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They say that necessity is the mother of invention and Soldier Field has certainly spurred the Chicago Bears kicker to find his creative side. Cairo Santos has stumbled upon a rather unique way to simulate his regular season surroundings. Although Soldier Field is one of the most iconic stadiums in all sports, it does pose a problem with its turf. It is known to deteriorate quickly and give way under one's feet.
Cairo Santos seems to have found a novel solution. He has decided that the best way to prepare for Soldier Field is to practice on surfaces that are uneven and unkempt. He narrated the story of how he was practicing on a high school football pitch and realized that it was akin to what he would work with in Chicago.
So, he sought a public park that had a soccer field. The grass was uncut and long and the level was not the smoothest. In his own words:
“I was going to a turf field at a high school, which was perfect. It was almost like, ‘OK. I’m getting too comfortable.’ So in my neighborhood, there’s a soccer field, and the grass is Bermuda grass. It’s real long. I was like, ‘OK. This is more like it.' The ball flies different. It’s not super-even all the time. . . . It’s important to put yourself in that situation.”
While the method might be unorthodox, it has certainly yielded the desired results. In 2020, Santos set the franchise record of 93.8% conversion and last year it was 86.7%.
Soldier Field has been the source of some criticism for the Chicago Bears
This is not the first time that Soldier Field has been criticized for it's surface. The surface is no secret and planning for it has been part of opposing teams' match day preparations for a while now.
Having your own kicker train in a public park is not a good look for the franchise. But issues such as these have spurred the Chicago Bears to look at Arlington Heights as their new stadium because of the conditions at Soldier Field.
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A concert was held at Soldier Field recently and the ground crew were off just before the Bears' first preseason game. The pitch resembled the end of the season rather than the start of a new one.
Until these issues are sorted out, the Bears will continue to attract criticism for their stadium. Perhaps in time, fans and players alike will miss the rustic nature of this pitch. A surface that brought its own challenges and was another element to be navigated. But far more likely, they won't.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Chicago Sun Times and H/T Sportskeeda.
