Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium before the start of the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game | |
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League (NFL) exhibition game that is held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which is part of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village and is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building in Canton, Ohio.[1]
- 1Team selection
Team selection[edit]
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The two teams that play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game are typically selected by the league in advance of the remainder of the preseason schedule. The participants are usually announced around the time that the new Hall of Fame members are announced, which coincides with Super Bowl week. Often, if a particularly notable player will be entering the Hall of Fame that year, a team they were strongly associated with may be selected to play in the game to help maximize attendance and publicity of the game itself. From 1971 to 2010, the opponents for each game usually included one AFC team and one NFC team. In 2009, as recognition of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League, the game paired two AFC teams who were part of the 'original eight' franchises of the AFL, the Tennessee Titans (dressed as their previous incarnation, the Houston Oilers) and the Buffalo Bills, whose owner, Ralph Wilson, was inducted into the Hall that year. An all-NFC matchup was scheduled for 2011,[2] but it was canceled due to the 2011 NFL lockout; the following year, another intra-conference matchup of two NFC teams took its place. From 2011 onward, each team selected to play in the game has had at least one prominent alumnus being inducted into the Hall that year.
Because this game and the Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies are scheduled on the weekend before the league's regular four-week exhibition season begins, both teams end up playing five exhibition games instead of the normal four, and unlike the Canadian Football League (which plays its two-game exhibition season over three weeks), the league does not remove one.
The last four expansion teams to have been added to the league each played in the Hall of Fame Game as their first game. In 1995, expansion clubs Jacksonville and Carolina played each other, and in 2002, Houston was one of the participants. When the Cleveland Brownsreturned to the league with a rebooted roster in 1999, they too played in the Hall of Fame Game. The Baltimore Ravens, while officially considered as being established in 1996, did not play in the Hall of Fame Game until 2018. With the Ravens' participation in the 2018 game, all 32 current NFL teams have now played in the Hall of Fame game at least once.
Scheduling[edit]
Prior to the AFL–NFL merger, the Hall of Fame Game was played in August or September, in some cases at the end of the preseason. In 1970, it was moved to the beginning of the preseason. Prior to 2002, it was not uncommon for the game to be played in July. Since 2002, when the league permanently moved the start of the season to the weekend after Labor Day, the game has always been played in early August.
The 2011 game was originally scheduled between the St. Louis Rams and the Chicago Bears, but the game was canceled due to an ongoing labor dispute that had disrupted nearly all league activity during the 2011 offseason. The two clubs had set a deadline of July 22 to ratify a resolution in enough time to prepare for the game. The league and players did not ratify the agreement until July 25, forcing cancellation of the game.
The 2016 edition, which was scheduled to be played between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, was canceled due to unsafe playing conditions. Mike Silver of NFL.com reported that on the morning of game day, it was discovered the logos at midfield and the end zones had been painted using paint which was not intended for use on the newly installed FieldTurf. Subsequently, the paint had not fully dried, and officials heated the field to speed up the drying process, causing the turf's rubber to melt; the affected areas were described as being slick and 'like cement,' making it impossible to get decent footing. Stadium officials attempted to address this by applying paint thinner to the turf, but a Packers employee noticed a label warning that this substance could result in burns when exposed to skin, and alerted them to the discovery.
In deciding to cancel the game, the league and the Players Association cited safety concerns.[3][4][5] Both teams were told at 6:40 p.m., an hour and 20 minutes before kickoff, that the game was going to be canceled. However, fans in the stadium only learned of the pending cancellation via social media, and no official announcement was made until just before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff, which was greeted by boos and jeering.[6]
On December 28, 2016, the NFL announced that the 2017 edition of the game would be played on a Thursday (August 3). This scheduling change made the Hall of Fame Game the first event of the Hall of Fame Weekend. The 2018 game was also played on a Thursday (August 2).[7]2019, the game was played on a Thursday, (August 1).
Television and radio[edit]
Unlike the majority of NFL preseason games, which air on local TV stations, the Hall of Fame Game airs nationwide. From 1999 to 2005, the game was held on Monday night, televised as part of ABC's Monday Night Football package. It had previously been held typically on Saturday afternoons, except from 1963 to 1965 on Sunday afternoons, televised as part of ABC's Wide World of Sports package (still using the MNF crew). In 1998, the game was put in the MNF package, and played on a Saturday night, which served as a test run for the move to Monday night.
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Game Canton Ohio
Starting in 2006, the game moved to NBC as part of the re-launched Sunday Night Football package (which replaced MNF as the NFL's flagship primetime broadcast that season). Except in 2007 (where the game was televised by NFL Network as part of the Thursday Night Football package; NBC had intended to televise the China Bowl game in Beijing, which was postponed and ultimately cancelled), and in all Summer Olympics years (due to NBC's telecasts of the Games; the games in these years have typically been assigned to either NFL Network, or ESPN under the current iteration of MNF), the game has aired on NBC in 2006, 2008-2010, 2013-15 2017 and remained on the network until 2019. The 2020 Game will likely either air on NFL Network or ESPN or Fox or CBS due to NBC's coverage of the Final 3 Days of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The hall of fame game will return to NBC in 2021.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village is part of the Cleveland market, and is also within 75 miles of numerous other television markets in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. As such, the NBC affiliates (and before them, the ABC affiliates) were within league requirements to black out the game in the rare event the game does not sell out, during the time the league had a blackout policy.[when?] Because the stadium only holds 22,375 fans (less than half the capacity of any other NFL stadium except the Dignity Health Sports Park, the temporary home of the Los Angeles Chargers) and the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies bring large numbers of outside fans to Canton.
Game history[edit]
| Day | Date | Away team | Away score | Home team | Home score | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | August 11, 1962 | New York Giants | 21 | St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | Recap |
| Sunday | September 8, 1963 | Cleveland Browns | 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | Recap |
| Sunday | September 6, 1964 | Baltimore Colts | 48 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | Recap |
| Sunday | September 12, 1965 | Detroit Lions | 3 | Washington Redskins | 20 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 5, 1967 | Cleveland Browns | 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | 28 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 3, 1968 | Dallas Cowboys | 24 | Chicago Bears | 30 | Recap |
| Saturday | September 13, 1969 | Green Bay Packers | 38 | Atlanta Falcons | 24 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 8, 1970 | New Orleans Saints | 14 | Minnesota Vikings | 13 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 31, 1971 | Houston Oilers | 6 | Los Angeles Rams | 17 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 29, 1972 | Kansas City Chiefs | 23 | New York Giants | 17 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 28, 1973 | San Francisco 49ers | 20 | New England Patriots | 7 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 27, 1974 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 2, 1975 | Washington Redskins | 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 24, 1976 | Denver Broncos | 10 | Detroit Lions | 7 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 30, 1977 | Chicago Bears | 20 | New York Jets | 6 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 29, 1978 | Miami Dolphins | 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 28, 1979 | Dallas Cowboys | 13 | Oakland Raiders | 20 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 2, 1980 | San Diego Chargers | 0 | Green Bay Packers | 0 | Recap[n 1] |
| Saturday | August 1, 1981 | Atlanta Falcons | 10 | Cleveland Browns | 24 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 7, 1982 | Baltimore Colts | 14 | Minnesota Vikings | 30 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 30, 1983 | New Orleans Saints | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 28, 1984 | Seattle Seahawks | 38 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 3, 1985 | New York Giants | 21 | Houston Oilers | 20 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 2, 1986 | New England Patriots | 21 | St. Louis Cardinals | 16 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 8, 1987 | San Francisco 49ers | 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 30, 1988 | Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | Los Angeles Rams | 7 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 5, 1989 | Washington Redskins | 31 | Buffalo Bills | 6 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 4, 1990 | Cleveland Browns | 0 | Chicago Bears | 13 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 27, 1991 | Detroit Lions | 14 | Denver Broncos | 3 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 1, 1992 | New York Jets | 41 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 31, 1993 | Green Bay Packers | 3 | Los Angeles Raiders | 19 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 30, 1994 | San Diego Chargers | 17 | Atlanta Falcons | 21 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 29, 1995 | Carolina Panthers | 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 14 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 27, 1996 | Indianapolis Colts | 10 | New Orleans Saints | 3 | Recap |
| Saturday | July 26, 1997 | Minnesota Vikings | 28 | Seattle Seahawks | 26 | Recap |
| Saturday | August 1, 1998 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 30 | Recap |
| Monday | August 9, 1999 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | Cleveland Browns | 20 | Recap |
| Monday | July 31, 2000 | New England Patriots | 20 | San Francisco 49ers | 0 | Recap |
| Monday | August 6, 2001 | St. Louis Rams | 17 | Miami Dolphins | 10 | Recap |
| Monday | August 5, 2002 | Houston Texans | 17 | New York Giants | 34 | Recap |
| Monday | August 4, 2003 | Green Bay Packers | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | Recap[n 2] |
| Monday | August 9, 2004 | Denver Broncos | 17 | Washington Redskins | 20 | Recap |
| Monday | August 8, 2005 | Chicago Bears | 27 | Miami Dolphins | 24 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 6, 2006 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 5, 2007 | New Orleans Saints | 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 20 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 3, 2008 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | Washington Redskins | 30 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 9, 2009 | Buffalo Bills | 18 | Tennessee Titans | 21 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 8, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 7, 2011 | Canceled due to 2011 NFL lockout | Ref.[n 3] | |||
| Sunday | August 5, 2012 | Arizona Cardinals | 10 | New Orleans Saints | 17 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 4, 2013 | Miami Dolphins | 20 | Dallas Cowboys | 24 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 3, 2014 | New York Giants | 17 | Buffalo Bills | 13 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 9, 2015 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 14 | Recap |
| Sunday | August 7, 2016 | Canceled due to poor field conditions | Ref.[n 4] | |||
| Thursday | August 3, 2017 | Arizona Cardinals | 18 | Dallas Cowboys | 20 | Recap |
| Thursday | August 2, 2018 | Chicago Bears | 16 | Baltimore Ravens | 17 | Recap |
| Thursday | August 1, 2019 | Denver Broncos | 14 | Atlanta Falcons | 10 | Recap |
| Thursday | August 6, 2020 | TBD | TBD | |||
- Notes
- ^The 1980 game was called with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter due to severe lightning.
- ^The 2003 game was called with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter due to severe lightning.
- ^The 2011 game was scheduled to be St. Louis Rams vs. Chicago Bears, but was canceled due to the NFL lockout.
- ^The 2016 game was scheduled to be Green Bay Packers vs Indianapolis Colts, but was canceled due to poor field conditions.
Appearances[edit]
| Team | Games | W | L | T | PCT | Last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 2015 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 2017 |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2008 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 2018 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .700 | 2014 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1999 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 2012 |
| Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 | 2017 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 2015 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2006 |
| Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2008 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .375 | 2003 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 2013 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 2014 |
| Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2006 |
| New England Patriots | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2001 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2003 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 1991 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 2019 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 2019 |
| Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2009 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2010 |
| New York Jets | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1992 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1997 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1998 |
| Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | 1994 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1995 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2018 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1995 |
| Houston Texans | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2002 |
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Game Results
- Most appearances – 6: Pittsburgh Steelers (1963, 1964, 1983, 1998, 2007, and 2015) and Dallas Cowboys (1968, 1979, 1999, 2010, 2013, and 2017); if the 2011 game was not canceled due to the lockout, the Chicago Bears would be scheduled for their 6th appearance in 2018 (1968, 1977, 1990, 2005, 2011, and 2018)
- Most wins – 5: Washington Redskins (1965, 1975, 1989, 2004, and 2008)
- Longest active drought without Hall of Fame Game appearance – 27 seasons: Detroit Lions (last appearance – 1991); 26 seasons: New York Jets (last appearance – 1992); 24 seasons: Los Angeles Chargers (last appearance – 1994); 23 seasons: Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars (last and only appearance – 1995)
References[edit]
- ^'Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village'.
- ^'Individual Tickets & Festival Fan Packages'. Profootballhof.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^Silver, Mike (August 4, 2016). 'Hall of Fame Game cancellation: NFL made the right decision'. NFL.com.
- ^Demovsky, Rob (August 7, 2016). 'Poor field conditions force cancellation of Hall of Fame game'. ESPN.com. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^'Hall of Fame Game fiasco: How the wrong paint, melted rubber, and caustic paint thinner nixed Packers-Colts'. Acme Packing Company (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ^Doyel, Gregg (August 7, 2016). 'Doyel: NFL fans deserve better'. The Indianapolis Star.
- ^'Pro Football Hall of Fame Experiences'. hofexperiences.com. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. p. 401. ISBN1-933405-32-5.
- 'AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game'. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 4, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2006.
External links[edit]
Canton Hall Of Fame 2019
