PHOENIX, Jan. 28, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- When the New York Giants and the New England Patriots meet in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, AZ on February 3, it will match two teams who advanced through the difficult maze of the NFL regular season and playoffs by playing their home games and practicing on FieldTurf. FieldTurf, the undisputed worldwide leader in artificial turf, has its product at both Giants Stadium and Gillette Stadium, as well as at the training complex of both clubs. In fact, 21 of the NFL's 32 teams currently utilize FieldTurf at their stadium and/or practice facility.
Disenchanted with their natural grass surface, the Patriots installed FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium in the middle of the 2006 season. It was the first time that an NFL team had completely changed their playing surface in the middle of the season, with a record-breaking eight-day installation of state-of-the-art FieldTurf. Since the Gillette Stadium resurfacing, they have not lost a game at home.
"It's (FieldTurf) always nice," said Patriots QB Tom Brady in a 2006 press conference. "I think the quarterbacks like it (FieldTurf) because you can plant really well. It's different than playing out there in our sandpit because you can dig in and push off. I think everybody really likes the surface."
The Patriots are 18-0, the best record in NFL history, and advanced to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven years. They won titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
The Giants are in the NFL's championship game for the first time since they lost to Baltimore 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV. New York won Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. The Giants have been playing and practicing on FieldTurf at Giants Stadium and at their practice facility since 2003.
"It is with great pride that we will watch the New York Giants and the New England Patriots compete in Super Bowl XLII," said FieldTurf Tarkett CEO David Moszkowski. "Both of these teams have been playing and practicing on FieldTurf for some time now and we are honored that they continue to enjoy tremendous success on our player-friendly surface. It is no fluke that FieldTurf is continuously rated as the best artificial surface in the league because of its built-in safety and playability features. We wish both teams the best of luck in Arizona."
FieldTurf will once again be the official turf at the Super Bowl's "NFL Experience Built By The Home Depot," which will be held from January 26-February 2 in Glendale, AZ, the site of Super Bowl XLII. This marks the tenth consecutive year that FieldTurf has been the NFL's exclusive turf supplier for the "NFL Experience Built By The Home Depot," which is one of the most widely attended special events of the NFL calendar. More than two million fans have attended since its inception in 1992.