The 49ers have "cancelled Sunday’s public practice at Levi’s Stadium because of ongoing sod issues," according to Cam Inman of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Instead, the session "will be held next door at their training facility and closed to fans." The 49ers' usual practice fields "can not accommodate the 20,000 fans who had been planned for Sunday’s workout." New sod at Levi's "will be installed after next weekend’s Taylor Swift concerts and ahead of the exhibition home opener" against the Cowboys on Aug. 23. The 49ers "planned on holding their first eight practices at the stadium, but only did so in their first two sessions Saturday and Sunday" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 8/6). ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez noted the 49ers had "promoted a free random drawing, first for 10,000 fans before upping the number to 20,000 last week." The practice at Levi's "will not be rescheduled." The 49ers were at Levi's "for a fan event practice Wednesday night," but as it had in two previous practices, the sod "gave way throughout the field, with large divots flying up when players planted their feet and cut." 49ers RB Mike Davis "took a particularly nasty spill trying to change his direction Wednesday night and limped off the field before returning to practice" (ESPN.com, 8/6).
WHERE THE GREEN GRASS GROWS: In San Jose, Mark Purdy notes 49ers coach Jim Tomsula's "plan this summer was to hold many early team practices inside Levi's." But given the field's condition, that "makes no sense. Meanwhile, the adjacent practice fields are in "thriving shape," and at the Earthquakes' nearby Avaya Stadium, the playing surface "is green and gorgeous." Despite the turf problems, there are "no plans to cut back on the non-football events, which help pay off the stadium debt and of course, put extra money in the franchise pockets" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/7).
