Former NFL quarterback says Super Bowl 57 field overwatered, ‘smelled rotten’, started to decay
The field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona for Super Bowl LVII criticized by players and fans and now a former NFL quarterback is entering the conversation. Longtime keeper George Toma says field issues didn’t have to happen.
Toma, also known as the “Sodfather,” says the field was watered Wednesday morning before the game and he quickly entered the stadium. Based on his experience, he believes that the area should be left outside to dry after watering and then moved indoors.
He went through the process of what he believes Ed Mangan, the NFL field director who was in charge of the Super Bowl field, did to prepare for the big game. Mangan previously worked under Toma.
“So what [Mangan] is,” Toma said (via ESPN), “he’s watering the hell out of him and putting him right into the stadium, and that’s it. Will never see sunlight again. He can’t do that.”
Toma said that there was a fake failure on the field, explaining that it was from the team that he was putting a tarp over the field to protect it from rehearsals before the game. Toma, 94 years old, said during the week of the Super Bowl, he was told that the field was beginning to deteriorate and rot.
“It smelled rotten,” he said.
The field was not sanded enough, according to Toma, who did not believe that the sanding time was correct.
“He took two weeks too late,” said Toma. “He only had one sanding. He should have sanded two or three, but he didn’t s—. And that’s it. And not only that, he didn’t care about it. He wouldn’t take care of it. listen to anyone.”
It’s not the rye grass that Toma thinks was the problem, and he knows the type of field, because he used it for 27 Super Bowls.
After the game, the league released a statement saying, “State Farm Stadium’s field surface met the standards required for maintaining a natural surface, per NFL policy.” essential NFL practices.”
Toma is now retired from keeping grounds after 80 years and expressed continued frustration with the league’s handling of field problems at Super Bowls. Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was his last in the business.
“I can’t take it anymore,” he said. “Me and the league are done. They can’t tell me what to do anymore. We’re done.”
