Pro Football Hall of Fame’s statement regarding cancellation of NFL/Hall of Fame Game

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.

Recent Comments

The players and the owners should be ashamed. They both had plenty of time to get the CBA agreed upon and sign in time to save the HOF game. I'm attending for the 1st and probably the last time. I feel sorry for the inductees. The game on Sunday would have been a fitting end to a HOF career. You selfish b------s!!!!

I was afraid of this game being cancelled by the NFL. I had purchased game tickets even before the teams were announced. Then when they announced the Rams were playing, I was ecstatic. I've been going to Canton every other year since 2001 for just the Enshrinment Ceremony and the game. With the economy still being slow it doesn't make sense to fly from Miami just to go to the Ceremony. I'm very upset, but that's life. I was looking forward to seeing the Rams play and greeting Marshall and his friends from the Greatest Show on Turf. Oh well, congratulations to all, and especially to Marshall Faulk. Go Rams!!!

We have been attending Enshrinement weekend for many years. After months of eagerly waiting to see our Chicago Bears play in the HOF game, we are devastated by the news. For that reason, this will be our last Enshrinement. Shame on  the NFL, the owners and the players, all of whom forgot about the game... they only thought about their wallets.

Tressel apologizes to Ohio State fans

CANTON, Ohio (AP)—Standing before a room jammed with some of his most loyal admirers, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel apologized several times during his first public speaking engagement since being suspended and fined for violating NCAA rules.

Speaking to a crowd of 400—many of them Ohio State fans clad in the school’s scarlet and gray—at a luncheon sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Tressel charmed a pro-Buckeyes’ audience during a 40-minute speech focused on handling adversity.

Tressel began his remarks by saying he couldn’t say much about the recent troubles at Ohio State “because of the nature of the investigation.”

“But I can tell you this,” he said. “I consider all of you a part of the Buckeye Nation. I sincerely apologize for what we’ve been through. I apologize for the fact I wasn’t able to find the ones to partner with to handle our difficult and complex situation.

“I also apologize because I’m going to have some sanctions. But the mission doesn’t change. That’s the pledge I have to you. The mission I’ve always had is we make sure we help young people change their lives.”

Dressed in a charcoal suit and dark red tie, Tressel also apologized for being a distraction to Ohio State’s top-ranked basketball team, which enters this week’s NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.

As part of the school-imposed penalties announced last week, Tressel was also publicly reprimanded and required to make a public apology.

Before he was whisked off to the airport, Tressel was asked if his speech served as his public repentance.

“I’ve tried to apologize all along,” he said.

Merlin Olsen, Hall of Fame footballer and TV actor, dies at 69

Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen, who parlayed a successful football career with the L.A. Rams into a long-running television career, has died after a battling mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining, according to The New York Times.

As an actor, Olsen is best known for playing Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie for more than 50 episodes, as well as for starring as Father Murphy on the 1981-83 series of the same name.

He was voted NFC defensive lineman of the year in 1973 and the NFL MVP in 1974, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

I see those legal firm commercials on TV concerning Mesothelioma, and this case, Merlin had lawsuits against the studios where he had done his filming, because they exposed him to asbestos. Perhaps the Little House on the Prairie had asbestos for their insulation. Would be interesting to know if any other cast members have the same ailement.

I have always had a great deal of respect for him. He was an excellent football player, and I assume was always looked up to by his team mates. He was always a gentleman on TV as a broadcaster.