the staff of the Ridgewood blog
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) reignited the turf vs. grass debate this week after video surfaced showing a natural grass field being installed at MetLife Stadium ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup https://www.norgesspill.com/.
The NFLPA didn’t mince words. From its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the union shared a video of the lush new sod being rolled out with a short but powerful caption:
“Looks nice 🧐… #SaferFields”
The passive-aggressive post drew attention to the long-running conflict between NFL players and the stadium’s use of artificial turf, which has been linked to higher rates of player injury.
Aaron Rodgers’ Injury Sparked Outrage
The turf at MetLife Stadium came under renewed scrutiny in 2024, when New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon just minutes into his debut game. His season-ending injury reignited player concerns about injury-prone synthetic fields, especially at a venue shared by two NFL teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
NFLPA: 92% of Players Want Grass Fields
NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell has been vocal about the players’ desire for safer playing conditions:
“It’s not rocket science,” Howell said. “Ninety-two percent of our union wants grass. That’s compelling… It’s unquestionable that our union wants to have a working condition where they play on grass.”
The union has long advocated for league-wide use of natural grass, citing studies showing it leads to fewer non-contact injuries.
FIFA Gets Grass — Why Not NFL Players?
The installation of a grass surface for FIFA’s Club World Cup, which mandates natural grass under its regulations, added fuel to the fire. The contrast was stark — if MetLife Stadium can accommodate grass for a global soccer tournament, why can’t it do the same for its own NFL athletes?
Giants Co-Owner John Mara: “We’re Not There Yet”
In response, Giants owner John Mara has held firm in his belief that natural grass isn’t yet viable for NFL football at MetLife due to:
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The high volume of events
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The challenges of back-to-back games
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New York’s harsh late-season weather
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Field wear-and-tear from hosting two NFL teams
“With the amount of events in our building… I can’t imagine what a grass field would’ve looked like on a second day,” Mara said during the 2024 NFL owners meetings.
He added that the temporary grass for soccer is a different kind of surface altogether — designed for ball bounce and aesthetics, not player impact and contact collisions.
A History of Failed Grass Experiments
Mara also referenced a failed experiment from 1999 to 2001, when MetLife attempted using natural grass trays — a system that deteriorated badly under football demands, especially in December and January.
“It was not a pretty sight,” Mara recalled. “Again, I think we can get there someday. I just am not satisfied that we’re there yet.”
Turf vs. Grass: The NFL’s Growing Dilemma
With high-profile injuries, mounting pressure from players, and now the optics of MetLife switching to grass for soccer but not for football, the issue isn’t going away.
The NFLPA’s #SaferFields campaign is likely to grow louder, especially with the clear message that player safety — and not just profitability or convenience — needs to be a priority.
When does Ridgewood’s Mayor and councilors in insist that turf is safe, it makes no sense, when it is toxic and hazardous in terms of orthopedic injuries.. How can we avoid all of these many injuries to developing kids who don’t deserve to be put in the path of danger?
#SaferFields
We all have to take a stand, like that coach who got fired, she fell on the knife, for this cause, people are scared of being ostracized by the town, but they need to not be because this is such a serious issue and unless more people speak up, the village will do whatever it wants
Scott Muller
Evan Weitz
Frank Mortimer
Siobhan Winograd
Paul Vagianos
Chuck Handy
All assholes
Don’t forget KK…!
Ha! Yes they are all huge A-holes! Funny that Chuck Handy is on the list. Hi wife Mary Lou Handy on BOE and both blab incessantly about the need for more fields. Apparently he drives people to and from the airport from Ridgewood and talks to his passengers insisting that Ridgewood needs more fields!! Who does that? Maybe they want a quiet ride and not to listen to him drone on with his nonsense. I for one would never get in his car or patronize his business!!
Nailed it. I agree with this list. In light of recent events with the Maroons soccer club, who launched a political witch hunt and fired a beloved youth soccer coach for speaking out against toxic turf because she was more concerned about children’s health then with playable hours that make the soccer club big dollars, they should be renamed the “Morons” and you may want to expand your list to include Clay Fisher and the new head of this poorly managed organization, Jim Feeney!
Add The U8 “A” team Travell moms and Alex Finston family too. for contributing to the political witch hunt.
Yes, them and the new Maroons board, working alongside the baseball board, the football board, all of them. Next field meetings should be very interesting because Amy will never ever back down to a bunch of chauvinistic men ever, get ready for a show. Knowing Amy, she’ll get a bunch of pro athletes by her side, along with the scientists.
Let’s not forget the Maroons club for just firing a beloved coach who has been there for almost 2 decades for standing up against the turf. These people have no shame.
So FIFA is concerned about the well being of the players and requires grass over turf but our council and leaders of the RBSA and Maroons are more concerned with saving face/getting a turf field at all costs.
Why don’t we look to the experts to show us the way, instead of being controlled by Vagianos, Winograd, Weitz and Mortimer who love turf. why would we trust these people who I would not trust to tell me the weather forecast let alone something as serious as the material children play on day after day that relates to health and safety. After all, Vagianos and his puppets got voted into office because of the promises he made to the Ridgewood sports organizations like RBSA, Maroons soccer, Lacrosse and a few other groups. These sports groups do not give a rat’s ass if your kid gets injured or develops something from the PFAS in turf. Oh well, here’s a tissue and sorry for your loss.
You bellends need to find a hobby! Grab a stuffed animal to slap or something. Slandering good folk in this town over a highway-side waste of space? Shame. I tune into this every now and again for laughs (at you all) but the goofiness of it all has run its course. These incessant charmin-soft posts every day are beyond dull, find a new slant I beg of yous! Your weaponized attention to the wrong side of things can be averted to more important issues!!
James Bellends, you are so funny! Your summation of the Schedler project is really interesting. You seem to be a pseudo intellectual who just drifts back and forth and occasionally reads the blog when it strikes your fancy but I would be willing to bet you read it everyday like everyone else. It is too bad that you don’t realize that the Mayor and our council and Village Manager have weaponized this project and your tax dollars substantially and will continue to do so. Maybe you can reach for some Charmin to wipe the tears from your eyes when you see next year’s tax bill (think no money from valley and sports complexes are expensive).
“highway-side waste of space” says it all.
James Bellends, this is the most important project that Vagianos and his puppets have focused on, that will cost the most amount of money so taxes are important when these monies go to fund and support sports organizations that only have their own interests in mind. Remember Winograd important words when talking about Ridgewood were,”welcome to expensive” so residents are wondering what is going on and the blog provides some very important content in this regard. Inquiring minds still want to know whether anyone is taking kick backs related to turf, Why are they pushing so hard (this includes Keith Kazmark too). Remember, not that long ago, the Mayor gave a $47,000.00 loan to his friend who heads up Parks & Rec and has supported this project publicly. hmmmm. They have not been subtle about it and just like the Feed the front lines monies that will never be accounted for, do we really trust anything that this mayor and council has to say or does?
And to think that the Maroons fired Coach Amy for bringing up very serious concerns, speaking out for the kids, and everyone honestly in general, unbelievable.
It is Saturday and it is raining out today. Finston’s and U8 Travel mommies may have to take the kiddies to the mall as there may be no organized sports!