AFL’s Los Angeles KISS show off Silver Colored Turf

Football fields being a color other than green is a unique and trendy movement. The most iconic non-traditional field resides at Boise State. The blue field, nicknamed “Smurf Turf,” got the attention of the country when Boise State started to crash the BCS in the mid-2000’s. In 2010, Eastern Washington University introduced red colored football field, nicknamed “The Inferno.” Other smaller colleges have alternating turf colors, such as Lindenwood University (red and grey that alternates every 5 yards) and Central Arkansas (Purple and gray that also alternates every 5 yards).

The Los Angeles KISS have taken a unique approach in their first year in the Arena Football League. The buzz started last summer when the rock band KISS announced they purchased a large share of an expansion team. After that, the KISS announced that season ticket holders would get a free invite to a concert by the band. Earlier in 2014, the KISS revealed some rather unique uniforms that caught a buzz from major sports news outlets. This week, the KISS upped the ante by unveiling a silver football field and showed it to a national audience on CBS Sports Network’s weekly Arena Football Game of the Week. And it looks freakin’ awesome. Initially, I was skeptic of a non-traditional colored field, especially with Arena Football, but upon finally seeing it, I found myself liking it. The KISS are doing everything right for the Los Angeles/Anaheim market by creating a buzz with their wild uniforms and silver field. Watching the game was a unique experience. The silver field with the black numbers looked like an old black and white football game, especially with the dominant black of the KISS uniforms and Portland’s white uniforms. But some of Portland’s blue and red colors, and the colored seats in the stands provided a color contrast, making the television broadcast seem like a mix of old and new video. It was a unique way to watch the game and it worked.
While some may think that the KISS are the first professional sports team to have a non-green colored field, they’re actually the third indoor football team to have a non-traditional field; the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football League introduced a black colored field in 2011 and the Trenton Freedom of the Professional Indoor Football League introduced a red field a few weeks ago. At this point in time, there’s no word on whether or not the AFL would allow other teams to have non-traditional colored turf, but don’t be totally shocked if the Spokane Shock decide to introduce an orange colored field.