HOF Game Between, Colts, Packers Canceled

BY ESPN

Sunday night's Hall of Fame Game between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts was canceled because of field conditions at Tom Benson Stadium.

The issue stemmed from the paint used on the logo and in the end zones. Both teams were worried about player safety as crews worked feverishly to spray solvent on the area around the midfield logo.

Hall of Fame president/executive director David Baker called the decision to cancel the game "difficult," but he added that it was an "easy, ethical decision." He told ESPN's Lisa Salters the call was made after consulting with coaches Mike McCarthy and Chuck Pagano, as well as NFL COO Tod Leiweke.

Both teams remained at the stadium, which instead hosted a fan fest-type event. According to Baker, fans will be refunded their money.

"I thought it was a joke at first, honestly. Sort of like a pull-your-leg, preseason type of a joke," Colts quarterback Andrew Luck told ESPN, which was to broadcast the game. "I understand that someone had to make a very tough decision, and I respect that. But I know I'm disappointed. I wanted to get back on the field, obviously, with what happened last year. This is one of those first steps back."

In a joint statement, the NFL and NFL Players Association said that while they were "disappointed for our fans," player safety "is our primary concern."

"There was a lot of conversation but, at the end of the day, you've got to make a decision, and the decision was made for player safety," McCarthy said. "It's not how you got there or why you got there."

One Packers player described it as "like cement" at midfield, where workers spent more than an hour trying to make it playable.

"The end zones are just as bad," the same player said about 90 minutes before the scheduled 8 p.m. ET kickoff.

"The paint on the logo won't allow a cleat to penetrate it," a Colts source said. "A definite hazard to player safety."

According to another source, the problem was made worse when workers tried to use heat to dry the excess paint, as that melted the rubber pellets in the field turf.

Colts owner Jim Irsay called it a "very unusual situation."

"Earlier in the day the league and the association looked at the field, and it was playable," Irsay said. "Then there was some painting that occurred."