The “Sodfather” is done with the NFL.
George Toma, who garnered the nickname as the longtime groundskeeper who led the preparation of every Super Bowl field, said the 2023 finale between the Chiefs and Eagles was his last due to issues with the NFL.
“I can’t take it anymore,” the 94-year-old Toma told ESPN, adding that he hasn’t been happy with how the NFL responded to field issues at Super Bowl sites in the past.
“Me and the league are finished. They can’t tell me what to do anymore. We’re done.”
Toma, who retired after more than 80 years in the groundskeeping business, said he believes the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 on Feb. 12, was overwatered in the days leading up to the game — and that the problems could have been avoided.
Toma told the outlet the field was watered the Wednesday morning before the game and rolled into the stadium on the moveable tray that housed the grass field for the last time before kickoff four days later.
“So, what he does,” Toma said, referring to Ed Mangan, the NFL field director who was in charge of the Super Bowl 2023 field and worked under Toma for years, “he waters the hell out of it and puts it right into the stadium and that’s it. Never sees sunlight again. He can’t do that.”
Toma said that the field should’ve been watered in the morning and kept outside to dry before it was rolled into the stadium.
The natural grass field at State Farm Stadium has rollout grass, which sits on a 40-inch deep tray that measures 234 feet wide and 403 feet long.
The field travels 740 feet when it goes in and outside the stadium and the process takes about an hour.
Toma also claimed that Mangan “didn’t do s–t” when it came to sanding the field prior to the game.
“He sanded it two weeks too late,” Toma said. “He had only one sanding. He should have had two or three sandings, but he didn’t do s–t. And that was it. And not only that, he didn’t take care of it. He wouldn’t listen to anybody.”
The Sodfather added that the field at State Farm Stadium also had a “rotten smell” due to a tarp that was laid over the natural rye grass to protect it from the rehearsals for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows.
Toma said he was told during Super Bowl week that the field was starting to decay and rot — though he did not blame the rye grass for the field’s slickness.
He added that he used rye grass for 27 Super Bowls.
The field conditions at Super Bowl 2023 were less than ideal, with Chiefs and Eagles players slipping constantly.
A number of players complained about the slickness of the field and its impact on the playing conditions — including Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, who said it was like “playing on a water park.”
On the Monday after the Super Bowl, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the slippery conditions were much worse in the second half due to the halftime show stage during Rihanna’s 13-minute performance.
Rapoport reported that the halftime show stage pressed the grass and heated it up, which led to increased moisture and players “sliding around” in the third quarter.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott nearly twisted his left ankle when he slid on a kickoff in the third quarter and fell to the ground in replay footage.
In a statement the day after the Super Bowl, the NFL said: “The State Farm Stadium field surface met the required standards for the maintenance of natural surfaces, as per NFL policy. The natural grass surface was tested throughout Super Bowl week and was in compliance with all mandatory NFL practices.”
