PHP’s Fields are Looking Pretty Rough
March 4th, 2008 . 6:37 am . By: Peter WelptonThere seems to be a growing concern about the amount of use Pizza Hut Park’s facility fields are taking, and they are certainly showing it. If you haven’t been out there in some time. All of the fields, minus the FCD-only and Sprint-Turf fields, are not a pretty site. As the Dallas Cup approaches it appears that the tournament will be playing on considerably lesser pitches than last year. Most of the fields are brown in the main areas with some green in the corners. Most shocking is the amount of barren dirt that can be found in the center of the fields and in the penalty areas. In talking to people from different leagues that use the fields, it sounds like there is a growing voice of concern. I have also heard that the Dallas Cup people are “none too pleased” about the state of the fields as they spent a lot of money and effort moving the tournament to PHP. Obviously, HSG built this facility to make money and they can only do that by leasing out their use. There are both sizable boys and girls leagues playing there, last fall a men’s amateur league was launched, several different national tournaments have taken place and there have been Lacrosse and flag football tournaments held in the last year. The winter season was not one of rest, and attempts to seed the fields with ‘winter rye’ were reportedly thwarted by the chemicals used to kill off the rye to allow the spring grass to grow in the previous season. Apparently because the fields are irrigated through a nifty set of retention ponds, the chemical was basically recycled back into the irrigation supply – killing off this winter’s attempt to grow winter rye. I’m no Neil Sperry, but with the kids’ leagues starting up, Dallas Cup and the Men’s league starting a new season in a few weeks, it appears that the fields are going to struggle to grow new grass and repair themselves. PHP is likely in a terrible spot in that they are under contract to make these fields available to these leagues. If they were to close the fields for an extended period of time it would not only cost them money, but would put these leagues in a terrible scheduling situation. So, don’t be surprised when you head out for your annual “Dallas Cup Extended Lunch/Sick Days Rite of Spring” and you don’t have sweet green grass to sit upon. 5 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
I find this funny. Fields can handle only so much use. Money, grubbing idiots!
With Dallas Cup coming up they will only get worse. I don’t know the specifics but obviously rotation and pull field from use annual are key. Is there a plan? I hope so.
Mr. Toma, Paging Mr. George Toma . . . Mr. Toma, please pick up the white courtesy phone . . . .
wasnt it Dick Toma?
anyway, after reffing on the fields last week, they are pretty sad. There are sand pits sporadically developed around each field and its really dry out there. The lines are worn bare from the assistant referees running up and down. Not looking too god for a miaculous 2 week recovery.
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