Last week, Camden Yards in Baltimore hosted a sport other than baseball for the first time in its 33-year history. And one week of football practice was enough to trigger a full replacement of the playing surface.
Via Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, the Rams will pay to re-sod the field. It will be “more extensive than the typical offseason” maintenance, and the first full resodding at the facility since 2023.
The Rams agreed to replace the surface as part of the deal that allowed them to spend in the week in Baltimore, between a game against the Ravens and a trip to London for a game against the Jaguars.
The project, which will include “replacement of both grass and some of the sand beneath it,” illustrates the wear and tear that football inflicts on a grass field — and it’s another reason why many NFL owners prefer the lower costs associated with having artificial turf.
But the owners clearly can afford to pay for high-quality grass. They do it when they have to. Like when bidding to host World Cup matches. Or when in need of a temporary practice facility during a two-game swing on the other side of the country, and then across an ocean.
Regardless of the expense, the excursion was successful for the Rams. They won both games by a combined score of 52-10.
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