COLUMBUS, Ohio – When it comes to defending his bill to require all professional sports stadiums in Ohio to use natural grass, second-term state Rep. Rodney Creech says he has one motivation: “Player safety, player safety, player safety. player”.
The western Ohio Republican, who majored in agronomy and runs a turf business, announced the measure Tuesday alongside co-sponsor Rep. Terrence Upchurch, a Cleveland Democrat and a representative of the NFL Players Association.
Creech promised before reporters that he would never compete for any of the jobs his legislation could create, but said he is entering the Grass vs Grass Debate in the World of Sports exactly because he has experience in the area. His bill would require playing surfaces in professional stadiums across the state to be made up of at least 90 percent natural grass. The measure does not contain penalties or deadlines.
The legislation, House Bill 605comes on the heels of the Cincinnati Bengals’ decision this winter to install synthetic turf at Paycor Stadium, at a cost of nearly $1 million, as part of a big update of the stadium. The Bengals said in a statement that they are aware of the proposed legislation and will continue to monitor it.
The Bengals are among teams choosing improved soft plastic grass surfaces which look more and more like real grass compared to natural grass, which is expensive to maintain and maintain.
The Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Guardians already play on natural grass, as do most of the state’s professional baseball and football teams, Upchurch said.
“Although we go to games mainly to enjoy them, get out of the house and have fun with the family, the safety of the players must be a priority,” he said. “It has been found that in games, whether baseball, football or football, that take place on natural grass surfaces, they result in fewer non-contact injuries.”
Creech said he hopes the bill will be heard when lawmakers return to Columbus after the election. He said he would consider extending the requirement to high school athletics once he sees how the project goes.
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