ESPN viewers spot ’embarrassing mess’ endzone line draw on Soldier Field during Bears-Vikings

ESPN viewers spotted the terrible endzone line on Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears hosted the Minnesota Vikings.

Leading up to the game against the Vikings in the opening week of the NFL season, the Bears’ field came under criticism.

ESPN

Fans were not happy with the state of the field during Vikings-Bears[/caption]

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They spotted the issue with the pitch marking during Adam Thielen’s touchdown[/caption]

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Despite the issues, J.J. McCarthy ran in the match-defining touchdown in the final quarter[/caption]

Monday Night Football viewers were not happy with the troubling state of Soldier Field.

The Chicago stadium had hosted five events in the lead-up to Week 1 of the NFL.

Thousands of fans watched Oasis, then My Chemical Romance, The Lumineers, and two shows of Systems of a Down, over Labour Day weekend.

Not only did the torn-up field anger fans, but also the care taken in painting the pitch markings.

Many fans took to social media to chastise the Bears.

One said, “The ground crew needs to be fired immediately.”

Another commented, “It looks like a toddler drew it on, man.”

A third remarked, “That is embarrassing.

“As a volunteer, I painted the lines on the local high school’s practice field each week, and I did a much better job.”

One even joked, “Damn, they had to be drunk.”

Players did slip throughout the game, seemingly affected by the surface.

In the end, however, the Vikings came through the game 27-24 victors.

Twenty-two-year-old QB J.J. McCarthy masterminded a stunning comeback in his first NFL start.

Minnesota overcame an 11-point deficit with 15 minutes to go.

McCarthy threw two touchdowns and ran home a third to seal the win for his side in a classic.

The issues of Soldier Field come to light as the Bears work to reach an agreement on a new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Hours before the NFC North battle, Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren penned a letter about the fate of the team’s next stadium, which will be built outside of Cook County.

In his letter, Warren wrote, “In evaluating options for a new stadium, the focus of the McCaskey family has been clear: build a world-class stadium that requires zero money from the State of Illinois for its construction.

“We are partnering with political, labor, business, and community leaders across Illinois to develop a plan for property tax certainty and a fair contribution toward essential infrastructure that will benefit the entire community.

“Arlington Heights is the only site within Cook County that meets that standard. It allows us to better serve our fan base and deliver a truly transformative and elevated gameday experience.”