Cowboys cast wary eye at the Alamodome turf
By Tom Orsborn - Express-News One big tradeoff.
That's how Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton views training camp in San Antonio.
For all of the benefits the Cowboys gain from spending three weeks in the Alamo City — its proximity to Dallas, the air-conditioned Alamodome, the abundance of adoring fans — there's a negative Crayton says can't be ignored.
Practice on a turf field.
“It beats your knees up, man, wears them down,” Crayton said last month at minicamp.
Other players echoed Crayton's thoughts on returning to San Antonio, where the club also trained in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Dallas practiced outdoors last year in Oxnard, Calif., on natural grass.
“That's really the only con about San Antonio,” linebacker Bradie James said of the dome's turf.
NFL players have long held there's a serious connection between knee injuries and turf.
“There's a strong perception among the players that there is more soreness and muscle fatigue after playing on artificial surfaces,” said orthopedist Mark Drakos, sports medicine fellow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “There does seem to be a higher risk on the artificial surfaces.”
In a 2004 survey conducted by the NFL Players Association, 91.2 percent of the 1,514 players polled said they thought artificial turf would be more likely to contribute to injury than natural grass. Nearly 97 percent said they thought playing on artificial turf caused more soreness and fatigue.
“It's just part of the job,” Crayton said. “Everybody in the league has it now. You have a few natural grass fields, but, for the most part, it's field turf, because you don't have to maintain it. It's cheaper.”
The dome received a new state-of-the-art removable turf system in April. It features rubber infill and 21/4-inch tall blades with two different widths and shades of green to better mimic real grass.
Drakos, a former Harvard football player who has served as a consultant for the New York Giants on matters concerning turf and injuries, said the new field should decrease the risk of injury.
“Every evolution of (artificial turf) has gotten better, and they are getting closer and closer to the gold standard,” Drakos said. “This version more closely replicates grass.”
But that's not to discount the players' concerns. And the Cowboys do have a history of suffering knee injuries at the Alamodome.
In August 2002, former tight end/long snapper Jeff Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a blocking drill. Former receiver Terry Glenn missed all but one regular season game in 2007 after undergoing a pair of surgeries to repair injuries to his right knee, including one sustained on the fifth day of camp.
Drakos said it's imperative the Cowboys' coaches and athletic trainers monitor the players closely, especially during two-a-days.
Coach Wade Phillips has scheduled eight days of double practices — 11 if you count three days with morning walkthroughs.
Phillips typically allows players with surgically repaired knees, especially older veterans, to participate in only one of the double sessions.
“They should definitely be aware of any strain on the players' legs and adjust accordingly,” Drakos said. “I'd also make sure the turf is kept up well, meaning that it's even and brushed routinely to prevent creation of holes.”
Wearing proper shoes can also reduce the risk of injury, he said.
“Shoe-surface interaction can play a role in injury,” Drakos said. “It's not just the turf.”
James said the players will be ready for the dome's turf after the club held all of its offseason workouts at a high school stadium with artificial turf in Carrollton.
The Cowboys normally practice during the offseason on grass at team headquarters in Irving, but that field is being repaired following the collapse of the indoor training facility in May.
“Guys have gotten used to (practicing on turf), although I don't know if you can ever really get used to it,” James said. “It's just something you got to deal with. But I'd rather take that than work outdoors, where it's a million degrees.”
That's how Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton views training camp in San Antonio.
For all of the benefits the Cowboys gain from spending three weeks in the Alamo City — its proximity to Dallas, the air-conditioned Alamodome, the abundance of adoring fans — there's a negative Crayton says can't be ignored.
Practice on a turf field.
“It beats your knees up, man, wears them down,” Crayton said last month at minicamp.
Other players echoed Crayton's thoughts on returning to San Antonio, where the club also trained in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Dallas practiced outdoors last year in Oxnard, Calif., on natural grass.
“That's really the only con about San Antonio,” linebacker Bradie James said of the dome's turf.
NFL players have long held there's a serious connection between knee injuries and turf.
“There's a strong perception among the players that there is more soreness and muscle fatigue after playing on artificial surfaces,” said orthopedist Mark Drakos, sports medicine fellow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “There does seem to be a higher risk on the artificial surfaces.”
In a 2004 survey conducted by the NFL Players Association, 91.2 percent of the 1,514 players polled said they thought artificial turf would be more likely to contribute to injury than natural grass. Nearly 97 percent said they thought playing on artificial turf caused more soreness and fatigue.
“It's just part of the job,” Crayton said. “Everybody in the league has it now. You have a few natural grass fields, but, for the most part, it's field turf, because you don't have to maintain it. It's cheaper.”
The dome received a new state-of-the-art removable turf system in April. It features rubber infill and 21/4-inch tall blades with two different widths and shades of green to better mimic real grass.
Drakos, a former Harvard football player who has served as a consultant for the New York Giants on matters concerning turf and injuries, said the new field should decrease the risk of injury.
“Every evolution of (artificial turf) has gotten better, and they are getting closer and closer to the gold standard,” Drakos said. “This version more closely replicates grass.”
But that's not to discount the players' concerns. And the Cowboys do have a history of suffering knee injuries at the Alamodome.
In August 2002, former tight end/long snapper Jeff Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a blocking drill. Former receiver Terry Glenn missed all but one regular season game in 2007 after undergoing a pair of surgeries to repair injuries to his right knee, including one sustained on the fifth day of camp.
Drakos said it's imperative the Cowboys' coaches and athletic trainers monitor the players closely, especially during two-a-days.
Coach Wade Phillips has scheduled eight days of double practices — 11 if you count three days with morning walkthroughs.
Phillips typically allows players with surgically repaired knees, especially older veterans, to participate in only one of the double sessions.
“They should definitely be aware of any strain on the players' legs and adjust accordingly,” Drakos said. “I'd also make sure the turf is kept up well, meaning that it's even and brushed routinely to prevent creation of holes.”
Wearing proper shoes can also reduce the risk of injury, he said.
“Shoe-surface interaction can play a role in injury,” Drakos said. “It's not just the turf.”
James said the players will be ready for the dome's turf after the club held all of its offseason workouts at a high school stadium with artificial turf in Carrollton.
The Cowboys normally practice during the offseason on grass at team headquarters in Irving, but that field is being repaired following the collapse of the indoor training facility in May.
“Guys have gotten used to (practicing on turf), although I don't know if you can ever really get used to it,” James said. “It's just something you got to deal with. But I'd rather take that than work outdoors, where it's a million degrees.”
posted by The Gryphon at 6:34 PM
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