SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience about the dangers of artificial turf and
why a natural playing surface is better. INTRODUCTION: Down! Seeeeet! Hut! Hut!
The ball is snapped and you race down the field, focusing on one thing only.
Ten…twelve…fifteen yards, fake left, cut right. “No fear” you say to
yourself as you dance through the heart of the defense. Now the ball is thrown,
caught, and you turn upfield. Running like a scared rabbit, zigzagging all over
the field, making people miss, you only have one man left to beat. Planting your
right leg for the cut that will turn this move into a Sportscenter moment, your
body shifts. But something goes wrong. From your knee up you do what you want,
leaning and turning, but your foot has caught the turf and your leg stays
planted. With a sickening pop that anyone within ten yards of you can hear, you
drop as if you were shot. In that moment you realize that it is all over. You
just obliterated your knee. I. Why choose turf? A. Originally thought to be
cheaper. 1 million dollars and a life of about 10 years B. Less maintenance- no
reseeding, mowing, etc. II. Invention of Astroturf A. Astroturf was originally
intended to be used for playgrounds in inner city schools, but it was found to
be too expensive to fit into most school budgets 1. Turned to sports stadiums
after failure to be used in schools INTERNAL SUMMARY: Having provided you with
some background on artificial turf ,I will explain how the “benefits’
aren’t really beneficial and how grass fields are better II. Cheaper?? A. The
1 million dollars covered the installation, and owners originally thought this
to be a bargain because they would save on maintenance B. Includes more than
just vacuuming., steaming, chemicals, re-painting C. Grass costs less to put in,
but more on the upkeep, reseeding, etc. about 300,000 for a good field and
anywhere from 30-100 thousand a year to keep it III. Dangerous Environment A.
Turf has caused more injuries than natural grass.. B. NFL studies show that turf
fields average one more serious injury a year than natural grass. C. Turf also
causes more small injuries, rugburns, etc.. 1. ground and grass in a ball, brick
and sponge D. Serious debilitating injuries-Wendell Davis, Merril Hoge E. Bigger
stronger faster players F=MV IV. Latest Developments A. Many stadiums have
switched in the past 10-15 years, Soldier Field, KC, Tampa, Foxboro, most
recently Meadowlands B. Baltimore is going with a new type of turf, natural
grass seeded with an artificial fabric woven in to protect the roots with a
heating system underground to protect the grass and make it so they can grow it
all year round. Softest, plushest field voted in 97 for the NFL Conclusion:
Astroturf was an idea that had a totally different purpose than it does now and
currently causes a large number of injuries, simple injuries that could be
avoided merely by playing on natural surfaces. Besides, when was the last time
you went to the ball park, closed your eyes, and let the scent of freshly
vacuumed carpet fill your nose.