NEWSLETTER
An underrated NFL rivalry is the one featuring the Chicago Bears and city of Chicago.
To be more specific, I’m talking about the Bears-Chicago Park District rivalry. This one has been a little rough over the years. And that the city hasn’t done more to improve or modernize Soldier Field is among the reasons why the franchise is on the cusp of leaving for the suburbs. It’s a bummer. But it is also a reality of this situation.
And yet, there are times the two can play nice and work together. Which, all things considered, is always nice to see.
In fact, it’s a little bit of teamwork between the two entities that led the city to re-sodding the Soldier Field turf with a new Bermuda grass system. Moreover, the request to do so came straight from the top. In a nice bit of reporting by WGN’s Jarrett Payton, it is learned that it was Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus who put in the request to dump Kentucky bluegrass in favor of the Bermuda grass strain.
“[T]his year, Matt Eberflus did something no Bears coach has ever done before. He asked to switch up the sod.
‘Totally surprised,’ remarked Soldier Field general manager Tim LeFevour.
So, the Kentucky bluegrass is out and Bermuda grass is in, which Eberflus saw firsthand on the practice field in Indianapolis.”
If you were curious to how much power Eberflus holds as a first-year head coach, here’s your sign. Getting a request OK’d for new grass this quickly into your tenure is impressive. Plus, it speaks volumes as to the kind of pull Eberflus has as a coach. Additionally, it shows a different type of attention to detail that we’re not all that used to after how things unraveled at the end of Matt Nagy’s time with the Bears. Sure, being particular with the type of grass the Bears play on is a bit peculiar. However, I can appreciate a coach caring about the most finite details of his team’s football experience. I can respect that.
Part of me still has concerns with how the Bermuda grass will hold up. But seeing that the Kansas City Chiefs played 12 games (regular season plus postseason) and played into January provides an example that the Bermuda strain can hold up over the course of a rigorous NFL schedule. That feels like an important data point to consider. Here’s hoping the Bears can test it to full capacity with a deep run into January of their own.
