Hall of Fame game between Colts and Packers cancelled due to terrible field conditions

The field conditions at the Hall of Fame stadium are so bad that the Hall of Fame game scheduled for tonight between the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers has been cancelled.

Though it is now official, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora first reported that the teams had been informed that the game won’t be played, and then Colts defensive lineman Ricky Lumpkin tweeted that the game has been cancelled. Lumpkin added that he will still come out to the field to sign autographs for fans, and it’s likely that several players will do a similar thing for fans that won’t be able to watch the game.

The field conditions at the stadium are horrible (even worse than normal for the stadium!) and reports out of Canton indicate that the paint at midfield literally melted on to the field, creating a very dangerous playing surface as a player’s cleat could easily get stuck in it.

There is absolutely no reason for the NFL to play the game tonight, and thankfully it appears they know it. The Colts and Packers will both still have four preseason games like everyone else, and tonight’s game is arguably the most meaningless of all preseason games since it’s an extra one.

Hall of Fame president David Baker appeared on ESPN and did an interview in which he said that players and team physicians had some concerns with the field conditions, and Baker added that he consulted with head coaches Mike McCarthy and Chuck Pagano, among others, before ultimately deciding to cancel the game out of concern for player safety. He added that fans will be given a refund and that they will still honor the Hall of Famers tonight.

This means that the Colts’ preseason opener will come in six days, as they will travel to face the Buffalo Bills next Saturday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. ET.