George Thoma has been the groundskeeper for every Super Bowl, but that streak will come to an end this year.
Thomas officially announced that his Super Bowl streak will end at 57 in an interview with KCUR in Kansas City.
January 31, 1993: NFL groundskeeper George Thoma touches up on the green during the Super Bowl XXVII game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Required Credit: Stephe
It would be great if Touma departed happily, but that is not always the case. Last year’s Super Bowl was marred by what players described as “the worst field I’ve ever played on.”
But Thoma said the field was already in terrible condition before he arrived in Phoenix for the big game.
“I prepared everything for them,” Thoma said. “So what will Super Bowl 57 be like? Worst game field I’ve ever seen Before any NFL groundskeeper steps foot. ”
Workers prepare the field ahead of Super Bowl II between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium on February 11, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Thomas said he knew there would be trouble on the field when protective mats were removed after rehearsals for the halftime show, and revealed he made the troubling discovery.
“I pulled it up after practice and it was covered in mud. The mud had receded,” Thoma said. “And I was wet, wet, wet.”
After this debacle, Thoma wanted to talk to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but that didn’t happen.
“I still love Roger Goodell, but he never gave me 30 seconds,” Thoma said. “That’s all I want to do today.”
