Souders-Timbers to feature NFL lines on pitch

[nolando]

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundersfc/2013/10/31/a-stop-and-chat-with-gm-adrian-hanauer-about-nfl-lines-on-the-field-and-more/

(What should the fans be prepared for in terms of NFL lines on the field Saturday?) “Yeah, they should be prepared for a football field pretending to be a soccer field. It’s the unfortunate reality of a two-professional-team stadium with the timing. We probably could’ve avoided this if we had done a little better job collecting points toward the end of the season, but it is what it is. It’s still going to be FieldTurf. It’s still going to be 114 by 74. It’s still going to have two goals, an 18-yard box with a midfield line and stripes. Obviously we’ve had five years of doing a pretty good job of managing it and making sure that we don’t have football lines, just I think maybe the one playoff game last year where we had some football lines. And we’re not happy about it, but we’re going to have to make the most of it.”

(This is in no way a choice, right?) “The only way around it is creating massive risk for a nationally televised NFL game. Again, in the weighed risk, I understand why this is where we’re at with this solution. That said, we are going to continue to push and try to figure out ultimately over time whether there are technologies, work force opportunities, creative solutions to never have this happen, but for now, it is what it is.”

(Is the issue that the paint needs time to dry or you can’t physically change it quickly enough?) “It is the paint not drying and the risk of bad weather causing even bigger problems. I understand we have weather reports, but all of a sudden if it started dumping rain for a bunch of hours, it could cause even bigger problems than the lines not being dry. There could be lines not actually being crisp and well laid out.”

[RJB]

When you think about it, in terms of how many dates it's used, and total people through the turnstiles, I would say that this is the Sounders stadium.

[AvroArrow]

When you think about it, in terms of how many dates it's used, and total people through the turnstiles, I would say that this is the Sounders stadium.

I bet the Sounders would trade their attendance numbers for the Seahawks television revenues any day of the week.

[ag futbol]

When you think about it, in terms of how many dates it's used, and total people through the turnstiles, I would say that this is the Sounders stadium.

In those terms yes, but in dollar terms NFL still rules the day.

The NFL lines are unfortunate, but hopefully this starts a push for their own SSS. They have a pretty good team, but the quality of play really suffers on that turf field.