Albert Hammond made a name for himself in the early 1970s singing a hit tune that perpetuated the myth that it never rains in Southern California. In fact, his song rose to No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100 as he spread this disinformation.

In reality, as Hammond says later in the chorus, "it pours."

The first day volunteering for Rose Bowl field superintendent Will Schnell and his team as they get ready for the 106th Rose Bowl on New Year's Day was greeted with sunny skies that would have made even Hammond blush. But 60 degrees and a mostly cloudless sky have been the exception, not the norm of late in Pasadena.

Nearly 6 inches of rain have fallen in the Pasadena-Burbank area since Nov. 1, including nearly 4.5 inches in December alone,and more is forecast for Sunday, making it a challenge to grow the new turf that was rolled out on Dec. 3.

We covered in an earlier post the science behind growing Bandera Bermudagrass sod from West Coast Turf on plastic for the Rose Bowl Game. The practice promotes lateral growth that creates a matrix of organic material with incredible tensile strength that resists tearing when players make cuts on the field.

Getting that surface game ready this year has been a challenge for Schnell and his team. Since the sod was laid more than three weeks ago, it has spent at least eight days under the tarp, because what it needs most is sun, not rain, Schnell says.

Part of the equation for producing what is widely regarded as the best field in sports has been foliar fertilizers, specifically Grigg Brothers products from Brandt. This year, however, Schnell has had to back off that program a little because the turf has spent so much time under cover. A couple of preventive fungicide applications have helped while the tarps have been out.

"Everything you could do wrong to promote disease, we're doing. You can't control Mother Nature," he said.
 
"There isn't any disease out here, and we're going to keep it that way."

With only one more day of rain - and one more day under the tarp - in the forecast, there is plenty of time to feed the starving turf and ensure the field is game ready for Wisconsin and Oregon. Still, it was an eye-opening experience on our first day on the ground.

Besides an update on field conditions, we received our marching orders for the week that will include another round of field paint Saturday, so you know who is responsible if lines look out of sorts on Jan. 1.

The long day started early with a 1:30 a.m. when Lauren and I departed home in Findlay, Ohio to the Columbus airport for a 5 a.m. flight. Seven hours and 2,200 miles later, we touched down in Burbank, chosen specifically for its proximity to Pasadena (15 miles vs. 30 from LAX). Just a few miles from landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Walk of Fame (neither of which we had time for) the airport is a must for anyone wanting that old Hollywood experience. With an old and intimate one-story terminal, air stairs required to deplane on the tarmac and an outdoor (but covered, mind you) baggage claim area, the only thing missing was a glimpse of the airport's late namesake, Bob Hope.
 
One thing we did make time for upon leaving the airport was a nearby In-n-Out for a quick lunch. They're always busy, but they all operate under the four pillars of restaurant success - fast, efficient, friendly and consistent - so any wait time is usually quick and always worth it.

Some of the stuff we have planned for the remainder of gameweek include an update from George Winters at adjacent Brookside Golf Course. That place was slammed yesterday, and he will soon have to convert it from a golf course to a parking lot and back to a golf course again all within 48 hours.

We're also planning an update from the Rose Parade float staging area that is just outside the south end zone of the stadium and, after a chance meeting on Friday, more from the man who has disheartened college football fans everywhere with collapsible goalposts.

We're up and at 'em early for Day 2.