Wacky World of Rubber: Benefits of artificial turf

The playing field is one of the most important elements across all sports.

When it's working, it's hardly talked about. But when things go wrong—like say splitting in two or melting because of extreme temperatures—people notice. And sports fans are not exactly the most forgiving people. That is, unless the faux pas worked in their team's favor.

Artificial turf is nothing new and long has been the choice for indoor arenas. However, even outdoor stadiums are embracing it more frequently thanks to retractable roofs and the need to try to find a playing field that won't succumb to the elements.

Don't get me wrong, watching a "mudbowl" is fun…until a star player gets seriously injured. And being a Cleveland fan, it's probably going to happen to my team.

According to Dow Chemical Co., artificial turfs have evolved significantly. And today's synthetic turfs do not need fertilizer, water or other resources to be maintained—just standard cleaning without all the mowing.

Polyurethane resins, which Dow supplies, often are a material that pops up on these fields. They help improve the softness of the grass itself to ease the impact when an athlete comes in contact with the ground—like in football or rugby.

And unlike natural grass, the turf won't muddy up should it rain during that football game—American or Euro style—decreasing the chance of a major injury and increasing the quality of competition.

That's something I can definitely get behind.

Chris Sweeney considered installing rubber turf to avoid mowing the lawn, but then remembered he lives in an apartment. Follow him on Twitter @CSweeneyRPN.