Realizing the bad look of the whole situation, the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame made a decision to have both teams stay at the stadium and turn the event into a fan experience.
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Neither team was on the field for warmups less than an hour before kickoff.
Multiple sources told ESPN.com that both the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts were anxious about player safety as crews worked feverishly on the area around the midfield logo at Tom Benson Stadium.
Stadium workers toiled through the night to dismantle the four stages set up on the field lift the protective surface on the turf. “And they haven’t even started working on those yet”. However, things started to devolve in a big way the closer it got to game time.
Of course, you really can’t blame the teams for not wanting to jeopardize the players.
The playing surface in the end zones and middle of the field was the primary concern. Players were jogging sideline to sideline and doing half speed drills on each end. It was also ended early in 1980 and 2003 because of lightning.
The issue wasn’t directly related to the rubber pellets on the field. Most noticeable were bare spots around midfield, and several players said painted areas were too hard.
Canceling the Hall of Fame Game takes away a moment when the newest honorees would have been enshrined in front of fans and players alike. Others were sliding their feet on the turf to check how slippery it was. The stars who were going to suit up likely would have played one or two series at the most.
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In the center of the group was team physician Patrick McKenzie.
