Don’t cross “The Sodfather.”
George Toma, the long-time groundskeeper who has overseen or advised the field preparation for all 57 Super Bowls, identified reasons why the turf for last month’s game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, was slippery.
Players from both teams — the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 — complained about the turf after the game. Several Eagles players switched cleats during the game to get a better grip.
Toma told ESPN that the field was mismanaged by Ed Mangan, the NFL’s field director. The field was watered and rolled into the stadium four days before the game.
“So what he does, he waters the hell out of and puts it right into the stadium and that’s it,” Toma said. “Never sees sunlight against. He can’t do that.”
What should happen, Toma said, is the field should have been watered the morning of the game and kept outside to dry before being rolled back in.
Also, a tarp covered the field during rehearsals for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows, creating an odor. “It smelled bad,” Toma said.
Toma also called the turf “a horse(bleep) field” on a recent Dan LeBatard Show.
The NFL issued a statement the day after the game, saying the field met its standards.
“The State Farm Stadium field surface met the required standards for the maintenance of natural surfaces, as per NFL policy,” the statement said. “The natural grass surface was tested throughout Super Bowl week and was in compliance with all mandatory NFL practices.”
Toma, 94, has been part of the Kansas City stadium scene since the 1960s, when he worked at Municipal Stadium. He served as groundskeeper for at Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium and worked on field at the Summer Olympics and World Cup.
He earned nickname, like “The Sodfather,” for his longevity, but said Super Bowl LVII would be his last.
“Me and the league are finished,” Toma said.
