AstroTurf

THE STORY OF THE FAUX GRASS THAT EVERYBODY’S HEARD ABOUT BUT NOBODY REALLY KNOWS. 

- Robert Klara

Thanks to those pricey commercial spots, the Super Bowl is nearly as famous for hosting brands as football teams. But there’s one brand that the big game—that professional football, period—has planted so deeply in the national consciousness that millions of Americans know it, even though they don’t own it and it’s not for sale in stores. This curious product is the original fake grass, better known as AstroTurf—“one of the most iconic brands in sports,” according to the company.

But first things first: That artificial turf on your back patio? Yeah, that’s not AstroTurf. Home centers sell any number of ersatz lawns, but these are lightduty brands for the home market. AstroTurf has always been for serious play: college ball, Major League Baseball, the National Football League. To date, nine Super Bowls have been played atop AstroTurf.

Now consider: None of it would have happened had Houston not had so many mosquitos.