To the growing list of problems currently dogging the Jaguars (1-3) — poor play, a rookie quarterback, questionable roster moves and the specter of relocation — we can now add a new one: ridicule. But at least this time it was not Coach Jack Del Rio’s fault.
The grounds crew preparing EverBank Field for Sunday’s game against the Saints managed to get an F in Field Painting 101: half of the arrows beside the markers on the Jaguars’ side of the field inexplicably pointed to the wrong end zone. (If you’re new to this, the arrows always point to the nearest end zone, kind of a road map for guys as they crash into one another for three hours.)
So remember that as you settle into work this morning: no matter how bad your Monday goes, it can’t be worse than the Sunday the Jags’ operations staff just experienced. Not only did they discover the mistake while surrounded by 62,000 witnesses, they couldn’t do a thing about fixing the field until the Saints and the Jaguars were finished using it.
An hour after the game, workers painted over the offending numbers. But that didn’t stop others from having a little fun first.
Dan Hanzus of NFL.com:
Call us cynics, but we don’t believe this was some accident by a bumbling grounds-crew intern. Something Machiavellian was at play in Jacksonville.
We can only hope stadium personnel alerted the home team before kickoff. With only one touchdown in their last 11 quarters entering Sunday, the Jaguars didn’t need any more challenges finding the end zone.
David Whitley of Fanhouse:
As soon as the game ended, workers scrambled out and painted over the wrong-way signs.
The only question now is whether the head of the grounds crew will outlast Del Rio. My guess is he won’t, mainly because the grounds crew guy isn’t making $5 million a year guaranteed.
But leave it to a Deadspin commenter to stick the knife in and twist:
If you look closely it reads “<— LA 2,417 miles.
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