How a bill would affect only one Ohio sports team

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Nearly $1 million was recently spent to install artificial turf at Paycor Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals. But House Bill 605, a bipartisan effort with the backing of the National Football League Players Association, could take the team back to square one.

“This is a kind of common-sense piece of legislation that speaks to worksite safety,” Public Policy Counsel for the NFL Players Association Andrew Morris said.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) and Terrance Upchurch (D-Cleveland), would require all professional sports stadiums to use at least 90% natural grass, instead of artificial fields like turf. This is a first-of-its-kind piece of legislation in the county.

“The only advantage of synthetic turf is playability after weather and traffic,” Creech said. “So, you know, are we trying to get a lot of games completed or are we trying to keep our players safe?”

There are six professional teams in Ohio that use some sort of grass field: two NFL teams, two Major League Baseball teams and 2 Major League Soccer teams. Of those teams, the Bengals are the only team that uses synthetic turf; 11 other teams in the NFL use the same type of turf as the Bengals.

“Studies show that artificial surfaces have a higher rate of non-contact, lower extremity injuries than natural grass surfaces,” Creech said. “There are almost three times as many lower extremity injuries on turf rather than on grass. The rate of ankle fractures is six times as high and more serious concussions are associated with turf than grass.”

Both the bill’s sponsors and Morris emphasized that this is a workplace safety issue. Creech said employees “must have faith in their employer, that they will provide them with suitable conditions to do their job.

A study done last year by the NFL Players Association showed that 92% of players prefer playing on natural grass.

“The least we can do is make sure that the surface that they're playing on does not cause any additional injury,” Upchurch said.

But this bill has no money attached to it, meaning it would create an unfunded mandate for the Bengals if passed. 

“Let's keep in mind that most of these stadiums are funded by the taxpayer, and so, you know, therefore, we're looking out for the people we represent in the state of Ohio, and we want them to spend their dollars wisely,” Creech said. “It's going to affect the people in these communities. There's a lot of positives that come with a healthy team and in a good season.”

In a statement, the Bengals said, “The Bengals are aware of the proposed legislation and will continue to monitor it.”

The bill will only apply to professional teams, as it is currently written. That means Ohio State University, for example, would not have to change its turf field at Ohio Stadium and high schools that use turf fields would not have to change as well, if the bill passes.

“I think our main focus is to protect and make this continue to be a workforce issue, and hopefully as this bill moves along, the conversation can be had on different levels,” Upchurch said.

“This is a player safety bill as far as workplace safety,” Creech said. “So, you know, this is for professional athletes, for workplace safety. This bill today is for professional athletes, you know, it depends on if it catches on.”

Creech owns a lawn company, which he started 20 years ago, that, in part, develops athletic fields. He said his sponsoring of this bill only allows a sense of expertise to be added. He said it is not a conflict of interest and said his company will not have any involvement in the development or upkeep of professional fields.

“I will make a promise to you today in front of several media and a lot of cameras. I will never put a bid in on these projects,” Creech said.