The Chicago Bears open a new era for their franchise Monday night and if the condition of their playing surface is any indication, things may not go so well.

Chicago is hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Monday in Ben Johnson's first game as the team's head coach. Pregame shots of the turf at Soldier Field look awful and that's not surprising given what has happened at the stadium this week.

Here's video of the grounds crew working on the field hours before kickoff.

That's an awful look for Week 1 of the NFL season, especially for a nationally televised game.

Week 1 is when a team's turf should look its best all season, but there's a reason the field is so torn up. Over five days from August 28 through September 1, Soldier Field hosted five massive concerts. It started with Oasis, then My Chemical Romance, The Lumineers, and two System of a Down shows followed.

It's clear that in the week since the last concert, not enough has been done to shore up the field. That's awful planning by the venue.

The Bears are currently working to reach an agreement on a new stadium in Arlington Heights, as Soldier Field continues to age. Scenes like this aren't helping the perception that the stadium is a viable place for the franchise to play.


More NFL on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Soldier Field Turf Looks Awful Ahead of 'Monday Night Football'.