Hall Of Fame Game Officially Canceled
(CBS) The Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Rams has been canceled, NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell announced Thursday.
The game, which was set for Aug. 7, becomes the first casuality of the NFL lockout, which is nearing an end.
"While the Pro Football Hall of Fame is disappointed by the news that the NFL/Hall of Fame Game will not be played, we appreciate the effort that was made on our behalf by the league and players right up until the last minute," the Pro Football Hall of Fame said in a statement. "Obviously, the loss of this year's game will have a significant adverse economic impact on the Hall of Fame and the Canton community. We believe, however, that the long-term stability this new agreement will provide will be beneficial not only to the league and the players, but to the fans and the Pro Football Hall of Fame."
Goodell made the announcement at a press conference in which he also said the owners had approved a tentative agreement to end the lockout. If the players also vote to approve the agreement, team facilities could open Saturday.
Given the fact that the Bears were supposed to start training camp Friday, they aren't as disappointed about the game being canceled.
"It was canceled because of the delay in opening camp," Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said in a statement. "We were supposed to open camp on July 23. Obviously that's not going to be the case any longer, so it made it difficult to prepare for that game. Because we have Richard Dent being enshrined, it's disappointing from that standpoint but probably the most fair given the circumstances of the offseason that every team starts training camp on the same day."
