JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) released their bi-annual ranking of NFL stadium fields during a press conference at the Super Bowl Media Center today. As expected, the results demonstrate the striking success and widespread player approval of FieldTurf's artificial turf system, the industry leader in synthetic grass surfacing.
The survey was conducted by the NFLPA at team meetings during the 2004 season. Approximately 1300 active NFL players from all 32 teams completed survey forms. Of the 31 NFL stadium fields rated by the players, FieldTurf's surface at Qwest Field was ranked fifth best overall, ahead of 15 natural grass fields used by NFL teams. Thus, once again, FieldTurf topped the list of players' preferences in artificial turf.
"We're proud of every one of the more than 1200 fields we've put in the ground," said FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. "But there's nothing like hearing it from the NFL football players themselves. It's the ultimate compliment."
In addition to the No. 5 ranking of the FieldTurf at Qwest Field in Seattle, FieldTurf surfaces scored high at other stadiums as well, with Detroit's Ford Field scoring tenth, The Georgia Dome in Atlanta was rated 15th and Giants Stadium finished 20th. Paul Brown Stadium ranked 22nd and The Metrodome was 28th.
The ranking results of other brands of artificial turf in NFL stadiums were all 24th or lower including Ralph Wilson Stadium's AstroPlay (24th), Texas Stadium's RealGrass (25th), Louisiana Superdome's Sportexe (26th), Edward Jones Dome's AstroTurf (30th) and The RCA Dome's AstroTurf (31).
"The Sportexe at M&T Bank in Baltimore placed well (sixth) and we are not at all surprised," said Gilman. "Inspection confirmed it is a copy of FieldTurf and our patent infringement case is pending."
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1200 installations in more than 40 countries and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com, or call (800) 724-2969.