this content area:
Griz receiver continues long recovery (Missoulian).
UM inquiry panel set to hit the books (Missoulian).
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I-AA West: Is the 'Grass' Greener on the Other Side? (I-AA.org).
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Griz receiver continues long recovery
By JON KASPER of the Missoulian
LeShawn George wants everyone to know he's doing great and can't wait to come back to school.
A year ago, the University of Montana wide receiver was asking Grizzly fans to pray for him while laid up in a Salt Lake City hospital wondering if he'd ever walk again.
George is walking. He took his first steps without crutches in late January.
He's even thrown the football around with some of his Southern California friends.
"It felt great, actually,'' George said of his first steps. "It was a long time and it was wobbly at first. It felt really good.''
"I actually tried to jog and it's not ready yet,'' he added. "I can jump rope, but I just can't take it full stride yet.''
George never made it back to Missoula from spring break 2003. He and fellow wide receiver Jon Talmage were involved in an automobile accident in Northern Utah in the early morning hours of March 29. Talmage fell asleep at the wheel of his Ford Explorer. The SUV rolled end-over-end several times.
Talmage sustained minor injuries that kept him out of spring practice.
George suffered compound fractures in both of his legs, severe damage in his right knee, as well as a dislocated shoulder.
"In the past couple of days, I've been thinking about it a lot,'' George said last week from his Southern California home. "It was the anniversary of the accident. I was just sitting back and realizing how far I've come and it's only been a year. I'm just happy that I'm still able to walk. It could have been a lot worse than it was.''
George has endured roughly 20 surgeries since the accident. He was medically transported from Salt Lake City back home in late March of 2003. He wasn't home long. The doctor discovered an infection in his leg, forcing George back to the hospital.
One surgery required doctors to take muscles from his thigh and quad to cover the holes in his skin which the compound fractures created.
George said the worst surgery occurred last summer when doctors took part of his hip bone and moved it to his right leg, where a couple of centimeters of bone were missing.
"They shaved the bone from my hip and put it in the missing area,'' George said. "It slowly solidified. That was the worst surgery to date.''
He hasn't been under the knife since December. He used a wheelchair until the end of October and then began therapy.
"My improvement was dramatic,'' he said. "I was walking with crutches two weeks after therapy.''
"The toughest part was basically not being able to get up and go,'' he added. "My whole life I had been really athletic, playing all types of sports and things. Not being able to get up and walk and run, that was the toughest part until I started walking again.''
George said he followed what would have been his sophomore season at Montana via the Internet, and by talking regularly to running back JR Waller, wide receiver Levander Segars, and wide receivers coach Luther Carr.
George spent a lot of time reading books. He's working part-time answering phones for a Church telethon and attends rehab three times a week.
George said he'd like to see the pictures of the totaled Explorer and said he remembers everything about the accident. He and Talmage talked on the phone prior to Christmas.
"It's not hard,'' George said. "It's just something that happened, you know.
It was a case of bad luck. I can't blame him for that.''
Talmage stayed in Missoula this spring break. He said it was difficult at first to talk to George.
"I felt absolutely terrible,'' Talmage said. "I still feel bad. For awhile right after it happened, I so depressed and feeling crumby.''
"What happened, happened,'' he added. "I'm not trying to cover it, but it's been hard. I feel terrible for LeShawn. He still hasn't gotten a chance to play football. He was at home recovering. I kind of grew to realize that things happen for a reason.''
Talmage's injuries from the accident included some bruises and a small hole in one of his lungs. He started at wide receiver in 2003, catching 24 passes for 507 yards. He said he sometimes has troubles getting to sleep because he thinks about the accident.
"I wouldn't call them nightmares,'' he said. "But I've stayed up late at night thinking about it, not being able to get the thoughts out of my head.
What if I would have done things differently? I've replayed it over and over again. Still to this day, it's hard to get to sleep. I lay in bed and it's on my mind. Sometimes it doesn't put you to sleep too easily.''
George plans on making his first trip back to Missoula in two weeks. He said he wants to come back to school, but isn't sure about his football future.
"I want to, but I'm not going to step on the field if all I'm going to do is hurt myself again and have all the rehab be in vain,'' he said.
Despite the surgeries on his legs, George will probably pack some shorts with him on his trip to Missoula.
"My legs look like someone took an ax to them pretty much,'' George said.
"But I'm doing pretty dang good, I guess. I wear shorts, yeah. If I can walk around, I'll wear shorts.''
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UM inquiry panel set to hit the books
By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian
When the UM Athletics Inquiry Panel meets for its second gathering Friday, members will be ready to ask campus officials some pointed questions about how the University of Montana's athletic department conducts its business.
Review of procurement card expenditures - items bought with athletic department credit cards - shows a spending style that knows few limits, said Wayne Capp, a UM law student and former investigator for the Montana Department of Justice.
"I see expenses on everything from what appears to be small, sundry items like gasoline to bigger expenses like airline tickets and hotel accommodations for the entire football team with no apparent guidelines for what can and cannot be purchased with procurement cards," Capp said. "It seems like everything is fair game."
As ordered by the state Commissioner of Higher Education, the 11-member panel is charged with investigating the department's nearly $1 million deficit; how it happened; why $381,000 of the shortfall is attributed to accounting errors; and why the problem surprised UM administrators in February, two months after they reported a department surplus to the state Board of Regents.
Although the panel's first meeting March 23 was productive and helped get the investigation rolling, it fell on the cusp of spring break for many of its members.
Capp said he expects the Friday meeting will launch the investigation in earnest and begin a long series of regularly scheduled, weekly meetings.
Over the past 17 days, since the panel last met, Capp said he, like most of the members, has had the opportunity to become more familiar with the deficit issue and is ready to further delve into the problem.
On Friday, he's primed to ask UM officials about the criteria for procurement card purchases in the athletic department.
"I want to know how the cards are assigned and what is the review and approval process for purchases," Capp said. "I have particular questions about particular purchases and I have questions about how those purchases fit into the university's athletic department operations."
Some of the items he'll be inquiring about: Basketball tickets for the Final Four in 2003 and 2004, the purchase of handheld radios for stadium security, and the purchase of one-way, first-class airline tickets.
Capp said he's also intrigued by a set of bicycles that were bought for preseason training. "I just wondered why those purchases were needed when we have a new state of the art fitness facility for students and student athletes," he said.
Michael Mayer, a UM history professor, said he'll be asking about the flow of managerial duties in the athletic department, and whether the department's accountant had a bookkeeper.
Mayer said he'd like to see those books, as well as financial audits done by the Grizzly Scholarship Association, which is a nonprofit private fund-raising arm of the athletic program.
"I want to look at those things," he said, "and I assume we'll get access to them."
***
I-AA West: Is the 'Grass' Greener on the Other Side?
Kent Schmidt, I-AA.org Western Columnist
This time of year, we look outside in most parts of the country and see lawns starting to green-up. The smell of fresh grass and college football spring practices go hand-in-hand. Lately, however, something else may be replacing the aroma of that grass. Could that smell be shredded automobile tires or plastic blends?
Yes, it could! Manufacturers of synthetic playing surfaces now offer safer and more aesthetic-looking fields than the old style turfs. These new surfaces may also be better then their natural counterparts.
In the 1960s, many football playing fields changed from natural grass to a new surface free from maintenance. Domed stadium owners also deemed the new surface necessary because of a lack of the sun inside those facilities.
This new surface, named originally Chemgrass and later changed to AstroTurf®, used a synthetic carpet with foam padding underneath.
AstroTurf’s original makers (Monsanto Industries) controlled over ninety percent of the synthetic playing surface business. The company bought out or put out of business any competitors.
The new turf’s installation into the Houston Astrodome made AstroTurf famous country-wide and the use of the turf spread into NFL and college stadiums alike.
In the 1990s, however, many football trainers believed AstroTurf’s use attributed to many season and career ending injuries. Stadium owners began to tear up that old synthetic turf on both NFL and college fields and bring in grassy sod.
In recent years a new, hybrid synthetic surface emerged as an alternative to grass and AstroTurf. The owners of sodded fields took notice, especially in more northern or wet climates where grass for football dies during the second half of the season. Attention was also paid by Dome owners who incurred extra maintenance costs with sodded fields due to the lack of sunlight inside.
The new surfaces appear under the more popular name-brand names of FieldTurf®, NeXTurf®, SprinTurf®, AstroPlay®, StadiaTurf®, SafePlay®, SportField's RealGrass®, and Pro-Grass®, amongst others. Caretakers of fields in the NFL, in all divisions of college football, and even in high schools installed the new hybrid synthetic surfaces.
What makes us call these new surfaces “hybrids”?
Each manufacturer designed new surfaces with synthetic blades of grass as their basis. These grass-like blades then lie over a soft layer and an “in-fill” of either shredded rubber or sand.
All the new turf designer's concepts stem from the idea that natural grass fields support a better playing surface than the old AstroTurf style turfs.
In fact, both FieldTurf and SprinTurf representatives call their new surfaces artificial grass.
The basic design of all new style turfs utilizes polyethylene fibers with combinations of either rubber or sand as an “in-fill” for the stadium.
According to the manufacturers, these materials make the field more like natural ground.
The rubber “in-fill” comes mostly from recycled automobile tires and the blades of grass consist of polyethylene fibers. These blades look like real grass blades and extend about 2 to 2 ½ inches in length.
Outdoor stadium owners need to install drainage systems underneath the playing surface to drain rain or melting snow while playing. Of course, indoor stadiums require no drainage systems.
Where does safety rank with the new hybrid turfs?
Safety ranks very high with the new surfaces. The lack of leg and head injuries proves the safety of the new products. Other, ongoing tests also prove their safety.
Currently, tests using the “G-Max” rating systems from U.S. Product Safety Committee determine head injury resistance. G-Max measures in part both safety and performance. G-Max measures the shock hardness of a surface.
The G-Max reading uses a scale to determine the safety for head injuries, with one being the softest and two hundred the hardest. Anything above the two hundred mark shows an unsafe surface according to the committee.
The tests use a weighted cylinder’s impact on the field to determine the G-Max rating hardness number.
A typical natural grass field test registers a hardness number of about 100-135, but can vary up or down because of factors such as moisture level, soil type, and weather conditions.
The old style Astroturf tested around the 170-190 readings but could be higher, especially in cold weather and as the surface gets older.
FieldTurf systems tested between 125-140 at installation and 150-160 after five years. After five years, the surface’s “in-fill” materials become more rigid and this explains why the numbers grow. Weather and the number of events on the surface factor into how the hardness level grows over time.
AstroPlay fields typically tested at 110-120 at installation and 130-140 after five years. Unlike FieldTurf, AstroPlay utilizes a shock pad (adding extra cost) and an all-rubber pellet in-fill. Similarly, however, to FieldTurf, the numbers grow due to the rigidity of the “in-fill” materials.
SprinTurf, utilizing a proprietary base and complete rubber in-fill options, tested at 120 consistently over time. SprinTurf has no growth in hardness, unlike its competitors, because it utilizes an “in-fill” virtually unaffected by factors such as weather and number of events.
Comparable G-max results can be projected for other competitors because of their similarity in design to those tested.
The new style turf, additionally, eliminates virtually all injuries such as turf burn, turf toe, and rotation injuries to the leg areas; three common AstroTurf injuries.
The coefficient of friction of a playing surface helps explain how these leg injuries occur. The coefficient of friction term relates how a shoe plants into a surface and the stability the surface has on the shoe.
Coefficient of friction numbers obtained from FieldTurf and SprinTurf representatives proved 0.9 to 1.5 coefficient of friction values yielded the best playing results. Coefficient of friction number results higher than the
0.9 to 1.5 values show a leg will have no give on the surface, thus leading to more leg injuries. Any numbers below these could result in slipping and sliding, like on muddy natural surfaces, hindering cutting and shifting, two normal football moves.
The coefficient of friction value basically needs to meet in the middle for the best possible surface. Having too much surface retention or too little retention will both result in more injuries to legs.
How long will the new surfaces last?
According to the companies, the new style turfs last about the same as the old style turf: about ten to fifteen years. Each company, however, carries a warranty period varying from eight to ten years. The surface’s life also will depend on the maintenance of the turf and frequency of usage.
The new turfs require no rest periods, much like the old AstroTurf but very much unlike natural grass. If two or three football teams, for example, use the field on Friday, the Saturday game requires no field maintenance beforehand.
FieldTurf’s CEO John Gilman said, “This (the scheduling flexibility and lack of the maintenance need) is a huge advantage to our surface (FieldTurf).
Larger cities could play several games on a given weekend.”
Maintenance Natural Grass FieldTurf
Initial Capital Cost $380,000 $572,000 Year 1 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 2 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 3 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 4 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 5 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 6 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 7 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 8 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 9 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Year 10 Maintenance $52,500 $5,000 Ten Year Total Investment $905,000 $622,000
What does the new style turf cost and how does it compare to the old turf or natural grass?
Based on a football sized field, costs for the new style turf installations range from $500,000 to $575,000, according to FieldTurf and SprinTurf representatives.
Maintenance costs around $5000 per year. The maintenance involves a tractor-pulled vacuum removing debris and leaves that stray onto the field surface, and brushing the field about every ten weeks to reestablish in-fill material consistency.
While these costs seem high, the costs become more reasonable in comparison to those of a new natural sod or Astroturf surface.
New AstroTurf surfaces cost nearly a million dollars according to FieldTurf’s Gilman.
Information obtained from FieldTurf officials (listed in the table on the
right) illustrates how the new style turf can cost less than natural grass when accounting for new sod, drainage, irrigation, fertilizers, labor, and other costs that would be associated with natural grass. The numbers are based on the cost of installing a football field size of 80,000 square feet.
Other manufacturers quoted similar costs in both initial investment and maintenance to FieldTurf’s.
Besides field size, the surface the owners previously installed is a cost factor. Replacing AstroTurf type fields requires less work as replacing natural grass fields according to SprinTurf’s Western US Sales Representative Jason Berning. The AstroTurf installation previously placed many of the underlying materials, which would all be needed to install when converting a natural surface to the new surface.
Can the new style turf be used at locations where the venues host other events?
Yes, the new turf can be in place for other venue events. In fact, several NFL domed stadiums now use the new style turf and still hold trade shows, monster truck rallies, and dirt bike racing.
Unlike the retractable AstroTurf, the new turfs require protective coverings to cover the surface.
Gilman said, “What you can do on a natural grass field is exactly what you can do on synthetic grass.”
Stadium officials use creative ideas to host events such as rodeos or monster truck rallies. For example, they use plywood and plastic to cover the turf and then bring in the dirt for these events.
Berning said, “A large amount of research is going into this (to more easily allow events such as rodeos and monster truck rallies)”.
Flexibility does seem like the only negative effect of the new turfs.
Hosting events like rodeos or super-cross bike races the same week as a football game requires more set-up and tear-down time.
Which new hybrid turf leads the industry?
Three main companies lead the industry. The companies include FieldTurf, SprinTurf, and SRI (Southwest Recreational Industries Inc), who now own and make the old style AstroTurf and the new styles: NeXTurf and AstroPlay.
FieldTurf pioneered the new turf industry. Their employees have installed nearly 800 total fields in the world. The company owns 42 patents on the new turf technology world-wide. Golf tee and driving range and grass-like tennis court synthetic turf installations started the company now known as FieldTurf about 12 years ago. The company had been named SynTenniCo.
SRI Industries, the number two producer of the new turfs, recently went bankrupt. They had placed over 60 football fields (along with many other non-football fields) with either NeXTurf or AstroPlay in the United States but being bankrupt will undoubtedly affect future installations.
SprinTurf holds the number three position in the industry but with SRI Industries now apparently out of the way, they seem primed to be number two.
Any one of these three turf suppliers would probably be the best choice because their representives know how to place the turfs and own patents on their products.
All the other manufacturers would be considered regional outlets but still produce excellent products. They just produce turfs in lesser quantities as the top three makers and have less experience in installations.
Where can we see the new style turfs in the I-AA West Region?
Six I-AA West teams installed the new style turf in game and practice fields.
The University of Montana, University of San Diego, and Southeastern Louisiana installed SprinTurf. San Diego installed the new surface just in their practice field while Montana and Southeastern Louisiana installed it on their playing fields.
Northwestern State (LA) and Texas State installed AstroPlay in recent years on their playing surfaces.
Portland State, which shares PGE Park with minor league baseball’s Portland Beavers, installed NeXTurf. Portland State also bought FieldTurf for a football practice facility.
Two old-style AstroTurf field owners may soon consider the new stuff. The only two Southland Conference teams--Sam Houston State and Stephen F.
Austin--that play on the old AstroTurf may soon consider the new turf.
Officials at both schools indicated that when their current surfaces have lived their lifetime, they will install one of the new hybrid turfs.
Head Coach Ron Randleman said Sam Houston State plans to replace his school’s old turf either before or after the 2005 season, perhaps with one of the new style surfaces.
Why should fans, coaches, and school officials care about the playing surface?
Many fans watched a favorite player disabled with an injury that could be attributed to the playing surface.
Injury reducing surfaces would be a boon to coaches, as well as fans for the reason of keeping their star athletes healthier. Football involves contact and injuries occur regardless of the playing surface. But eliminating one source of those injuries can only be considered a positive aspect.
"The knock on some artificial surfaces is that they increase the risk of injury to players. Since we (then Montana) installed SprinTurf, our team has not had a single injury that we can attribute to the surface. SprinTurf plays true to natural grass and it stays consistent,” said former Montana (and current Wyoming) head Coach Joe Glenn after the new turf installation at Washington Grizzly Stadium.
The new artificial grass also surpasses the old natural surface in appearance. Fans always see a well-groomed, green-colored field. No dead, brown grass or muddy surfaces appear near the end of November. Also, field caretakers no longer hassle with fertilizing, watering, or replacing new sod.
Southeastern Athletic Director Frank Pergolizzi said, "We researched the initial costs of the project along with the day-to-day maintenance costs we would incur and balanced that figure against the long-term value installing SprinTurf would provide. That assessment coupled with the consistent aesthetic value of the product and superior drainage it provides made it an easy choice. We believe installing SprinTurf will provide an outstanding surface for our team and fans for years to come."
Comparing the old AstroTurf and the new turfs, the new turfs exceed the old in safety. The new surface, in addition, may be better than the natural surface when you look at all circumstances. Weather plays havoc on natural grass; causing rain-soaked, muddy fields, or sun-baked, hard surfaces, or even frozen, ice-covered fields. Any of the new turfs will overcome these weather related items unlike the natural surfaces.
Scrapping all current surfaces now and replacing them with one of these new surfaces may be unreasonable in a financial-sense, but after researching the new turf, a stadium owner will see any one of the new surfaces surpass the current AstroTurf and even natural grass both in aesthetic and financial areas. Schools should take a long look at this new surface and consider installing it when they look to replace their current playing surface.
Source: Tom Griz Fan
April 9, 2004
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