In a memo sent to all 32 teams today, which was obtained by ESPN, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent accepted ultimate responsibility for Sunday’s playing-field fiasco that resulted in the Hall of Fame Game between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts being canceled.
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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 he will sue the NFL over Sunday’s canceled Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Fans who attempted to attend the Hall of Fame Game this past weekend aren’t willing to simply accept the NFL’s ticket refund. “Those types of games, you don’t want to miss reps, especially in game-type situations”, said New York Giants safety Cooper Taylor, himself a roster-bubble player.
“You see a lot of chunks (of grass) flying up”, he said. For the star players of both teams, it was just an extra meaningless exhibition game.
Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had complaints about the quality of the field, and it may have contributed to them losing kicker Shaun Suisham for the year.
CINCINNATI (AP) – NFL fields have come a long way from the days of lumpy artificial surfaces, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement, the head of the players’ union said Tuesday.
“In 2001, a new artificial surface at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium was deemed too risky for the Eagles to play the Ravens”. “I think this happened in Philadelphia one time, I think it happened one other time, they learned from it, we’ll learn from it”. But the National Football League, to their credit, did the right thing. In a statement on its website, the Hall of Fame said that credit card purchases will be put back on the card, that checks will be cut to people who paid by check and that fans who paid cash can request a refund in person or by mail. The league offered little insight beyond what was announced about the conditions the night before. So the condition of the playing surface is a serious matter. Vincent added that National Football League operations “must demand and expect an extra level of detail in adhering to National Football League standards. for non-club fields”.
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Surfaces are tested for hardness up to 72 hours before each game.
