On Sunday, the new grass at Solder Field found itself overwhelmed with rain. During a midweek press conference conducted by the NFL, I asked whether the rain overwhelmed the drainage system, or whether the drainage system failed to handle the rain.
“There was no failure,” a league spokesman told PFT via email on Friday. “The new field performed well under the highly unusual conditions of that particular storm. There are no concerns moving forward or any anticipated changes.”
It’s still odd to see so much standing water on a football field. As MDS, who lives in Chicago, observed, “It rained a lot but I didn’t see anyone’s yards with puddles like those.”
At one level, the NFL likes the unique and memorable nature of a Slip ‘N’ Slide game. Obviously, however, it’s far from ideal when it comes to player health and safety.
And if the current Soldier Field drainage system didn’t fail, maybe it simply needs a better drainage system.