Super Bowl 50: Grading The Weekend Festivities

Levi’s Stadium

Seventy degree weather and a sea of Panthers, Broncos, 49ers, and Raiders jerseys, was enough to fill the seats at Levi’s Stadium, home to the San Francisco 49ers, for the Super Bowl. Last February, the game was played in cold New York/New Jersey. Making the shift over to the West Coast, the game turned over to a warm setting once again.

After the demolition of Candlestick Park, the two-year old two billion dollar stadium better have put on a show. No longer located in San Francisco but still donning the name, Levi’s Stadium is located in Santa Clara, right across from Great America Amusement Park. Blue skies and kids entertainment near by, the Super Bowl hit the spot for location, except a few problems: cost and field conditions.

Field conditions are no strangers to the 49ers and their opponents. And it was evident from this tweet and reports of cleats being changed throughout the game that fact hadn’t changed.

With an average ticket of the Super Bowl over $4,500 and a storied franchise like the 49ers, how can Jed York and company not get a field to comply and not cause problems? The field was an issue for the Pac 12 championship football game and throughout the regular season with the constant changing of the sod. Money raised to fund the stadium from taxes, there should at least be some reward in having a well-planned grass figured out.

If grass is too much to handle, then maybe the switch to turf for the 2016 regular season — Levi’s third year in existence — can be set in order.

With an owner looking to make money and booking events to be held at one of the most expensive stadiums in the league today, the field conditions could have at least been handled more thoroughly.

The weather is still nothing to avoid, but the field conditions takes away from the stadium and creates an embarrassment for the league.

Grade: C-

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