Wrigley Field hasn’t hosted a football game since the Chicago Bears packed it up and headed to Soldier Field following the 1970 season. This Saturday, the drought ends when Northwestern hosts the University of Illinois in the first ever Allstate Wrigleyville Classic.
A sellout crowd of over 40,000 is expected to be on hand to witness this historic event, making it a resounding success from a financial standpoint; but the planned layout of the field has drawn some controversy. To make the field suitable for football, one of the end zones had to be placed along the right field wall. Like, RIGHT along the right field wall. The goalpost is literally screwed into place, which means immediately behind it is the unforgiving ivy covered brick wall that made Wrigley Field famous.
Granted, there will be padding in place, but safety concerns are such that today it was announced that both teams would use the same end zone and avoid the brick wall hazard altogether. What does that mean for interceptions and fumble returns and such? We have no idea, but we’re sure it will be total chaos!
Some might call this all a bunch of needless worrying, but you don’t need to look too far to find evidence to the contrary. The Arena Football League has been playing on fields surrounded by hockey-style walls (minus the safety glass!) for years now. As expected, the tight quarters have made for some pretty brutal hits. Here are a few of the best examples.
Source : http://www.thesmokingjacket.com/entertainment/five-devastating-arena-football-league-wall-hits