Even actor Tom Hanks has an opinion about whether the athletes at the 2015 Women's World Cup should play on artificial turf or grass. A group of players from the U.S. women's national team, who will vie for a spot in the World Cup in October qualifying, have joined with several international players in protesting the turf surfaces for next summer's big event in Canada. The athletes say that it's not just a safety issue because turf is less forgiving than natural grass, it's about equity. The athletes have formally joined in a letter of protest penned to FIFA, the sport's international governing body, and the Canadian Soccer Association. Boies, Schiller & Flexner, the law firm involved in the recent lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon against the NCAA, drafted the letter on behalf of the players and is prepared to go to court. [...] Victor Montagliani, president of the Canadian federation and chairman of the national organizing committee for the World Cup, addressed the issue during a press conference in advance of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final last Sunday in Montreal. Canada's bid stipulated that the final be played at Vancouver's BC Place, which seats 55,000 and has an artificial turf. Striker Abby Wambach called out FIFA for gender discrimination and started a petition, which led to the letter sent to FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association in late July. Simply put, artificial turf is not a premier surface in the soccer world, the letter states. The United States is hosting the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the World Cup in October.