Ben Leber's Complaints

[drinks at Northpoint]

I'm still trying to figure out the difference between a frozen field and the astro turf that was played on for years. They're just being babies. I wish guys like Dick Butkus, Bud Grant, and Jim Marshall would call these guys out publicly.

Call them out for what? Not wanting a serious brain injury from having their heads bounce off a frozen field?
Should we go back to the old field turf so you can feel better. Should we ignore all improvements made since Dick Butkus played because that makes it more macho?
I never understand these "shut up and play" threads. He makes a legitimate point. He just wants a safe field for the game. Everyone should want a safe field.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Cut Leber some slack. Remember he played his college ball at Kansas State which is the academic equivalent of Happy Choices DayCare. K-State attracts so many JUCO's because the curriculum is significantly less rigorous. He would have a hard time spelling hard field let alone understanding how a frozen field can be warmed.

NOTICE: Before some over-emotional Purple fan like Brew_recruit rushes in to defend the honor of his hero screaming that he was Academic All-State in South Dakota: This is meant as a joke. A poor one maybe, but still a joke.

If any of you tough guys want to speak to Ben to his face just go to his open house this Sunday and leave him a message.

http://www.edinarealty.com/MN/Edina/55424/homes-for-sale/5105-Juanita-Avenue-54818711/popup

Looks like the Leber's aren't long for the harsh Minnesota winters.

 

[SMU GOPHS FAN]

Again, I just found it funny/ironic he complained about playing on concrete when the Vikes/Twins/Gophers basically played on concrete for over 20 years with the old carpet. Anyone who ever stepped foot or played on that old rug will tell you how hard it was when you landed.

 

[drinks at Northpoint]

Again, I just found it funny/ironic he complained about playing on concrete when the Vikes/Twins/Gophers basically played on concrete for over 20 years with the old carpet. Anyone who ever stepped foot or played on that old rug will tell you how hard it was when you landed.

I played in a prep bowl on the stuff (lost badly), had a nasty turf burn to show for it.

 

[GopherGod]

Again, I just found it funny/ironic he complained about playing on concrete when the Vikes/Twins/Gophers basically played on concrete for over 20 years with the old carpet. Anyone who ever stepped foot or played on that old rug will tell you how hard it was when you landed.

Just because it was done in the past doesn't mean they should be okay with going back to it. After all, cars never used to have seat belts, should we go back to that as well since we did it for years.

 

[ruralgopher]

Just because it was done in the past doesn't mean they should be okay with going back to it. After all, cars never used to have seat belts, should we go back to that as well since we did it for years.

Not regularly of course, but I bet if some freak incident occured where you lost the seatbelt of your car you would still drive that car to work one day until you got it fixed.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Call them out for what? Not wanting a serious brain injury from having their heads bounce off a frozen field?
Should we go back to the old field turf so you can feel better. Should we ignore all improvements made since Dick Butkus played because that makes it more macho?
I never understand these "shut up and play" threads. He makes a legitimate point. He just wants a safe field for the game. Everyone should want a safe field.

And so does the NFL, Vikings, and Bears. If they all thought it was going to be a big problem they would move the game. These guys are complaining about something before the field was even cleared. Have the players been to the stadium to see the field yet? There are people who work on playing fields for a living. They probably have a better idea of the conditions of players who haven't even been there yet. As already stated, the report from the stadium is that the field is in better condition now than for the Iowa game.

It's fine to be concerned about safety, but a bunch of players tweeting about it and such makes them sound like they're just whining. No one could imagine that what happened to the dome would happen. But it did and people have to adjust. That may mean having to play on a field that isn't 100% to their liking. But neither was the field last week in Chicago. What about when it rains a lot and a grass fields turn into mud? That would be much worse playing conditions than this.

The point is, leave it to the professionals. Many think the NFL protects their players too much the way it is. If it's not playable, then they'll move the game.

 

[Silvio]

Can we just put aside this whole argument about meaningless games, lost seasons, and players protecting their ability to make a living?

If this is so important, the NFL should CANCEL every so-called meaningless game the moment it is clear both teams are eliminated from the playoffs. That is clearly the safest alternative. But then they should also refund ticket holders, refund broadcasters, refund advertisers, and the players should forfeit salaries for games unplayed.

That is NOT what the players appear to want with these comments. What they appear to want is to collect their money, while being given the tacit approval to mail in a half-hearted effort in the most benign circumstances possible.

Sorry, but tough luck. The job is to provide 16 games of entertainment to the best of your ability. They can deal with it.

The problem with the NFL is that should be the the goal, but we both know it isn't. See the Colts last year. Players of teams out of contention just want to turn the calendar to next year. Sure they still may want to play games, but more than anything they want to avoid injury.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Not regularly of course, but I bet if some freak incident occured where you lost the seatbelt of your car you would still drive that car to work one day until you got it fixed.

Exactly. This is a one-time thing because of some crazy, unforeseen incident.

 

[CJTGopher]

And so does the NFL, Vikings, and Bears. If they all thought it was going to be a big problem they would move the game. These guys are complaining about something before the field was even cleared. Have the players been to the stadium to see the field yet? There are people who work on playing fields for a living. They probably have a better idea of the conditions of players who haven't even been there yet. As already stated, the report from the stadium is that the field is in better condition now than for the Iowa game.

It has been quite comical to listen to all the bitching and complaining about the condition of the field before the snow was even removed. Yesterday some of the Vikes players said there was 2 inches of ice on the field and that proved to be BS. The people managing this field do this for a living they know how to keep it soft. Lots of field turf fields all over the country are used this time of year and don't have heat and they somehow magically soften, right. No not right, the people managing the fields know WTF they are doing. Shut the hell up players, show up on Monday and play. How much you want to bet when we hear pre-game reports on the field the reporters will be telling us the playing surface is EXCELLENT?