Wanting to distinguish itself as so many football programs before it, Pennsylvania's Belle Vernon Area High School thought it could get in on the colored football field game.
They went with gold. So far, reactions are mixed.
There is, of course, the problem of gold turf from an aesthetic perspective: It's not a pretty sight:
Someone explain to me why anyone at Belle Vernon thought this was a good idea? pic.twitter.com/920OWsyF77
— Matt Farago (@MattFarago) August 24, 2015
But in Belle Vernon, the frustrations are also financial. Yes, $200,000 -- the price tag for the turf -- is a big chunk of money to pay for a footbal field-long eyesore, particularly when it's part of $1.4 million in renovations made to the stadium.
It's particularly upsetting because, as noted by WTAE in Pittsburgh, the school district is currently locked in a wage battle with the teacher's union. The district is trying to minimize wage increases, which would potentially deny raises to most teachers while instituting a salary freeze, even as it engages in big-money spending on the football stadium.
The money would seem to dictate where the district's priorities lie. As with its decision to deny better salaries to its teachers, one has to question the wisdom of painting a football field gold -- and at a steep cost.
Then again, maybe the field is the perfect living metaphor for Belle Vernon's decision-making skills.
