The Pittsburgh Steelers gave in to their players' wishes and will keep the grass at Heinz Field, though it might not necessarily be the field that is currently in place.
While the Heinz Field surface is regularly rated by NFL players as one of the league's worst, a large number of Steelers players lobbied the team to keep the grass because they are convinced it reduces injuries.
"The majority of our players have told us that they prefer natural grass to any artificial surface," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement yesterday. "Grass is also the preference of our coaches and athletic staff."
The Steelers received considerable criticism after a newly installed layer of sod became swamped by unseasonably heavy rain during their Nov. 26 game against the Miami Dolphins. There was standing water several inches deep, resulting in a nearly unplayable surface.
After that game, the Steelers said they would study installing an artificial surface for the 2008 season. The stadium is used for an average of 22 games per year.
However, Steelers running back Willie Parker - the NFL's leading rusher at the time - broke his right leg while cutting on artificial turf Dec. 20 in St. Louis.
That injury might have swayed some in the Steelers' front office who were beginning to become convinced that, because of the heavy pounding the field takes each season, switching to artificial turf would create a more uniform surface.
Redskins -- Newly hired coach Jim Zorn added John Palermo to coach the defensive line and Chris Meidt as an offensive assistant. Palermo spent last season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Tennessee Tech. Meidt has been the head football coach at Division III St. Olaf for six seasons.
Panthers -- Carolina released injury-prone linebacker Dan Morgan and guard Mike Wahle. Morgan was Carolina's first-round pick in 2001 but played in only 59 of 112 games with the Panthers because of numerous injuries. He missed the final 13 games last season with a partially torn right Achilles' tendon. .