One of the casualties of the collective bargaining agreement ratified by NFL owners is the cancellation of the Hall of Fame game.
The Bears and Rams were slated to play in the game Aug. 7.
“It was cancelled because of the delay in opening camp. We were supposed to open camp on July 23,” Phillips said in a statement. “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.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there wasn’t enough time to play that game.
“We feel that it’s important for all 32 teams to be operating with the same number of preseason games and also starting camp at the same date or near the same date,” he said. “Unfortunately, we will not be there to play the game this year, but of course the (induction) ceremonies will go on. Hopefully we can all work quickly, expeditiously and get this agreement done.”
Finally, a statement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame: “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.
“Although the game is an important part of the 10-day, 18-event Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, it is important to remember that the most important event is the Enshrinement Ceremony which will be held on Saturday night August 6 as scheduled. 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.”
