Cleveland Browns Field Still Looks Terrible Before Kickoff After Vandals Hijack Truck, Rip Up Grass With Joyride

As the Browns host the Buccaneers in Cleveland on Sunday, the field is not in good shape. It was ripped apart by a joyriding vandal and has not healed in the days since.

Late on Monday night, Cleveland Police Department reported to a break-in at FirstEnergy Stadium. According to the police report, the trespasser is believed to have jumped a fence and hijacked a pickup truck before driving it across the gridiron and ripping up the natural grass surface.

Cleveland grounds crew spent the week trying to get the field back to normal, but the damage was irreparable. Large, definitive, circular tire tracks remain visible across more than 50 yards of play.

While the Browns field doesn't look good, it is not a safety concern.

Fortunately.

Prior to each and every NFL game, an independent field inspector makes sure that the playing surface is up to standard. That was no different on Sunday.

And according to Jeff Darlington, the tire marks are not a "playability issue." Rather, it is mostly an aesthetic problem.

The independent field inspector walked and surveyed the tire mark-covered gridiron and determined that it is safe for play. The Browns and Buccaneers will kickoff as planned.

Although the field was deemed good to go, the tire marks remain an issue. They are not insigificant.

If a player, God forbid, was to cut back at/on one of the tire marks and slip, there would be a serious problem. Especially if said player got injured in the process.

For now, everything will go according to schedule. The field looks ugly, but it is not of concern to those in charge.

Unfortunately, the man and/or women who is responsible for the tire marks remains at large. He, she or they will watch the game on TV or in-person, with their vandalism on full display.