Turf matters

 Mike White | 12:15 a.m., Friday, Nov. 21

After watching the Steelers play on the Heinz Field grass last night, it makes you wonder one thing: How bad will that field be by the fourth quarter of the fourth WPIAL championship game (Class AAAA) tomorrow night?

The field already looked chewed up in the middle. With cold weather forecast for tomorrow, it might not be a pretty sight for Gateway-Bethel Park. Gateway coach Terry Smith had an interesting comment in this morning's Post-Gazette, saying the Heinz Field surface will probably be the worst playing surface played on this year by all eight teams in the finals. They're very used to playin on turf.

A few coaches have said over the years that they wouldn't mind if all the championshp games were played at high school stadiums. Here is what Smith had to say about the idea:

"I'm kind of mixed about it," Smith said. "To go to Heinz Field is an awesome experience for the kids. It doesn't get any better than that atmosphere. But the other side of me says, play it at a high school stadium, fill it up and the atmosphere will be more electric. At Heinz Field, 20,000 or 25,000 fans doesn't sound like 20,000 or 25,000. It doesn't look like it, either. It looks empty.

"If we'd go to a West Mifflin or North Allegheny, and pack it, it would be more exciting."