Every sports fan in Kansas City knows who George Toma is. Most serious sports fans in the United States know who George Toma is. He is a living institution, not just for Kansas City sports but in the history of the National Football League. He is simply the greatest groundskeeper in the history of American Sports. Over the years, George has been given a handful of colorful nicknames. There’s the classic “Sodfather”. Nitty-gritty dirt man, the God of sod and Sultan of sod.
George officially retired from full-time work in 1999. He continues to work as a consultant for sports facilities and their groundskeepers around the United States. He was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 as the recipient of the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award. Toma was inducted into the Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame on January 8, 2012, as one of its charter members. In October of 2012, the K.C. Royals inducted Toma into the club’s Hall of Fame.
He has maintained the fields at numerous stadiums used by Major League Baseball and the National Football League teams. For much of his career, Toma was the head groundskeeper for the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri; which includes the Kansas City Royals' Kauffman Stadium, and the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. He was also contracted by the NFL to prepare the field for every Super Bowl for 56 years. In addition, Toma was called upon to supervise the grounds crews during the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games, and the 1994 World Cup.
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By David Naster
5
2121 ratings
Every sports fan in Kansas City knows who George Toma is. Most serious sports fans in the United States know who George Toma is. He is a living institution, not just for Kansas City sports but in the history of the National Football League. He is simply the greatest groundskeeper in the history of American Sports. Over the years, George has been given a handful of colorful nicknames. There’s the classic “Sodfather”. Nitty-gritty dirt man, the God of sod and Sultan of sod.
George officially retired from full-time work in 1999. He continues to work as a consultant for sports facilities and their groundskeepers around the United States. He was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 as the recipient of the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award. Toma was inducted into the Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame on January 8, 2012, as one of its charter members. In October of 2012, the K.C. Royals inducted Toma into the club’s Hall of Fame.
He has maintained the fields at numerous stadiums used by Major League Baseball and the National Football League teams. For much of his career, Toma was the head groundskeeper for the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri; which includes the Kansas City Royals' Kauffman Stadium, and the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. He was also contracted by the NFL to prepare the field for every Super Bowl for 56 years. In addition, Toma was called upon to supervise the grounds crews during the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games, and the 1994 World Cup.
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