From the “No, really?” file, the NFL Injury and Safety panel has discovered that the most popular brand of artificial surface used in stadiums, FieldTurf, is responsible for more knee and ankle injuries than grass:

The report examined the 2002-08 NFL seasons, comparing games played on grass to those on FieldTurf. It found that the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries was 88 percent higher in FieldTurf games — a conclusion the manufacturer of the synthetic field hotly disputes.

I like that last part. Of course the manufacturer is going to call the report BS. They like receiving those annual bonus checks. Bad publicity means daddy might not be able to buy a new Mercedes this year.

At any rate, FieldTurf president Eric Dalieire hired his own expert, professor Michael Myers, to conduct research which ultimately reached a different conclusion:

“Michael Meyers has come to a very different conclusion on a different level and his is a real study, not just a report,” Daliere said. “He mentions poorly designed (analyses) — and this is the kind of work he does — and that the statistical analysis by the (NFL) panel was also flawed. I don’t put a lot of weight in it and think if is unfortunate it is coming out this way at this time.”

So, who the hell is telling the truth? The league panel or the guy named after one of cinema’s most famous mass killers? Difficult to say. It’s obvious injuries are gonna happen, no matter the surface.

Having sprained my own ankle on turf before, I could tell there wasn’t as much give as on dirt and grass. Planting and cutting will always be more stressful on ligaments and tendons. While FieldTurf seems to be a vast improvement over Astroturf, it’s far from perfect. Whatever you package it as, it’s still artificial, and a great way to save cash for owners looking to slash spending.

If the NFL really cared about reducing injuries, they would ban all forms of manufactured fields, but that’s not practical, or for dome teams like the Vikings and Saints, even possible. Unless the league helps pay to build new stadiums in dome cities. Yeah, right. That will happen.