Sports facilities try all they can to maximize revenue opportunities. For instance, stadiums may host other sports, events and concerts when the primary tenant isn’t playing. One reason is that a variety of events gives the stadium a higher value for the city, especially if public money was used to build the stadium. Another reason is that more events mean more money so facilities will schedule anything they can.
Sometimes, it can get a bit too much and the playing surface can get damaged. When the NFL went to Wembley Stadium, the grass in the middle of the field and the NFL sidelines turned brown and the playing surface caused problems for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, who played a soccer game the next day. The field was still playable but the dead grass and faint football lines looked ugly and it was less than ideal for players.
The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City had a concert this past Wednesday and the field looked completely destroyed as a result. Sometimes, there are some dead patches or the occasional divot or two after a concert. These pics taken from above courtesy of Diario Record shows a scene that looks more like when Bane destroyed Heinz Field in The Dark Knight Rises.
¿Cómo lo ven? 🤔
Así luce la cancha del Estadio Azteca después de albergar otro concierto 😨
Y mañana tendremos el Cruz Azul vs Lobos BUAP 😰
📸 | @Migue_luk pic.twitter.com/hMszGIhUHL
— DIARIO RÉCORD (@record_mexico) November 9, 2018
This is terrible. There is a soccer game later today between Cruz Azul and Lobos BUAP which as of a few hours before kickoff, hasn’t been postponed yet. But I’m not sure how they can play that game if conditions are anywhere close to that. In addition, the NFL will be in Mexico in nine days as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the LA Rams on Monday Night Football. Even if the playing surface becomes playable, playing an NFL game on that won’t help the health of the grass. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stadium will need to replace the playing surface, which has to cut into their profit margin.
[Photo: Diario Record]
