Long before the modern surfaces and machines we see football played on today, grass fields were the only surface that mattered. Have you ever considered how these playing fields were cared for and kept? Our man Timothy P. Brown of Football Archaeology has, and may we hear what he found out.
Mowing them Down!
The Football Archaeology of Early Lawn Care and Field Maintenance with Timothy P. BrownHome ‣On This Day in Football Daily ‣Fun Facts about Football ‣Pigskin Professors ‣Timothy P. Brown ‣Mowing them Down!
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The Evolution of Field Surface Care
The modern field surfaces are either artificial turf of some sort or natural turf, made up of some super hybrid grass, tough enough to take on the elements and the abuse of the big behemoths that play upon it. The field maintenance crews are well-educated and trained individuals tooled with the latest gizmos and gadgets to provide a well-manicured and aesthetically pleasing playing surface that is durable, safe, and beautiful.
But what did the folks from antiquity do to take care of the grass before the electric motors and combustion engines that power today's lawn care equipment? Timothy P. Brown is here to give us the scoop on the early lawn care practices and the evolution of the equipment. Here is a look at Tim's original TidBit on the subject.
Meet our Guest
All the way from the research archives of the Football Archaeology fortess of solitude comes the Sherlock Holmes of Football Historical Scene Investigation.
Timothy P Brown
Tim Brown, one of the foremost experts on early college football, is the host and founder of FootballArchaeology.com. Tim's love of the gridiron's past goes beyond just the website. Mr Brown, to date, is the author of three books on football history, appears on various football history podcasts, and has been quoted in articles by The Athletic, The Chicago Tribune, and other publications. He guest authors articles on UniWatch, and his research on the 1920s West Point Cavalry Detachment teams contributed to All American: The Power of Sports, currently on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.His books include: Fields of Friendly Strife; How Football Became Football: 150 Years of the Game's Evolution; and Hut! Hut! Hike! A History of Football Terminology, which explores the history of football’s words and expressions and how they became connected to the game.
Conclusion
The information provided in today's episode is courtesy of the research of Tim Brown and the Football Archaeology.com website. Check it out and subscribe today.
Football Archaeology
Timothy Brown's FootballArchaeology.com is a website dedicated to preserving pigskin history. digs into gridiron history to examine how football’s evolution shapes today's game. The site has a variety of articles, history of football word origins, and Daily Tidbits, which have a daily football factoid that shares some quite interesting items and aspects of the gridiron in a short read. They preserve football history in a very unique way Visit the site at Today's Tidbits.Related Stories
Here are some more resouces to learn a bit more about the evolution of the modern football field and its markings.
About Sports
The Evolution of the Football Field Size
Fun facts about how the size of the football field has changed in size, shape, and dimensions.About Sports
Football Field Line History
What are the different lines on a football field and what do they do?Posts on "Mowing them Down!"
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