| 08 September 2009
In his blog Chicago Bears TE Desmond Clark ranted on for a few paragraphs about the playing surface. He reflected some of the other players' in the league comments by quoting them as saying "yall play on a cow pasture" "this is the shittiest field in the league" "what the hell is going on with this field".
Perhaps compared to some fields in the league the Bears do happen to play on the worst field in the league. But they don't play on astro-turf like at the old Veteran's Memorial stadium notorious for tearing up knees, ex Bear WR Wendell Davis blew out both his knees on one play. There is no hard concrete surface underneath carpet which leads to concussions and leg injuries.
Perhaps Clark forgets exactly what sport he plays, a sport that is known for the era of yesterday for being a blood and guts and mud sport. You play in the slop and the mud no matter the conditions. The Bears used to play on the baseball grass of Wrigley Field, and the Raiders still play on the infield dirt where MLB's Oakland A's play.
Perhaps fittingly for the Monsters of the Midway the first indoor stadium game was played inside Chicago Stadium on grass and dirt that was brought in from outside. Real grass and real mud and dirt played inside during the first NFL playoff game of 1932. Two games in one season played indoors at Chicago stadium on grass and dirt. I'm sure those field conditions were not ideal either, but what is lost on the players of today is that love of the game.
Players complain about contracts, complain about pre-season games, and two a day practices. While simultaneously missing the fact that they are paid an enormous sum of money to play the game of football. In the bygone era in which Dick Butkus played, Butkus played weekly on an NFL salary but during the week went back to a job working a dairy. Working at real cow pastures in manure and filth to make enough money to support his family because his NFL salary wasn't enough.
When I was a kid we played on an old softball field, grass in the front yard and when we needed real long fields we played in the street on the pavement. Granted the street and asphalt games weren't tackle, but if you slipped and fell or were hit hard enough by a two hand touch etc you got skinned up pretty good. Road rash was a common occurrence playing football in the street. But you didn't complain about not having parks to go play at, you played because football was fun and you were proud of your battle scars.
I am disgusted to hear that players would complain about a football field in today's modern era of football. They are catered to at level of extremes never before seen in the history of sports. They have training tables, whirl pools, saunas, ice tubs, trainers to provide massages and stretching. All sorts of modern conveniences and highly expensive technological equipment to make sure they are in top top shape and comfortable and that their wounds and soreness are relieved after the game.
Perhaps the players of today need a harsh dose of reality with the realization that playing football means playing on grass, no matter what the conditions no matter where the field is. You suit it up, strap on your helmet and pads and you go to war. You don't whine, you don't complain about it, especially when your game salary is more than the legends before you made annually playing on sand lots and cow pastures.
The playing surface complaints are only one more example of how today's professional athlete has forgotten what it means to be a football player and what it means to be proud and honored to play a game for a living. While men slave away earning no where near the money in the agricultural communities of Illinois, and in steel mills and factories throughout the greater Chicago land area and some risk their lives in war torn countries of Afghanistan and Iraq protecting this country In an era of economic recession that rivals the worst recessions since the great depression, Desmond Clark has chosen to complain about a football field. The soldiers and Marines of today gladly play football on their down time on the sand and dirt of their military bases. This for the love of the game and the enjoyment of competition and relaxation. To them football is not work, no matter how tough the games get.
One NFL player who seems to get what it means to be an NFL player and could have really put this into perspective was Pat Tillman who wouldn't have complained about such circumstances or any field. So Desmond Clark should realize just how lucky and fortunate he is and shut up and play football. There is really no right for him to complain about playing football on grass, no matter how harsh the grass may seem, the reality is he and the others who have complained about is so much more fortunate than others.
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