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You can see a lot of worn spots in person, and it looks really bad on TV.  Usually, we have the best grass field this side of the Rose Bowl, but not this year.  Did they lay new turf and it just didn't take root, or what?  :dunno:

I've noticed this for many years now, actually.

I think so. I know they laid new sod as it created a clusterfizzle behind my building for a week.

It's been disappointing since we've had some of the best turf around for years. If it's a new grass type, I question the decision as performance was always great with the old stuff.

Noticed that too. Maybe the band practices on it too much. Did they have a walking horse prance around the field on Sat.? I didn't get to my seat til just before kickoff and I noticed some strange markings in the north end zone.  

"No, no, no....GREEN side up, fellas!"

I used to shudder at the idea of going back to an artificial surface, but with the new ones that look and perform like real grass, maybe it's something we should look into.  :dunno:

Dooley and Sunseri left and the amount of manure being deposited on the field has decreased significantly.

 :naughty:

Neither the band nor the team practice on the game surface much at all. 

Not pointing fingers, but Bobby Campbell retired as the groundskeeper.  They now have a "Director of Surface Management" listed, and his name is Darren Seybold. 

Bobby was a terrific groundskeeper.  I'm sure the new guy is, as well, but there is a huge difference now and just a few years back in the playing surface. 

Bammer fans haven't been sneaking Spike 80DF in there have they?  :rolleyes:

No, but I understand that a heavy dose of the stuff was found spread around the base of The Rock this morning.  Apparently, the reasoning was, "if it worked on Auburn's trees, it'll work on this too". :laugh:

:evillaugh:

Bobby Campbell...do you know if he was an ex-Vol baseball player?  Maybe a local HS bball coach as well?

I lived in Alabama for a while. I believe that.

Yes, that Bobby Campbell.  He coached at South - Doyle (when it was still just Doyle, if memory serves) and he was the groundskeeper at Bill Meyer Stadium, too, which was a dump, but had one of the best playing surfaces in minor league baseball.  Bobby was the groundskeeper at UT for a long time before he retired - one of the best anywhere.  Really good guy, as well. 

Dam!  I thought so.  He was my Geometry and Computer Science teacher at Doyle, as it used to be called back in the day.  He was a nice guy.  When you said that, it prompted my memory of people telling me he took care of the grounds at the stadium.   

I'll never forget...he left the room in Computer Science...this was 1984 and it was a new class and there were only 5 students in it.  It was the end of the quarter and he wouldn't tell us what our grades were.  I couldn't resist...I peeked at the grade book after he left the room.  The loser of my grade - a guy no one could stand anyway -  was in that class and ratted me out when Campbell got back to the room. So he lowered me from an A to a B. 

LOL!  I never blamed Campbell for that...but the guy that ratted on me was a piece of work.    :mad:

I always did like Coach Campbell.    :thumbup:

Another former UT baseball player...Coach Howard, was the assistant coach as well.  John Rollins was a star on our football and baseball teams and was a couple years ahead of me...he hit a home run during an in-school game.  Jimmy Colquitt also attended Doyle but a year before I got there.  His sister was in my class though....she was pretty easy on the eyes  :naughty:.  Bringing back some memories..... :biggrin:

Robbie Howard followed Campbell as the baseball coach at Doyle and was there for a long time, up until about 6 years ago when he started coaching golf when his daughter was playing.  Jeff Browning is now the baseball coach there and does a good job, and Robbie is now the Softball coach at S-D.

Robbie is a really good guy.  I had some of his players on my summer travel team and had a lot of contact with Robbie through them.  Class act.