AstroTurf Statement Regarding AP Story

An article published on Dec. 18 by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press has again raised questions about the safety of synthetic turf. The story focuses on nylon turf fibers, and mirrors an identical scenario that played out in New Jersey over the spring and summer which prompted an inquiry by the U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. On July 31, the CPSC concluded that based on materials testing and forensic toxicology, synthetic turf – including the nylon variety in question – poses no risk to human health under any reasonable circumstance. Yesterday’s article did not mention the CPSC report. All AstroTurf system fibers, including nylon RootZone® fibers, have been tested and evaluated for safety and pose no risk to the health of children or adults.


Every day throughout the U.S., children and youth, as well as collegiate and professional athletes, play football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and other sports on artificial turf. Parents, coaches and kids alike deserve to be fully informed about the research and science behind the safety of the materials used in these fields to avoid causing undue alarm among the many families whose children use them with regularity.

Please watch the video from our press conference on this issue in New York earlier this year

Attached below are links to the:

• CPSC statement


• CPSC report


• Statement from the Synthetic Turf Council


• Contents of the AstroTurf press conference held in May, 2008

Birdville ISD Superintendent addresses high lead levels in stadium’s turf

This week, many media outlets began reporting a story of high levels of lead found in the AstroPlay field turf at the Fine Arts/Athletics Complex (FAAC). Though the basis of the story is true, I want to take this opportunity to share with you additional information the media did not report.

BISD student-athletes consider themselves lucky when faced the the alternative hazards associated with real grass fields.

I want to begin by assuring you that individuals who have played on the field at the FAAC are not and have not been in danger of lead poisoning.

In recent laboratory tests, the district learned a portion of the field under the main playing surface contained lead levels above those set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on a child ingesting soil. Unfortunately, the EPA has not established any regulations or guidelines for artificial turf, so the testing company, TraceAnalysis, Inc., had to speculate on the levels. The report said, "Ingestion of a turf field does not occur at the rate of soil ingestion ..."

"Synthetic turf is, and has always been safe," Dr. Blair Leftwich, TraceAnalysis, Inc. director, shared with BISD. "In over 40 years of EPA oversight and OSHA regulated manufacturing, there is no scientific or medical evidence that synthetic turf poses a human health or environmental risk from lead." He also stated that with no EPA standards for synthetic turf, any conclusions on health risks are merely speculative.

Dr. David Black, forensic toxicologist with Aegis Sciences Corp., said, "a 50 pound child would have to ingest over 100 pounds of synthetic turf to be at risk of absorbing enough lead to equal the minimum threshold of elevated blood lead."

Dr. Davis Lee, Ph.D., Executive in Residence at the Georgia, Institute of Technology School of Polymer, Textile, and Fiber Engineering, said, "If a green synthetic turf field containing lead chromate is still green, then the lead chromate is still in the yarn. If the Chrome Yellow pigment had leached out, the field would likely be blue.'

We take this matter very seriously, and the safety of our students is our number one priority. Based on the information provided to the district, we do not believe there is any current risk since the lead levels in the uppermost fibers, the portion of the field that individuals are in contact, are well within acceptable range.

"Studies to date are insufficient to make a determination of human health effects," TraceAnalysis reported. In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said, "There is no indication that exposure to the turf could pose any harm. We are not recommending at all, communities shut down their playing fields."

BISD will continue to monitor the turf and will be proactive in addressing any issues associated with the continued safety for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Waddell



Link

McCallie Installing Artificial Turf At Spears Stadium

Artificial turf is coming to The McCallie School, but it won't be blue as in Boise State blue."We are the Big Blue here at McCallie, but the turf will look as close to natural grass as possible," McCallie athletic director Bubba Simmons said Friday.

McCallie plans to install AstroTurf's GameDay 3D Grass on the playing field at Spears Stadium. The GameDay 3D was recently ranked the closest to grass in a study at Michigan State University.

It has also received a two-star certification by FIFA Soccer.Construction crews are already taking topsoil from the field and moving it to the practice field west of the stadium to alleviate drainage problems there.

"It's supposed to go from the mud hole it is now to a finished product by February and ready for all our spring sports," Simmons said. "We simply needed a multi-purpose facility and the turf made sense."

It will make the field available for everybody from our sports teams to dorm competitions to summer camps. Spears Stadium is the focal point on campus and this will allow us to use it for a lot more of our needs."

In a recent article about the new turf at Joplin (Mo.) High School, Joplin Globe Executive Sports Editor Lance Ogden wrote, "The GameDay Grass Astro Turf 3D surface looks and feels like real grass, and the base under the synthetic turf appears to be good, old-fashioned soil.''"We've been to look at fields where this is installed," Simmons said.

"We feel this will be a great playing surface that will meet our multi-purpose needs."The football coaches and athletic directors we have talked to are extremely pleased with the surface and its durability. They also tell us that they are averaging fewer injuries as well, from minor to major."

The track will remain around the field at Spears Stadium."We just think the artificial turf enhances all our sports needs," Simmons said. "We are really excited and enthusiastic about it."

Reebok and GeneralSports Venue/AstroTurf Join Forces for First-Ever R&D Effort Focused on Footwear-Surface Interaction

Industry Leaders Seek Performance and Safety Gains for All Athletes

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Reebok and GeneralSports Venue, the exclusive U.S. licensee of the AstroTurf® brand of synthetic sports turf products, announced today that they are joining forces to study the interaction between athletic footwear and field surfaces for athletes ranging from professionals to amateurs.

The goal of the research collaboration is to help improve athlete performance and help reduce injury risk through the development of better shoes and synthetic sports surfaces. Reebok will spearhead footwear product development while GSV/AstroTurf will focus on synthetic sports turf. The AstroTurf brand was selected based on the advantages of its vertically-integrated manufacturing assets, including the scientific research, design and engineering used to produce sports turf that is among the most technologically advanced in the world.

“GSV/AstroTurf is clearly the leading innovator in synthetic turf, making them our first choice for this unique partnership,” said Don Gibadlo, Vice President of Cleated Footwear at Reebok.

“Instead of studying the interface between the cleats and surfaces already in use, we will be the first to test these products in the conceptual phase, helping us produce innovations that will enhance performance and safety for athletes in field sports at all levels around the world.”
The research effort will analyze footwear-surface interactions, on both synthetic turf and natural grass, for an evolving range of athletic dynamics and an array of athlete types, from NFL linebackers to NCAA soccer players and Little League outfielders.

“As a global leader in performance athletic footwear and the official supplier to several of the world’s elite professional sports leagues, Reebok is the ideal R&D partner,” said Chris Plunket, Senior Vice President of Operations for GSV/AstroTurf. “As industry leaders, it is our shared responsibility to improve both performance and safety, the top priorities of athletes, coaches and management at every level, by leveraging our collective expertise to put the products of the future on a fast track to the marketplace.”

The research will be conducted at various venues nationwide, including on a GameDay Grass 3D™ surface from AstroTurf recently installed at Reebok’s global headquarters in Canton, Mass., with state-of-the art equipment for mechanical and biomechanical testing. Until now, most shoe-surface interaction studies have used cleats and surfaces already on the market, focusing almost exclusively on the incidence of injuries as opposed to performance enhancement.

Reebok and GSV/AstroTurf

Lake Orion advances to Michigan State Championship Game

Lake Orion Dragons shutout Fordson 38-0 last Friday for the opportunity to face Rockford at Ford Field in the Michigan Division 1 Championship Game. Lake Orion will look to avenge their only loss this season, which was the opening game to Rockford.

Lake Orion’s second possession started after a Fordson fumble, recovered by Jared Lee at the Lake Orion 44. Nine plays later, Branden Oakes dove into the end zone from two yards away. Oakes added a 44-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter for a 21-0 Dragon lead at halftime.

The Dragons (12-1) scored in the second half on a three-yard run by Daniel Ney, a 26-yard field goal by Jeffrey Heath, and a 21-yard touchdown run by Marques Stevenson. Heath made all four extra-point kicks.

“We attacked, played aggressive,” said Lake Orion coach Chris Bell about the early lead. “For us to come out, shut them down and keep Fordson (12-1) off the board — I think that says a lot about our kids.

“Someone asked me Week 1 if I’d like to see Rockford again,” Bell added. “And I said I’d love to because that would mean we’re doing something good.”

Lake Orion High School has played their home games on GameDay Grass XPe from AstroTurf since 2005. The 90,325 sf GameDay Grass surface at Dragon Stadium is right next to another 92,000 sf GameDay Grass XPe soccer field.

Lake Orion High School is playing for its 1st State Championship in football and GSV/AstroTurf wishes the Dragons the best of luck!

Greeneville to host TSSAA Final Four on GameDay Grass 3D from AstroTurf

Greeneville High School advances to the Final Four of the TSSAA Playoffs after an exciting 35-28 double overtime win over the Sullivan South Rebels at Burley Stadium on Friday, November 21. Greeneville (11-2) will host the Maryville Rebels (13-0) on Friday, November 28, 2008, at 7:00 PM at Burley Stadium in Greeneville. It will be the second Final Four appearance for GHS, with the other coming in 2000, when Greeneville travelled to Maryville before losing 12-28.

Earlier this year, GameDay Grass 3D was installed at Burley Stadium. An advanced hybrid system which according to third party testing most closely replicates natural grass, GameDay Grass 3D utilizes a proprietary technology called Root Zone™, a simulated thatch layer at the base of the turf system that replicates the underlayer of root fibers and thatch found in natural grass. The density of the RootZone, providing stability, cushion and consistent performance over time, means that less granulated rubber infill is required, reducing the problems related to infill migration and “fly-out.”

Best of luck to the Greene Devils!

Learn more about Greeneville High School Football

Booker T. Washington High School routs Gulf Coast in FHSAA Class 4A Playoff game on GameDay Grass 3D

Torrence Moise completed 13 of 15 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns for Booker T. Washington as they beat Gulf Coast 55-32 in front of a crowd of 500 at Milander Stadium.

''When he's clicking, the offense's clicking,'' Booker T. Washington coach Earl Tillman Jr. said.
Booker T. totaled 429 yards on offense and advanced to play district runner-up Hallandale, which defeated Naples Barron Collier.

Naples Gulf Coast finished its season 7-4. Gulf Coast quarterback Jeff Schmidt passed for 211 yards, and rushed for 75 and two touchdowns. Shawn Normil led Gulf Coast with 100 rushing yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.

Gulf Coast totaled 406 yards on offense, but that didn't bother Tillman. His team was hampered by injuries, and freshmen and sophomores filled in.

''We tried to give all the kids and opportunity to play and played a lot of young guys so they can get some experience, especially during post season play,'' Tillman said.

Dwight Hopkins lead Booker T. Washington rushing with four carries for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Last season, Gulf Coast lost 49-0 to Booker T. But on Friday, it played tough enough to take an early lead. With Gulf Coast leading 7-0, Moise led Booker T. to touchdowns on the first five drives of the first half.

Booker T. tied the score with 7:32 left in the first half on Moise's 1-yard run. 6. Freshman kicker Angel McBoyle hit the first of seven extra points to make the score 7-7.

Booker T. took the lead to stay when Moise capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar to make the score 14-10 with 1:08 left in the quarter.
Booker T. scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 35-10 lead at the half.

Just seven seconds after the start of the second quarter, Booker T. defensive end Lynden Trail batted a pass by Schmidt, intercepted it and returned the ball to Gulf Coast's 4. Eduardo Clements scored on the next play to make the score 21-10 with 11:48 in the second.

Booker T.'s Willie Williams made the score 28-10 when he capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Moise threw his second touchdown pass, a 3-yarder, to give Booker T. a 35-10 lead.

Gulf Coast put up 22 points in the second half to make it interesting, but Booker T quarterback Jeremiah Hay completed 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards, including a touchdown pass Ricky Delancy that made the score 42-10.

Tony Gallon made it 48-24 with an 18-yard touchdown run with 5:24 left in the fourth. Hopkins' 61-yard touchdown run made the score 55-32.

Dawson's 56-yard FG the difference for Browns after Lindell's miss on MNF

Phil Dawson wasn't about to quit during Cleveland's latest fourth-quarter meltdown. Turned out, neither did the rest of the Browns.

With a confident nod to coach Romeo Crennel, Dawson went out and calmly hit a career-long 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left that sent Cleveland to a 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night

Dawson's fifth field goal of the game capped a wild finish. The teams traded leads during a 46-second span in the final 2 1/2 minutes -- after the Browns appeared ready to squander a 13-point lead for the third straight week. And the game wasn't decided until Buffalo's Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 38 seconds remaining, allowing Cleveland to run out the clock.

Suddenly, the Browns (4-6) have something to feel good about after they were on the verge of unraveling. Running back Jamal Lewis even questioned whether his teammates had quit during a 34-30 loss to Denver on Nov. 6.

"We got tired of what happened the previous two weeks, getting a lead and losing it in the fourth quarter," receiver Braylon Edwards said. "As a team, we rallied. We came together when we were supposed to and made the plays necessary to win."

Brady Quinn earned his first win in the second career start for the 2007 first-round draft pick. And the Browns' once porous defense -- which allowed 993 yards of offense in its previous two games combined -- held the Bills to 334 yards while generating four turnovers.

"You can't say enough," Crennel said. "The guys hung in there. They played as a team, and it was good enough on this night."

Give Crennel credit, too. Without hesitation, he made the decision to send Dawson out after the Browns' seven-play, 28-yard drive stalled at the Bills 39 after Edwards couldn't hold onto Quinn's pass at the right sideline on third-and-10.

"On the spur of the moment, you've got to be confident," Dawson said.

NFL.com Video Highlights

"So as soon as we threw the incomplete pass on third down, I was ready to go. I gave Romeo a nod, and he had the confidence to send me out there."

It was a better ending for Dawson, too. He missed a potential game-tying 54-yard field goal in the final minute of a 14-11 loss at Washington on Oct. 19.

It's the Bills (5-5) who now face questions about unraveling. They've lost four straight -- their longest skid since 2005 -- and five of six, looking nothing like the upstart team that opened the season 4-0.

Much of the blame for this loss falls on the shoulders of quarterback Trent Edwards, who threw three interceptions on his first four possessions, putting the Bills in a deep hole.

"It's frustrating right now. I don't really have any good answers," he said. "I'm frustrated with myself and the way I performed."

The miscues -- two poor reads and a pass tipped by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers at the line of scrimmage -- were an extension of the troubles Edwards had in his previous three games. Over a 10-quarter span, including the first quarter against Cleveland, he threw eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and gave up a safety.

Lindell took the loss much harder. He was emotionally upset and dejected as he spoke with reporters.

"Yeah, you have to make it. It's ridiculous," said Lindell, who was good from 26 and 31 yards. "I missed my line. You have to make those."

Suddenly, the Bills' chances of ending their eight-year playoff drought are in jeopardy. The team has fallen from first in the AFC East to last in the span of a month. And so much for the poise and confidence the team showed in securing three consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks earlier this season.

"It's not where we want to be, obviously," coach Dick Jauron said. "It doesn't feel like a free-fall, at least not to me. I can tell you, being around them, they hurt."

The loss spoiled a breakout game for running back Marshawn Lynch, who had a season-best 119 yards rushing and added a team-leading 58 yards receiving, including an 18-yard touchdown. Rookie Leodis McKelvin also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, one play after Cleveland's Jerome Harrison scored on a 72-yard run that put the Browns up 23-13 to open the fourth quarter.

Josh Cribbs also scored on a 2-yard run for the Browns, and Edwards had 104 yards receiving.
"I can't say enough for this being a big win for our team," Quinn said. "We ended up winning in the end. It wasn't the way we wanted to, but a win is a win."

FHSAA Playoff Game to be played on GameDay Grass 3D

The Gulf Coast High School football team's first-round Class 4A playoff game against Miami-Washington on Nov. 21 will be played at Milander Stadium in Hialeah.

The site was released on the Florida High School Athletic Association site on Tuesday. Because not every high school in Miami has its own football stadium, games are usually rotated among multiple sites.

The game has a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Washington beat Gulf Coast, 49-0, in the first round en route to the state championship last year.

Ted Hendricks Stadium was the first installation of GameDay Grass 3D. Installed in 2007, Ted Hendricks Stadium hosts located in the heart of Hialeah, plays host to over 20 high school Football games, the Copa Latina Soccer Tournament, as well as, numerous special events throughout the year.

AstroTurf pays off for BCS Top 25

Six of the Top 25 teams in this weeks BCS Rankings practice or play on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

Leading the way is #1 Alabama (10-0), who practice indoor on their GameDay Grass field in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

#3 Texas (9-1) practices on their only synthetic football field at the Indoor Practice facility or "The Bubble" as the players call it.

#11 Ohio State (8-2) practices on a full-size AstroTurf GameDay Grass field in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

#15 Michigan State (9-2) practices on their GameDay Grass field indoors at the Duffy Daugherty Football Building across from Spartan Stadium.

#19 Florida State (7-2) practices on their only synthetic football field, which is marked identically to Doak Campbell Stadium.

#25 South Carolina (7-3) practices on their only synthetic football field, their GameDay Grass XPe field located in the USC Indoor Facility.

Undefeated Alabama clinches berth in SEC Championship Game

No. 1 Alabama (10-0, 6-0) got three interceptions from Rashad Johnson and a 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime by John Parker Wilson Saturday to win 27-21 over No. 15 LSU (6-3, 3-3) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

The win clinches Alabama's first SEC Western Division title since 1999 and secures a berth in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.

Since 2002, the only synthetic turf the Crimson Tide have practiced on is AstroTurf GameDay Grass. The 110 yard field is located in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, which is fully heated and air- conditioned, allowing the Tide unlimited access no matter what the conditions are outside.

UTEP prepares for in-state rival Rice

UTEP (3-4, 3-1 C-USA) battles Rice (5-3, 4-1 C-USA) on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. MDT. The Miners lost at Tulsa, 77-35, in their last action on Oct. 18. Rice is coming off a 42-17 demolition of Tulane last weekend in New Orleans. The Owls are ninth in the country in passing offense (308.3 ypg), 10th in scoring offense (40.1 ppg) and turnover margin (1.13), and 15th in passing efficiency (154.07).

UTEP is 4-3 following off weeks under fifth-year head coach Mike Price, but 0-3 since 2006. This is the Miners' second bye week of the season. They lost to New Mexico State, 34-33, coming off a bye week on Sept. 20.

UTEP will play five games in the month of November for the first time since 2003 and only the second time since 1952. The Miners also had five November games in 1919, 1920, 1929, 1941, 1946 and 1952. UTEP is 5-22 in November since 2001 and has gone winless in the month in four of the last seven years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007).

The Miners are 5-10 in November under Price with a current six-game losing streak. UTEP's last victory in November was a 36-17 triumph at UAB on Nov. 10, 2006.

UTEP will need to win three of five games in November to be bowl eligible. Following the Rice game, the Miners will play at Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 8 and host SMU on Nov. 15 before capping the regular season slate with road games at Houston (Nov. 22) and East Carolina (Nov. 28).

Since 2001, the Miners have played their home games at the Sun Bowl on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

AstroTurf official sponsor of the 1st Annual David Wright Topps Camp

AstroTurf is an official sponsor of the 1st Annual Topps Camp with New York Mets 3rd Baseman David Wright on November 1, 2008 at Hofstra University.

The camp is the second in a series of Topps most recent business venture the Topps Camp program. For more information about this camp and future camps Topps is producing and for registration please visit their website at http://www.toppscamp.com/ or call the toll free hotline at 1.877.805.0660.

Bainbridge Burned on Its New Turf in 37-14 Loss

Playing its first five games on the season on the road, Bainbridge's football team made its home debut Friday night on a newly-installed turf field.

Bainbridge's opponent — Metro League powerhouse O'Dea — sure liked the Spartans' new digs.
Irish quarterback Gabe Lee passed for 178 yards and four touchdowns as O'Dea claimed a 37-14 victory to spoil Bainbridge's homecoming.

"It's nice," Bainbridge coach Andy Grimm said of his team's synthetic surface. "I wish we would have competed better and made less mistakes."

Known for its power-running game, O'Dea (5-1, 3-0) took to the air early and often as Bainbridge (3-3, 1-2) filled the box with defenders.

"They were playing up, blitzing a lot, so we decided to pass the ball," said Lee, who completed 9 of 12 passes for the game. "We've got a great wide receiving corps."

The Irish, who entered the game averaging 185 yards on the ground, took a 7-0 lead in the first

quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Anthony Espinoza on fourth down to cap off a 13-play, 70-yard drive.

Lee made it 20-0 by halftime. He hooked up with Miles Edwards on a juggling 42-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter, then found Cameron Welch wide open in a wheel route for another 15-yard scoring pass 42 seconds before halftime.

Lee's third touchdown pass of the night came in the third quarter when he found Edwards on a 4-yard slant, putting the Irish up 27-0.

"Against the other teams in our league, they've been able to bring it over the top," Grimm said of O'Dea's offense. "They've got the speed to get behind you."
Bainbridge, which was held to 50 yards of offense in the first half, finally got on the scoreboard three plays into the fourth quarter when Alex Johnson ran the ball up the gut for a 6-yard touchdown.

But Lee would strike again for the Irish midway through the fourth, hitting Chandler Gayton for a 37-yard score following a Bainbridge fumble.

Johnson, who finished with 17 carries for 59 yards, added another 6-yard touchdown late in the quarter. But the Irish victory was secure.

Grimm said his team competed hard, but had a difficult time matching up physically against an O'Dea team featuring massive linemen Danny Kistler (6-8, 318 pounds), Ben Riva (6-6, 272) and Grant Enger (6-7, 244).

"It gets tough," Grimm said. "You've got 300-plus pound guys dropping on you every play."
Bainbridge's coach said his team faces must-win league games against Lakeside and Bishop Blanchet the next two weeks.

"If we want to play a meaningful playoff game," Grimm said, "then we've got to run the table in those two."

This week on AstroTurf GameDay Grass

Saturday, October 11th (All times EST)

12:00pm - Butler at

12:00pm - Juanita at

12:30pm - Colorado at #16 on

6:00pm - Bowling Green at

7:00pm - #25 Ball State at

9:05pm - Tulane at

Camels savor that winning feeling

Luke Decock, Staff Writer

News & Observer

BUIES CREEK - Everything that happens to Campbell's football team this fall is a first anyway, but when Milton Brown walked into his 9 a.m. Monday business law class on Sept. 29, he was Campbell's first football star.

Brown's game-winning touchdown on an interception return -- his second TD and third interception of the game -- sealed a 36-27 win over Carthage (Wis.) College two days earlier, Campbell's first football win in 58 years.

Brown walked into class a hero, suddenly the star of a team that barely existed a year earlier. His whole day went like that.

"Even my piano teacher said, 'When I first met you, I knew you played football, but I didn't know you were a superstar like that,' " Brown said.

A week later, the Camels were spanked 42-0 at Dayton, a reality check if there ever was one, but the swing in emotions didn't seem to affect the Campbell players, who regarded it with a little more nonchalance than most of their college football peers.

They're focused on a bigger goal. None of them came to Campbell to win right away. That they did, after eight weeks of practice, was a huge bonus that made all the "we're part of something bigger" talk more than just talk.

"It was great to have that win for Campbell," said fullback Jordan Cramer, who played at Wake Forest-Rolesville. "We're adding brick by brick to the program, and that was one of the biggest bricks we put down."

The football team talks a lot about building, and that's certainly the case for Campbell athletics in general. The football stadium is more than half- finished, with a shiny new fieldhouse for the team and bleachers around half of the field.

On the other side of campus, a new basketball arena -- more than three times the size of the old one, which was the second-smallest in Division I with 947 seats -- is now open for business.
Campbell has always punched above its weight athletically, from the basketball team to the golf-management program, and the football team will have to meet the same high standards, as a non-scholarship program with modest means. So far, the Camels are 1-5. Saturday's home game against Butler will be the first in Buies Creek since the win over Carthage.

"There's always the frustration of losing, but you can't focus on the losses too much," said Paul Constantine, a wide receiver who played at Enloe last year. "I hate when everybody says we're a new team. That's not a fall-back. That can't be our excuse."

For players like Andy Johnson, an offensive lineman from Smithfield, the win was a long time coming. He was a member of Campbell's first recruiting class last fall, a group that practiced every week as if a game was coming while the first game was still a year away.

With the football facilities still being built, they changed in an old laundry room. Now, they dress in a state-of-the-art locker room and practice on a top-of-the-line artificial turf field. A win was the only thing missing.

"Everything we've done here has been a first," Campbell coach Dale Steele said. "When you get an opportunity to get that first win, that's a little bigger first than the first scrimmage or the first practice or any of those things."

When the team got back to campus after an 11-hour journey from Wisconsin -- beginning with a 2:30 a.m. wake-up call, four hours after the game ended -- Brown wasn't the only player singled out in class. The university president showed up for the football team's breakfast meeting.

"People knew we were football players, but it was a whole different level once we finally won a game," Johnson said. "People recognize you, just walking down the hallway, and stop and talk to you."

At some levels of football, wins are taken for granted or treated like a birthright. For Campbell, one win meant everything.

Obama wows Asheville crowd on AstroTurf GameDay Grass XPe

Sen. Barack Obama told 28,000 people gathered in and around Asheville High School Memorial Stadium that his proposals would ensure affordable health care for all Americans.

Speaking for 40 minutes while in Asheville for debate rehearsal Sunday afternoon, Obama sought to tie health care problems to the broader economic slowdown and the collapse of Wall Street titans.

Asheville police said the crowd numbered 22,000 inside the stadium and 6,000 more along the perimeter.

The rally was held on GameDay Grass XPe at Asheville High School. A natural-looking turf that has set new standards for durability and performance in a polyethylene-based infill system, GameDay Grass XPe features parallel fibrillated slit film polyethylene fiber technology. Installed in 2005, the 99,049 square foot field was built for extended use and various sports and events, ranging from football or soccer games, physical education classes, to now major political rallies.

#2 Alabama prepares for undefeated Kentucky

The University of Alabama football team began preparations for Saturday’s game with Kentucky on Monday afternoon with a two-hour practice.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban talked about another challenging Southeastern Conference game on Saturday against another undefeated team that ranks first nationally in scoring defense and kickoff returns.

“They are maybe the best defensive team in the country,” Saban at his weekly press conference on Monday. “They are certainly first in scoring defense. They have a lot of guys back from last year’s team. They are physical, they play with toughness, and they make good sound adjustments in what they do. Obviously giving up five points a game they are hard to score on which makes you a good defensive team.

“Offensively they have done a nice job controlling the ball. Their new quarterback, (Mike) Hartline has done a good job of managing the offense, keeping them in the right place and have them doing the right things. Their offensive line is good. They have been able to run the ball effectively against everybody they have played against. They have shown the capabilities of beating good teams in beating LSU when they were No. 1 last year.

“They are very good on special teams. (Dicky) Lyons is a good punt returner and is their leading receiver and they lead the conference in kickoff returns. This is going to be a challenging game for us. It is no different than the game we just played relative to maintaining intensity in terms of your mental energy, not only in how you play the game but how you prepare to play the game and get ready to play the game.”

Alabama and Kentucky will meet this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CDT) in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports.

The Crimson Tide are one of four SEC teams to practice on GameDay Grass from AstroTurf in their indoor facilities. The Tide installed AstroTurf in 2002 at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, giving them a state-of-the-art playing surface available anytime, regardless of weather.

After a recent practice on the AstroTurf surface, Alabama QB John Parker Wilson said "I thought we had a pretty good practice, the energy was good and I think practicing inside was a plus to change it up a little bit,"

Buffalo's win gives Bills 4-0 record

The Bills, off to their best start since 1992, keep the Rams winless. St. Louis Coach Scott Linehan benches quarterback Marc Bulger in favor of 38-year-old Trent Green.

For the first time in 16 years, the Buffalo Bills are 4-0. Unlike the previous two weeks, there was no need for late-game heroics. Jabari Greer's 33-yard interception return was the go-ahead score in an 18-point fourth-quarter salvo that finished off the go-for-broke St. Louis Rams, 31-14.

After three blowout losses and amid rumors he might be fired during the team's bye week, Rams Coach Scott Linehan benched quarterback Marc Bulger in favor of 38-year-old Trent Green. Linehan had six new starters in all, four on defense. The shakeup worked for a while, with rookie receiver Donnie Avery scoring on a 37-yard pitch and the defense sacking Trent Edwards four times in the first half. The Bills' first defensive score of the year -- also Greer's first career touchdown -- came off an overthrown pass.

The Bills look to improve to 5-0 this week at Arizona, before their bye week. The Bills return home to Ralph Wilson Stadium to face the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, October 19th. The Bills play their home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium on a state-of-the-art infilled GameDay Grass system from AstroTurf. Installed in 2003, the Bills have one of the longest-lasting synthetic turf surfaces in the NFL.

Muhlenberg College moves up to #5 in the nation

The Muhlenberg football team inched up another place in the D3football.com national poll.
A 31-14 win at Union, combined with a loss by then-No. 4 St. John’s, allowed the Mules to move from No. 6 to No. 5.

Football is only the fourth sport in College history to be ranked in the top five in Division III. The others were men’s soccer (several times, most recently in 1996), softball (1991) and field hockey (1990).

Muhlenberg has won 13 consecutive regular-season games and, with a Homecoming win against Gettysburg on Saturday, will tie Dickinson (1987-88) for the second-longest streak in Centennial Conference history. McDaniel holds the CC record with 30 straight from 1997 to 1999.

The Mules return home this weekend to take on Gettysburg this Saturday at 1pm on their new AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D field at Scotty Wood Stadium.

Field hockey experiences differences on turf

By Jocelyn Syrstad
Collegian Staff Writer

As sophomore midfielder Daneen Zug passed the ball to teammate Jessica Longstreth Wednesday against Princeton, a spray of water came up from the field when her stick slid across the surface.

However, it hadn't rained in State College in several days.
The Penn State field hockey team plays on an Astroturf field, which is an artificial or synthetic turf that is water-based. Before every game, and often during halftime, the maintenance crew at AstroTurf Field turns on two giant water hoses to soak down the field before the team competes on it.

Penn State coach Char Morett said watering the field helps athletes with their footing because the surface is spongy, meaning it will give and they won't get stuck in the turf. She also said the water helps prevent the ball from skipping, making all passes possible on the field.

"It sorta gives you the best of both worlds," Morett said. "You can do good, hard passes if that's what you're looking for, or you can pace the ball down the field because it's absorbing a little bit of water. This field allows you to do both because of the water."

The Nittany Lions play on the highest quality of Astroturf available to athletics, a Grade A turf or a regulation water-based turf. This is the only type of surface major field hockey events can be played on, such as the NCAA tournament and international matches.

Since the ball is usually on the ground in field hockey games, a smooth surface is required to keep the ball rolling. On a grass or field turf surface (which contains rubber pellets), the ball will get caught up in divots making the players come over the top of it when they try to make a pass. The smoothness of the turf accelerates the pace of the game as well.

"It's a lot faster," freshman midfielder Longstreth said. "Your stick moves a lot easier meaning you can hit balls quicker."

For the majority of the Penn State team, the first turf field they saw was at the collegiate level. Junior midfielder Amy Bonenberger said unless you played on a club team or your high school team made it to the playoffs, you played on a grass field. She said some fields she played on at the high school level were terrible, sometimes even in pastures full of weeds and dirt.

Morett said another advantage of playing on an Astroturf field is the team sees less injuries than they would playing on a more uneven surface. Since there are no divots, ankle rolls and torn ACLs are rarely seen.

However, the Lions said taking a fall is not as easy on turf as it is on grass. Bonenberger said when she or a teammate gets up from falling, it is not unlikely to find turf burns which are similar to rug burns. She said the burns sometimes sting, and the trainers have a special cream they put on the athletes' wounds before they bandage them up.

"Me and one other player have to wear knee pads on our knees because our turf burns keep reopening," Bonenberger said. "You can't play if you're bleeding, so we have to cover up our burns so we can still play."

The Lions aren't the only ones who are impressed with AstroTurf Field. Bob Hudzik, the Director of Outdoor Facilities, enjoys the little maintenance the field requires.

He said his department only needs to paint the field hockey lines once or twice a year, monitor the irrigation system and sweep off the field with a sweeper device on occasion.
In its fourth year of use, AstroTurf Field is "as true as you get," Morett said. In the future, she hopes to see improvements in the landscaping around the stadium, but she knows that will come with time.

"I am just grateful Penn State gave us the finances to get this high quality of surface to use," Morett said. "I mean, pros come in and they go, 'This is a gorgeous field, this is a great field.' "

New artificial turf field will greet Mendham H.S. Minutemen this football season

Fundraiser seeks $275K to pay off Mendham field

By Meghan Van Dyk
Daily Record

MENDHAM -- The West Morris Mendham High School Minutemen will kick off the fall season on a new artificial turf field, immediately followed by a walk-a-thon to help fund the field's remaining $275,000 balance.

The Time for Turf group already has raised more than $525,000 toward the field and is holding two events this season to pay off the balance. The artificial turf field was installed this summer by General Sports Venue.

The first fundraiser is a walk-a-thon after the home-opener on Sept. 19. Participants will walk up to 10 laps around the field, donating at least $100 each. In addition, a golf outing will be held on Sept. 29 at the Rockaway River Golf Club, and supporters also can purchase engraved pavers to be placed in a walkway at the high school stadium.

Time for Turf, an organization of parents of athletes from a variety of sports, approached the West Morris Regional Board of Education about the idea of a field more than a year ago, according to Kathleen Salerno, the group's president.

"Since the school was built in the 1970s, it has grown with the population, but the land has not," Salerno said. "With all the new sports, they were running out of field space."

The school formerly had to bus the lacrosse team to practice on nearby Black River Field in Chester and rented space at an indoor sports facility in Randolph when there was inclement weather.

According to West Morris Mendham High School Athletic Director Jim Baglin, the turf will be a true "game-changer."

"The benefits are two-fold for all our sports teams," he said. "They will be able to play on the field in bad weather, and it will also give them an advantage when playing an away game on turf. It is a lot different than playing on a grass field."

Baglin said a growing number of schools in the Minutemen's league have added artificial turf fields recently, including Chatham, Morristown, Parsippany Hills and Summit.

Artificial fields require little maintenance and can last 10 to 15 years under heavy play. General Sports Venue stands behind its product in assuring that all synthetic turf fibers in their products, including those that use polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon fibers, are lead-free.

Multi-use field

The field will be used for football, field hockey, soccer and band rehearsals -- for both high school and recreational sports -- throughout the year.

West Morris Regional Board of Education President Cristen Forrester said the district was thrilled to accept the gift.

"In this fiscal climate, it would not have been possible for the district to fund the field," Forrester said. "It's great to have parents, especially on the high school level, be involved in their kids' educational and school lives."

Time for Turf originally set out to raise funds for two artificial turf fields on a $1.3 million budget, but that plan was foiled by the field's 100-year-old flood drainage system. The maintenance work increased the project cost by almost a quarter of a million dollars, so it was scaled back to one field.

The owner of General Sports Venue, Michael Dennis, who has two children in the district, offered a "very competitive bid" and allowed the field to be built before it was fully paid for so the teams could begin practicing on it in the beginning of the season, Salerno said.

Teams began using the field this week, and the freshman football team played their first game on it against Dover on Friday.

ODU Football featured in ESPN the Magazine

REDSHIRT NATION
The Old Dominion football team is practicing hard. After all, the kickoff to their next game is just over a year away.

by Eric Angevine

Old Dominion's football players enter the shiny new football offices through a set of glass doors. Each young man offers a polite greeting to the administrative personnel at the front desk as he passes through, like a tenant to a friendly doorman. The two women behind the desks play memory games, whispering to one another "He's a quarterback. Number 16, I think." As the room clears, one says aloud, "What we need is a roster with photos on it."

They laugh.

As football season starts up across the country, most teams are welcoming 20-25 new players to their rosters—the typical haul. At Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia, the FCS start-up program is made up of nearly 100% Freshmen. The whole team. A few of the 17 walk-on players, culled from the student body in open tryouts, are older, but most are fresh from high school. None have ever taken a snap at the DI level.

The Monarchs won't debut their spread offense against their first outside opponent until September 5th of 2009, when they host Chowan. They'll schedule independently before officially joining the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. This year, everyone's a redshirt.

"They're all just trying to survive," says head coach Bobby Wilder. "They don't know each other, they don't know the system, there's nobody to follow. So they're just figuring it out."

Wilder has an engaging presence and he speaks about his team with a mixture of brutal honesty of what they are now—the team has a website with the full 2009 schedule, a roster and videos of the beautiful facilities being built—and enthusiasm.

Wilder is a native New Englander, with a direct approach and unflappable demeanor dictated by his Maine upbringing. His leadership style is built upon his experiences up North, where he quarterbacked the Maine Black Bears to the championship of the now-defunct Yankee Conference, amassing over 4,000 passing yards by the time he graduated in 1987. He spent two years as a graduate assistant at Boston College before returning to his alma mater as quarterbacks coach. Wilder spent the next seventeen years at Maine (now a part of the CAA's North Division), rising to the position of associate head coach before the Monarchs came calling.

"We looked at some more experienced coaches with bigger names," admits ODU athletic director Dr. Jim Jarrett, "but my theory is that every successful head coach started as a player, then an assistant, and moved up. Somebody has to give them that chance."

Wilder's unrelenting positivity and outgoing nature may have served him as well as anything on his resume. Hired in February, 2007, he spent his first year coaching as both politician and salesman, convincing residents of this seaside city of 2 million that he was the right man for the job, and then trying to convince their sons to come play for him.

Norfolk, home of the Navy's U.S. Fleet Headquarters, is part of the vaunted Hampton Roads recruiting grounds, which annually turns out gifted Division One players in all sports. Allen Iverson and Michael Vick are the big names, but the local talent pool also produced Plaxico Burress, Alonzo Mourning, and MLB's David Wright, amongst many others.

"This area, for recruiting, is really tremendous; a nationally known area," says Wilder. "At first, I wasn't really interested in applying for a job at a start-up program, but that really piqued my interest." The school's all-in commitment to building a competitive program helped seal the deal.
Old Dominion has been without a football program since 1940, when the school was still a two-year branch campus of nearby William & Mary College. Debt and lack of interest killed the original program in its infancy, leaving venerable Foreman Field to host mostly high school games for the next several decades.

As interest grew, money was still hard to come by, and an attempt to revive football in 1987 failed. According to Dr. Jarrett, it was former president Roseanne Runte who finally solved the puzzle. "Dr. Runte pushed hard for this," he says. "She got student leaders involved, and they put through a student fee package."

With the student body behind the proposal, the university's Board of Visitors had no problem convincing other donors to contribute to what eventually became an $8 million football endowment fund. In addition, Foreman Field is undergoing a $24.8 million facilities upgrade, and the $17 million Powhatan Sports Center was built from scratch. The center houses the football offices and two fifty-yard practice fields, as well as facilities and offices for field hockey and lacrosse.

The commitment to all sports ensures that Wilder and his lion cubs won't get a free pass at Old Dominion. Monarch teams have won multiple national championships in women's basketball, sailing, tennis and field hockey. ODU's Anne Donovan earned a gold medal coaching the U.S. women's basketball team in Beijing, and alum Anna Tunnicliffe won her sailing race to earn more gold. Men's basketball is routinely atop the CAA standings. Dr. Jarrett says "We expect our teams to compete for championships and national rankings. We won't take money from established, successful sports to support football."

ODU's roots in the area are an immediate boon to recruting if a football history isn't.
Defensive End Andrew Turner grew up just down the road. "I'm from Virginia Beach, and all of the coaching staff at my high school went to ODU," he says. "Everyone really stressed that we could make history and do something special, and I was really excited about that."

That pioneering spirit will have to hold the team for some time. If this were a movie, the next year would play out in an inspirational thirty-second montage of weightlifting, sprints, studying and scrimmaging. But the coaching staff, which already includes eight position coaches plus a strength coach, and their 82 new charges will have to live every minute of it in real time. In an attempt to stave off monotony, coach Wilder has planned his schedule meticulously, as though the current season was the real deal. In addition to regular practices and academic study groups, there will be team-building functions and community events in which the Monarchs will get to know each other and their fans. There will also be simulated game weeks. "We project them into next year," says Wilder. "We choose an opponent, do scouting reports, practice for that team, and then kick off an intra-squad scrimmage at 6pm on Saturday night. It's the whole routine."
As the team takes to the practice field on an overcast day a week into the football season they all see unfolding on TV, all of that is still ahead of them. The team only has thirteen offensive plays right now, a small part of what will be a full spread offense by this time next year. They have just one defensive set down.

Special teams are limited to practicing punts and PATs in this first week of classes. Wilder watches everything closely, rarely raising his voice. He gives clear directions and claps encouragement. After an hour of drills and calesthenics with position coaches, the players run to the fifty yard line and group around the head coach. He says a few words, they rise together and huddle, right hands raised as they bark "O! D! U!"

Kickoff is only 372 days away.

AstroTurf partners again with NFL Youth Football for the NFL Play 60 Youth Football Festival in Central Park

In celebration of the 2008 NFL Kickoff, the NFL will be hosting a two day football festival in Central Park. In partnership with Nike, Nike Let Me Play, and NYC & Company, the NFL PLAY 60 Football Festival will showcase the NFL’s commitment to growing the game of football and to helping kids get active and healthy. The festival will bring 1,000 diverse middle and high school youth to Central Park to participate in high school football clinics, NFL FLAG football instructional clinics and other health and fitness activities.

The festival was held Wednesday September 3rd and Thursday September 4th. Youthwere invited in groups of 100 (boys and girls) from all five NYC boroughs to participate in hour long sessions. Current and former NFL players and Nike athletes will participate and lead each session. They will also hold an educational Q and A session at the end of each hour, where they will talk to youth about their football experiences, the importance of in-school and after school activity and developing life long healthy habits. They will also discuss the importance of empowering each other to effect change on their current school environment, and provide tips and guidance on how youth can make their school the most active and healthy.

GSV/AstroTurf statement regarding California Proposition 65

AstroTurf has taken a leadership role on the issue of lead compliance and user safety in California, just as it has over the past several months after similar concerns were raised in New Jersey. The safety of the synthetic sports turf products produced by AstroTurf is the company's foremost concern. AstroTurf has demonstrated its industry leadership by proactively developing new products that are below the most stringent standards for lead in consumer products. The Ironbound Stadium field in Newark, where questions about the material composition of the turf originated, has been replaced by a new, lead compliant AstroTurf product. On July 30, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission confirmed that AstroTurf products are safe for children, a position taken by AstroTurf and supported by overwhelming scientific evidence.

California has some of the strictest compliance standards in the U.S., and AstroTurf has worked hard to earn the confidence of the Attorney General's office and the California Center for Environmental Health. AstroTurf is committed to working with the Attorney General's office and the CEH on the issue of compliance. The lawsuit filed by the State is a procedural step toward resolving the issue. AstroTurf appreciates the acknowledgement of its good faith efforts by the CEH and looks forward to providing the citizens of California with safe, high quality synthetic sports fields for many years to come.

Rebels Continue To Works Towards Memphis

After a day off Monday, the Ole Miss football team returned to practice Tuesday afternoon as the team continues to work towards the opening game Saturday evening against Memphis.

“It was a good practice today,” Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt said. “This is the first time that we had school and practice on the same day. We never practice on the first day of school because we like to let them have that first day to be a true student. For the most part I was pretty proud of them because we had a good practice.”

Nutt went on to acknowledge that his team has been hit by the injury bug a bit this preseason, but that he is still looking for everyone to step up against Memphis.

“We’re asking a lot out of everyone, especially the ones that have to fill in for Peria (Jerry) and Greg Hardy because those are big shoes to fill,” Nutt said. “The offense also needs to step up because we are expecting them to stay on the field and take care of the ball.”

Other than the losses of Jerry and Hardy, Nutt discussed that nearly everyone else appears to be healthy heading into Saturday’s contest.

“We’re starting to get healthy now,” Nutt said. “I told the guys Sunday night that we have had all the injuries for the year and that’s all over. No one else can get hurt because we’ve had enough.”

On offense, Nutt continues to express his pleasure with junior running back Cordera Eason.

“He has been very ball-conscious and he has done it will competition,” Nutt said. “He knew he was going to get competition from some freshmen, but he hung in there and has been very mature about it.”

Nutt also addressed how much playing time can be expected from each string of offense and defense in Saturday’s game.

“It’s whoever is hot and whoever has that feel is who I am going to go with,” Nutt said. “We have told everyone that you never know when your opportunity is going to come. But when it does come, protect the ball, go play as hard as you can and just let the game happen.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is slated for 6:00 p.m. from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Since 2003, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and the attached indoor-practice facility at Ole Miss have been equipped with GameDay Grass from AstroTurf.

Burges Mustangs excited to break in new GameDay Grass field

By Aaron Bracamontes / El Paso Times

Last year, the Burges High School football team didn't have it easy. The Mustangs even had to play their home games on the road, and they finished sixth in district 1-4A with a 2-5 record, 4-6 overall.

This year, not only will there be football played at Mustang Stadium, it will be played on top of brand-new artificial turf.

The players are looking forward to using the home field advantage to its fullest potential, said senior running back Josh Ingo.

"There's a lot of motivation with the guys," he said. "They want to play on the turf."
Third-year head coach Lloyd Smith said the new turf helps the team's ever-growing positive attitude.

"We're trying to give the kids pride in being a Mustang," he said. "Their mind-set is changing and becoming more competitive."

The team is optimistic this year, despite being young, because of their growing confidence, Smith said.

"They're very coachable and upbeat kids," he said.

The team has six starters returning on each side of the ball, including Ingo (5-9, 190), who also will play defensive back, and Matt McBain, (6-3, 255), a three-year letterman and pre-season all-state selection by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.

Both Ingo and McBain earned all-district and all-city honorable mention last year.
McBain, who is also an offensive lineman, said he thinks the Mustangs will be a surprise contender this year.

"Burges always seems to be taken lightly," he said. "We're looking to change that this year."

He also knows that his all-state selection may have just put a bullseye on his uniform, but he doesn't mind.

"I'll be ready for them," he said.

The team will be young this year, but McBain said they are better than last year.

"From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, we've come a long way," he said.
The team's strength will be the defense, Smith said.

"We try to play very aggressive and get to the ball often," he said. "We want to do what we can to stop the run or limit it."

On offense, Smith said, his team will focus on smart play while controlling the clock and field possession to win games.

"We don't have that big breakaway playmaker on the team this year," he said.
Ingo will be asked to make plays at running back, but will have the advantage of McBain blocking for him. "It's the greatest feeling when I'm running behind him," he said. "I'm going to try my best and with an offensive line like mine, it won't be too hard."

Tuscola Dominates in Season Opener on new AstroTurf field

The Tuscola Mountaineers (NC) got the 2008 season off to a great start with an impressive 36-7 win over a quality East Henderson team. The offense did well tonight, showing strength in the running game. The defense also showed up well and was able to stop the speedy Michael Robinson and talented Chase Hill.

The Mountaineers win at C.E. Weatherby Stadium was their first on the new state-of-the-art GameDay Grass XPe field.

Coach Donnie Kiefer talks about the win and playing on AstroTurf GameDay Grass XPe


Tuscola Football Website

GSV and AstroTurf featured in INC Magazine

Jon Pritchett's Dream of Reviving AstroTurf Became a PR Nightmare
Should he go all out to save the brand?

By: Andrew Park
Published September 2008


In the fall of 2007, New Jersey state health officials made a troubling discovery: A playing field at a Newark park contained extremely high levels of lead. They assumed the contamination was coming from the abandoned scrap-metal yard next door. But the problem turned out to be deep in the fibers of the artificial turf covering the field. When the news broke the following spring, it set off a nationwide scare, and for tiny GeneralSports Venue, a public-relations nightmare.

The company, a five-year-old artificial-turf supplier with 42 employees, wasn't at fault. But the brand name it had just adopted was. GeneralSports had acquired an exclusive license on the name AstroTurf -- the same one used by the now-defunct company that had manufactured the Newark field almost a decade earlier -- and had spent millions of dollars to resurrect it. But now that familiar name was at the center of fears about the safety of playing fields, and GSV's big investment was suddenly at risk. "I'm a parent, and if you think about children, turf, and lead, it's pretty scary," says Jon Pritchett, the company's co-founder and CEO. "Not a whole lot more needs to be said."

Just how much more to say was, in fact, the critical question. On the one hand, it's rarely advisable for a company to keep quiet in a crisis. But no one was claiming that GSV was responsible for products made long ago by another company. So, anything it said risked drawing even more negative attention. Yet the AstroTurf name, which to many is synonymous with all brands of artificial turf, was being invoked in every story about the lead scare, often erroneously. Could GSV really stay silent while AstroTurf was trashed?

The granddaddy of fake grass was invented by Monsanto and was a household name from the moment it was rolled out in the Houston Astrodome, in 1966. The brilliant-green carpet became the surface of choice for America's new climate-controlled domed stadiums. But by the 1990s, AstroTurf started to fade. Athletes complained of injuries suffered on the abrasive, unforgiving nylon, and a softer polyethylene turf marketed by rival brand FieldTurf became the industry standard. AstroTurf changed hands twice, and in 2004, its owner filed for bankruptcy.

At the time, GSV was a bit player in the artificial-turf business. The company was formed when Pritchett, a sports marketing executive who worked in the University of South Carolina's athletic department while getting his M.B.A., hooked up with Michigan sports and entertainment entrepreneur Andy Appleby. With a business plan based on consolidating a fragmented but growing market, they raised $3 million from investors, including a New Jersey telecom executive named Michael Dennis.

But the company's brand struggled to gain traction against FieldTurf. In 2006, sensing that AstroTurf's worldwide name recognition could vault it into contention, GSV negotiated a license lasting 50 years with the brand's owner, Textile Management Associates, which continued to handle manufacturing.

Pritchett quickly set about bringing AstroTurf back, starting with an announcement in December 2006 at the ESPN Zone restaurant in New York City's Times Square. GSV rebranded its existing product line and hired a national sales force. An ad campaign emphasized the storied brand's place in sports history and its new, cushier, player-friendly surface. Pritchett even hired football great Archie Manning, father of NFL stars Peyton and Eli, to be AstroTurf's brand ambassador. By the end of 2007, sales were up 67 percent, to $25 million, and were projected to hit $40 million in 2008. With 10 percent of the market, up from less than 2 percent in 2006, AstroTurf now trailed only FieldTurf.

Then, during a March 12 staff conference call, Pritchett was notified about the lead discovery in Newark. GSV believed its current products were safe, but it couldn't vouch for AstroTurf installed by others years earlier. GSV began gathering information from industry experts as well as its own suppliers, trying to understand the depth of the problem.

But AstroTurf's troubles grew. On April 14, the New Jersey state health department announced it had tested 12 more artificial-turf fields for lead and found two with levels eight to 10 times what it considered safe. As in Newark, both were nylon fields, and both were AstroTurf. The state's top epidemiologists called for a federal investigation into the safety of artificial turf.

Media across the country picked up the story of New Jersey's toxic turf, with television footage showing workers wearing protective green suits as they tore up the field in Newark. Elsewhere, fields were padlocked, events were canceled, and school board hearings were held. "Our thinking was this could last long enough that it could do a lot of damage," says Pritchett.

GSV spent the next seven days in near-constant deliberations. At the table were Pritchett's management team and legal counsel, AstroTurf's manufacturer, and GSV's PR firm. Initially GSV had let the Synthetic Turf Council, the industry's trade association, respond publicly. But Pritchett knew that the council couldn't be expected to offer a vigorous defense of a single member's brand. For that, the company would have to step out on its own.

Yet doing so risked heightening the unwanted scrutiny on AstroTurf and making the brand an even bigger lightning rod. GSV wasn't responsible and could be forgiven for keeping quiet, it was pointed out. And though some GSV executives wanted to come out swinging, Michael Dennis argued for taking the high road. "We all took it personally," says sales and marketing manager Philip Primato. "We had put so much into building this brand back that we were not going to let something like this stop us."

The Decision Pritchett opted for going on the offensive. GSV spent the next 10 days planning a major press conference for May 5, at which four company-retained scientists would present their findings. The venue, the New York Public Library for Science, Industry and Business, was chosen to reinforce the scientists' message. The team worked hard to distill the data to a form the public could easily absorb. No one disputed the source of the lead: the pigment that gives artificial turf its green-grass color and that the industry has been trying to eliminate. But GSV's panel argued that, even in older turf, the lead compound was encapsulated before being extruded into the fibers. So it would be impossible for lead to leach from an AstroTurf-covered field. Even if those fibers were somehow ingested, the amount of lead they contained was much too small to be dangerous. A 100-pound child would have to eat 23 pounds of AstroTurf before it would pose a health hazard, they said.

The press conference attracted reporters from more than two dozen media outlets, including USA Today. That night, sitting with Pritchett on the patio of Dennis's home in Chester, New Jersey, Primato pulled up the newspaper's website on his laptop. The front page of the sports section featured a story about the press conference and a photo showing the 23 pounds of AstroTurf GSV had dumped in front of the podium for effect. For at least a moment, the company had seized control of the spotlight.

In the following days, press reports were less alarmist. Pritchett says he believes GSV's willingness to confront the issue head on defused the PR fallout. And when the final results from the state's tests on the three fields with high lead levels came out, in early June, the findings seemed to support GSV's position, showing an even smaller threat of lead exposure than GSV's estimates.

GSV was even chosen to replace the field in Newark that had started it all, after Dennis lobbied for the contract. "Our reputation was on the line," says Dennis, now the company's majority shareholder. "I was not going to let it be replaced with a competitive product." Still, the fight isn't over. In June, the Centers for Disease Control issued a health advisory, urging caution before letting children play on artificial turf. Earlier, the Consumer Product Safety Commission began a separate investigation.

Pritchett maintains that by taking the initiative in the lead scare, GSV positioned itself as more than just the caretaker of an aging brand. "It tested us," he says. "I wouldn't want to do it again, but I do think it helped us."

INC Magazine Website

Video from New York City Press Conference