O’Brien Wants A New Field at Carter-Finley

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Looks like Coach O’Brien has fallen victim to the NC State ‘half-assed-renovation-plan’ at Carter-Finley. Whatever happened to all of the new bathrooms that were supposed to built? Whatever happened to the new entrance gates that were supposed to be built? Hell, you’d think that we would at least have enough gates to get our poor students into the game on time. Whatever happened to the new concession stands and general improvements on the concourses?

“Someone asked what I would do if I had a wish list of things to do,” O’Brien said today. “That would be the first thing. The field hasn’t been re-done in 30 years. All they’ve done is pile more dirt on it. We need a drainage system and it needs to be leveled. We’re out here on this flat [practice] field all the time. You go in [Carter-Finley] and you’ve got the camel-back [field] we play on. We need to look into doing some things but I guess that’s between Mr. [Lee] Fowler and I when the season’s over.”

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Fans NC State Administration NCS Football Tom O'Brien

32 Responses to O’Brien Wants A New Field at Carter-Finley

  1. LRM 11/23/2007 at 6:20 PM #

    For the love of God: No field turf!!

  2. RBCRowdy 11/23/2007 at 6:45 PM #

    I thought I’d be so smart and say FIELD TURF. Why don’t you think we should get it, I’m no expert on it. It just seems to be the thing to get.

  3. cpwolfpackfan 11/23/2007 at 6:48 PM #

    becasue we are the number on Turf Grass school in the country and that would look stupid as hell for us to have field turf when we are such a big turf grass school. PLus football was ment to be played on grass not rubber

  4. StateFans 11/23/2007 at 7:15 PM #

    I don’t have a clue what you guys are talking about

  5. Clarksa 11/23/2007 at 7:17 PM #

    Field Turf = New age astro turf

  6. treznor 11/23/2007 at 7:25 PM #

    I’ve played a few soccer and football games on field turf fields. It’s much better than the oldtime astro turf, but it still hurts much more hitting it than real grass. Last time I played on a field turf field and hit the ground I came up with scrap marks up and down the leg I went down on and was picking rubber pellets out of the wound for days. Fun stuff.

  7. treznor 11/23/2007 at 7:27 PM #

    StateFans:

    Field turf is basically plastic grass with rubber pellets with for “dirt”. Basically the next generation of AstroTurf (which is actually produced by a competitor to the company that produces Field Turf). Whereas AstroTurf had almost no give and was basically like playing on concrete, Field Turf does have a bit of give because of the rubber “dirt” but nowhere near as much as grass.

  8. crackdog 11/23/2007 at 7:29 PM #

    http://www.fieldturf.com/football/index.cfm

    Educate yourself, then understand that we don’t need that stuff in the south on football fields.

  9. wolfbuff 11/23/2007 at 7:44 PM #

    I didn’t read or hear anyone talking about artificial turf. All he said he wants is for the field to be leveled and to improve the drainage system. Just b/c they had it at BC, doesn’t mean he prefers artificial turf. I agree with everyone here, as does I’m sure TOB, that we should be playing on real grass. The only artifical turn should be on a practice field for preparing to play in someone else’s stadium!

  10. StateFans 11/23/2007 at 8:00 PM #

    He is talking about a natural grass level field

  11. highstick 11/23/2007 at 8:09 PM #

    I liked the part where he “calls out Mr. Fowler”!!!

  12. LRM 11/23/2007 at 8:33 PM #

    I was just trying to be funny is all. Ohio State put field turf in after replacing their field twice last season; Michigan put it in about five years ago; Ole Miss had to do it because their field died because of a fungus…I just believe football should be played on grass…

  13. wirogers 11/23/2007 at 9:28 PM #

    TOB is correct, back in the mid 80’s this field drained great. We played a game on Saturday against Clemson at home, I think we received 3 inches of rain during the game and the turf held. (at least it felt like that as I changed in the engine in the truck under a tree on Gorman Street to get to work on Monday). I think it was Musburger (sp) that made a comment about the field, the other commentator reminded him that State was a landgrant school.

    What has happened is they have added more turf to the field which has put the surface further away from the draintile. It would be very cheap and easy to flatten the field, re-sod it with a new turf (Sandhill turf farm does have a few State grads working there or have worked there), and be ready to play on it next fall.

    Fowler just needs to get r done

  14. LRM 11/23/2007 at 9:38 PM #

    While we’re spending more of our money…why is the wall around the field the only place at State that isn’t brick??

    That would seem like a major aesthetic improvement to me. Clemson is a good example.

  15. RabidWolf 11/23/2007 at 9:59 PM #

    becasue we are the number on Turf Grass school in the country and that would look stupid as hell for us to have field turf when we are such a big turf grass school. PLus football was ment to be played on grass not rubber

    Also….you think we have had a rash of knee injuries this year?? Put in fake grass and see what happens! We won’t lose players for a season, we’ll end some careers!

  16. RabidWolf 11/23/2007 at 10:06 PM #

    I have an idea…let the turf maintenance students take care of the C-F turf. IIRC, they take care of the baseball field, and it looks great year after year! Maybe use a different grass type with a deeper root system to keep it from getting torn up so quickly. This season, I have seen chunks of turf fly up during runs that rival the divots I chunk out of a golf course! (I’m not a scratch golfer, I’m a SCRUB golfer!)

  17. vtpackfan 11/23/2007 at 10:07 PM #

    Some are saying here:
    “becasue we are the number on(e) Turf Grass school in the country…”

    TOB said:
    “All they’ve done is pile more dirt on it.”

    I’m trying to reconcile the two. Any help?

  18. RabidWolf 11/23/2007 at 10:23 PM #

    I think TOB is trying to make a point, it may be figurative, not literal.

  19. LRM 11/23/2007 at 11:04 PM #

    I thought we put a new sand-based field in a few years back to help with drainage?? The field has looked beautiful this season, I’ve thought (at least from Section 30). But I’ve noticed that in ground-level pictures and TV shots it’s torn to shreds. I’d say TOB knows, if anyone does, so let’s make it happen.

    Regardless, it looks leagues better than it used to when it was brown by mid-October.

    I saw a picture with red/white checkerboard end zones from way back…that’d be a smooth old school look we should try.

  20. Pakkfan 11/24/2007 at 12:08 AM #

    Ok to reconcile:

    NCSU is the number one turfgrass school in the United States. For some bright reason the fields have always been maintained by someone OTHER then the Turfgrass program. Smart aint it? Richard Sykes used to be in charge of the fields, but I am not sure who is now.

    I can promise you if NCSU wanted to turn it over to their Turfgrass department the field would be second to none.

    Take a hint from VaTech and Clemson. Turn it over to the turfgrass departement finally!

  21. beowolf 11/24/2007 at 3:07 AM #

    I find it very interesting that while TOB’s “wish list” is topped by something that would help the team win, his peer in Chapel Hill has been wishing on a huge raise.

  22. tooyoungtoremember 11/24/2007 at 4:45 AM #

    Nah. What TOB doesn’t realize is that the unlevelness of the field plays to our advantage. We know where the high and low spots are and the other team doesn’t. Just like the dead spots on the old bball court!

  23. old_pcorone 11/24/2007 at 6:26 AM #

    Not a bad idea, it shouldn’t be that expan$ive nor difficult.

    Having a great field to play is always a good reason to prevent excuses 😉

  24. gopack968 11/24/2007 at 11:04 AM #

    TOB’s comments have little to do with the quality of the turf itself. He is talking about the old-style drainage system that uses a high center, or ‘crown,’ down the middle of the field to drain water off to the sides. This creates a bizarre uphill/downhill running pattern for receivers and the secondary as they use the open field. It also creates problems for QBs as they are either throwing uphill or downhill depending on their position and the receiver.

    More modern fields (such as at VA Tech) use a flat turf surface with a subfloor drainage system. This is what he wants. He should get it. This is a no-brainer.

  25. vtpackfan 11/24/2007 at 11:08 AM #

    Good point, although the crown actullay helps DE because his outs and fades are generally thrown downhill.

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