MetLife Stadium; Why NFL Players Hate To Play On Its Pitch?
The New York Jets and New York Giants’ home stadium
It’s never an easy chore to play against the New York Jets and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, and many NFL players don’t enjoy it for the wrong reason.
This Stadium ranked as the worst place to play in an anonymous 2023 NFL player survey conducted by The Athletic. To get at that judgement, the newspaper polled 85 NFL players.
The Washington Commanders‘ home field, FedEx Field, came in second place with 13.9 percent of the vote, while MetLife Stadium received 18.4 percent of the vote as the worst stadium.
One player said, “Fans are awful,” among other reasons why the stadium was awful. That location is awful in every way.”
As for the artificial turf, another player expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “The whole stadium is lame and the surface itself sucks.”
This will change in the upcoming years as the MetLife Stadium is one of the locations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the football competition requires an all-grass surface.
John Mara, the owner of the Giants, stated during the NFL meetings in March, “I envision a time, and my aspiration is that we can eventually arrive at a moment when we can sustain a grass pitch with two distinct teams and all the other events we have. I believe we can make it there eventually. Perhaps it’s a product that is hybrid or something.”
NFLPA supports the modification to MetLife Stadium
The artificial turf that was erected at MetLife Stadium was met with harsh criticism by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), who still applauded the return to grass.
The NFLPA stated in a statement to ESPN in November 2022, “It’s a positive step for us to hear the players that an overhaul is necessary—they have been forthright and forthcoming about this issue. However, for those who will be more vulnerable for the remainder of the season, the adjustment cannot come soon enough. The highest safety and performance criteria should be met by the surface that is placed in the upcoming year. “
Conversely, 17.9% of the players polled chose Arrowhead venue, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, as the finest NFL venue.
