"It Sucks!" Angry NFL Rips Into Soldier Field’s Terrible Turf

There are flags all over the field! It looks like it's going to be a penalty on the Chicago Bears. The referee has conferred with the other on-field officials, and here he comes to announce the call:

"We've got two penalties on the play, both of them involving the field of play. First, we've got a personal foul for roughing the turf on Elton John, and a second penalty on the field itself for pretending to be more than a bad high school field or farm pasture. The turf will be ejected from...(checks notes)...the next Bears field in Arlington Heights."

What? It looks fine from this angle. (Chiefs Now, Facebook)

But, upon closer review...(Getty Images)

You Know Something's Wrong With A Field When The Turf Gets More People Talking Than The Game Did

Many of the people complaining about the field conditions weren't fans, but players themselves, like Bears' kicker Cairo Santos, along with members of the NFL Players Association (including the president of the NFLPA).

NFL Players Union president JC Tretter called out the NFL over this:

Fans were quick to agree.

We Should Definitely Get To The Bottom Of Who's Responsible For This Mess. Any Suspects?

As a matter of fact, there is someone being looked at as the culprit behind the Bears having to host a game on a substandard field. Here are a couple of photos showing this person in the act of field damage:

This is a little too far away to make a positive ID. (Getty Images)

Let's get in a little closer.

"Behold! I am the destroyer of gridirons!" (Getty Images)

The Elton John Concert A Week Before Is Getting Some Of The Blame, So Is Chicago's Pro Soccer Team

But, the Elton John show was a week before the Bears game, and soccer has been played at Soldier Field for years, so I think both Elton and the Chicago Fire should be absolved.

Why? How about because the turf at Soldier Field has been a source of contention and complaint for decades.

ABC-7 Chicago:

The conditions at Soldier Field have long been a source of frustration for players and coaches on the Bears as well as other teams. The lakefront location and harsh weather make maintaining the surface difficult for the Chicago Park District, which owns the stadium.
"A lot better than my high school field looked," Chiefs coach Andy Reid quipped. "Not much."