Hall-of-Fame Game Canceled

The NFL announced Thursday that they are canceling the Hall-of-Fame game, the pre-season game that was supposed to feature the Bears and the Rams in Canton, Ohio, as a part of NFL Hall-of-Fame induction ceremonies.

"Time is just too short," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We were up against the wall, and I think that's shown by the unfortunate cancellation of the Hall-of-Fame game."

“It was cancelled because of the delay in opening camp," Ted Phillips, Bears president, said. "We were supposed to open camp on July 23. Obviously that’s not going to be the case any longer, so it made it difficult to prepare for that game. Because we have Richard Dent being enshrined, it’s disappointing from that standpoint but probably the most fair given the circumstances of the offseason that every team starts training camp on the same day.”

Over the past few weeks, several Bears, including Chris Harris and Lance Briggs, voiced their concern that they would not have enough time to prepare for the game. Despite the fact that this is a pre-season game that features little play from starters, it's still a full-contact football game. The league recognized that for safety reasons, it should not be played.

Richard Dent, the MVP of Super Bowl XX, will be inducted into the Hall on August 6, so it will still be a special weekend for Bears fans. Now, they will have to wait another six days to see the team play. The Bears pre-season is scheduled to kick off on Aug. 13 at Soldier Field against the Bills.

Anyone who purchase tickets to the game can find refund information here.

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