Several fans who traveled to Canton, Ohio, for the Hall of Fame game that was canceled on Sunday night because of poor field conditions are planning to sue the National Football League and the hall.
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Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who sued on behalf of fans who showed up for Super Bowl XLV with tickets that didn’t correspond to actual seats, told Pro Football Talk that he will sue the NFL over Sunday’s canceled Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
We’re under two hours away from the scheduled start of the 2016 preseason in the Hall of Fame game between the Colts and the Packers, but right now the status of the game is very much uncertain.
Vincent promised that the league and NFL Players Association’s joint field safety committee will seek improved field testing methods. The stadium, which holds only 22,375 fans, and the Hall of Fame itself have been undergoing a lengthy renovation project this year. It’s a meaningless extra preseason game for both teams, and both the Colts and the Packers would still have four games left if the game were cancelled. “But in the end, if it’s remotely close to unsafe, we conferred with the league, we think the best thing to do is respect the safety of the players”.
At 8 p.m. – when the scoreboard countdown had expired – Hall of Fame President David Baker walked out with a microphone and delivered the bad news.
According to the report, a large amount of the field’s issues came down to the application of the paint.
The Hall of Fame said tickets purchased through the hall will be refunded, but it is not responsible for tickets bought on the secondary market. The NFL is not connected with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it has supported it through this game and other means and promotes the event as its official opening of the football season. It’s about honoring players and coaches who make the game we all love possible.
The Hall of Fame Game is traditionally played the day after the induction ceremony for the hall’s latest class of players. ESPN had reported that the National Football League was planning to hold some sort of “fan fest” in addition to refunding ticket money, but many fans paid for travel and lodging as well.
The NFL has drawn considerable heat from players, analysts and fans alike for the snafu.
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Reasonable minds can agree that canceling the exhibition game was the correct call.
