It has been reported that the Steelers will not change the playing surface on Heinz Field to artificial turf, but will continue to use natural grass, though the type has yet to be determined.

I, for one, am happy that the Rooneys kept faith with the will of their players. Its these relatively small gestures that help solidify team loyalty and swagger. There are problems that remain to be resolved. (Although as an old City League player who didn't know there was such a thing as "grass" I may be a tad unsympathetic to many of the complaints associated with the field)

The Steelers and the Panthers should make every effort to avoid scheduling home games during the high school championship period. And a little coordination to avoid back to back games involving the professional and collegiate team wouldn't hurt either. There is plenty of precidence for this with teams that play at multiple sport venues, for example the Chargers, Raiders and Dolphins that share their facilities with Padres, Athletics and Marlins (and are all natural surfaces). They have to schedule around the baseball teams and the possibilities of baseball playoffs.

What would be ideal would be a off week (teams playing away) following high school playoffs. If repair or replacement of some or all of the turf is necessary then do it then.

As for the complaints of the other teams? Screw them! The Steelers aren't in business to provide for their comfort. What's next? Tell the Browns to drain Lake Erie so there won't be so much snow and wind in December? Put a dome on Giants Stadium to confound the wind? If I were Coach Whiz I would NEVER close that dome in Arizona. And I would schedule every home game for high noon in August. And every opponent would have to wear black, long sleeves, no mesh. It's not about the opponents, the networks or the fans. It's about the players. Now, if Ben said he'd prefer a fast surface to maximize the offense, I'd be all for paving the field in black asphalt with gold lines and numbers. Take that Boise State.