Other than the Philadelphia Eagles, the field conditions of Super Bowl LVII were the big loser of the night.
George Toma, the 94-year-old caretaker known as “The Sodfather,” admitted on Monday that the field could have “used more sand” after it took a beating the week prior to the contest due to all the rehearsals for the halftime performance.
NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport, speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, cited Rihanna‘s controversial halftime performance as another big reason for the degradation of field conditions during the second half.
What happened with the grass @RapSheet…#PMSOverreactionMonday pic.twitter.com/Q2HClPb8W4
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 13, 2023
“The first half was mostly fine,” Rapoport said while admitting he could only speak in layman’s terms on the issue since he isn’t a “grass expert” like Toma.
“Well, the second half was worse. … Basically, the halftime show, which spanned the entire field, it compressed the grass, it heated it up, and it got it slick.
“So, it basically increased the moisture of the grass. Because it didn’t allow it to breathe, because it pressed down on the grass. And then, you take the halftime show off the grass, and it has gotten a little bit wetter, and in the third quarter everybody was sliding around.”
Rihanna did not immediately comment on being blamed for the Super Bowl snafu.
