49ers believe soft Super Bowl practice field puts them at a disadvantage in matchup with the Chiefs
Half the battle for the two teams during Super Bowl week is keeping things as normal as possible For the San Francisco 49ers, that challenge has seemingly gotten a little more difficult due to an issue with their practice facilities for the week. The Niners are set to practice at UNLV, but they are not […]
Half the battle for the two teams during Super Bowl week is keeping things as normal as possible
For the San Francisco 49ers, that challenge has seemingly gotten a little more difficult due to an issue with their practice facilities for the week.
The Niners are set to practice at UNLV, but they are not happy with the facilities they have been provided, with their issue pertaining specifically to the practice field.
Per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, 49ers staffers who visited the facility last week are unhappy with the firmness of the natural grass laid over the top of UNLV's college field.
The Niners believe the grass is too soft and are reported to be exploring three options, practicing on the field as it is, laying a new, firmer sod, or changing their schedule to allow them to practice at the Las Vegas Raiders' facility when the Kansas City Chiefs aren't there.
Asked about the report on 'The Pat McAfee Show', ESPN's Adam Schefter said:
"Having spoken to various Niners people, they don't seem particularly pleased, they're going to be on the practice field for the first time today at noon pacific, but there have already been complaints that there are seams in the practice field, that it feels like they're walking around on a sponge.
"The league are saying it's not a player safety/health issue, not in violation all those things, I can tell you the Niners are not happy with the practice conditions of that field that the league is in charge of maintaining and they feel like it's a disadvantage right now. They're not happy about having to practice on this field.
"The Chiefs are practicing at the Raiders' practice facility. There are scores that are assigned to practice fields and the average score should be in the mid to high 70s. The Raiders practice field where the Chiefs are practicing is at an 80 and the Niners believe their practice field, that the average score is in the 50s. They feel like it's a hazard and a disadvantage. They're going to step on the field today, we'll see what the players say, but they're not happy about where they're practicing, I can tell you that."
The NFL is no stranger to controversy around fields for the Super Bowl, with last year's field for Super Bowl 57 between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles attracting substantial criticism.
That was at least the same for both teams. Having one team believing they are at a competitive disadvantage because of their practice facilities is not a great look and, if the players aren't satisfied after their Monday walkthrough, then a resolution will need to be found extremely quickly.
49ers feel the love during journey to Super Bowl 58
They got an extremely warm send-off and welcome.
