NFL Lockout News: 2011 Hall of Fame Game Cancelled
Published by Derek Cooley on July 21, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Roger Goodell announced during a news conference in Atlanta regarding the NFL owners voting to ratify the new proposal in order to move towards lifting the NFL lockout, that the Hall of Fame game would be cancelled.
The game was originally scheduled to take place August 7th between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.
Since the ratification process is not totally finished yet, the players for both Chicago and St. Louis would really only get a week or so of actual training camp before going into full pads against each other in Canton, Ohio.
The festivities will still go on as planned according to Commissioner Goodell, which includes the induction of seven new members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those inductees include Denver Broncos long-time tight-end Shannon Sharpe, prime-time cornerback Deion Sanders, NFL Films founder Ed Sabol, L.A. Rams linebacker Les Richter, and Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger.
The remaining two inductees were supposed to watch their former teams battle next following Sunday evening, but due to the cancellation of the game, that will not be happening.
Those two players are former Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams star running back Marshall Faulk and Chicago Bears defensive end and 1985 Super Bowl MVP Richard Dent.
I can’t say I didn’t see this cancellation coming. With the whole ratification process of the new deal, training camp organization, free agency, physicals and so on…there was just not going to be enough time to get these two teams ready and prepared for a full-contact preseason game.
The loss of the Hall of Fame Game does put somewhat of a damper on the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, but it was the right move by the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell.
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