$85,000 of Grass for Super Bowl XLIII

[Wingfoot]

Tampa Super Bowl to be played on some pricey turf

TAMPA, FL -- Talk about a front lawn.

This one measures 95,000 square feet and costs as much as a condominium (in 2009 funny money dollars, that is). Special turf-laying machines are grinding away on the playing field at Raymond James Stadium, spooling out huge rolls of Bermuda grass. It's a special variety called hybrid # 419 and was chosen for its texture and hardiness.

The grass, $85,000 worth, will take quite a beating come February 1st when the NFC and AFC champs meet for Super Bowl XLIII.

The grass was harvested at the Bent Tree Turf Farm in Foley, Alabama on Thursday and immediately trucked to Tampa in the form of 140 square foot rolls, about 700 of them.

35 workers will be at it from sun-up to sun-down and Super Bowl Field Director Ed Mangan, "expects the work to be finished sometime late Sunday."

The farm began growing the turf for the Tampa Super Bowl more than a year ago. "They're already growing the grass for Miami," said Mangan.

And what happens to the turf after the Super Bowl? "It'll be covered over with dirt," said Mangan.

That's because the Monster Trucks will be coming to Ray Jay on February 21st for something completely different.

[beyond help]

For that price, we should be able to smoke it.