REPORT: Tonight’s Hall of Fame Game canceled due to unsafe field

According to CBS’s Jason La Canfora, tonight’s Hall of Fame Game has been canceled due to an unsafe field.

I'm told teams being informed there will not be a Hall of Game tonight due to unsafe playing field conditions

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 7, 2016

Apparently things were so bad the decision wasn’t even that tough:

One exec w/team in Canton called cancellation "a no brainer for player safety … The 90th man (on roster) deserves it as much as the 1st."

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 7, 2016

There had been speculation leading up to the game that this might happen, and now it looks like the game between the Packers and Colts will indeed be canceled. Here were a few tweets from the run-up to the decision to call it off:

Will they play? Pregame powwow in Canton over turf playability. pic.twitter.com/A8j8xkCu74

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) August 7, 2016

The field issues in Canton are melted paint on the field, plus concern over uneven surface. #packers

— tim van vooren (@tvvfoxsix) August 7, 2016

The field in Canton is so bad that the Hall of Fame Game may have to be canceled https://t.co/T3GAylqFbt

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 7, 2016

Parts of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio are as hard as concrete in opinion of multiple players. Unsafe, they say.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2016

The paint that was applied today on middle of field, and in endzones, has congealed; would be like playing on tar.

Game now doubtful.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2016

Traditionally taking place the same weekend as the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the game dates back to 1962. The only year since that didn’t feature a Hall of Fame game was the 2011 season, when the labor issues delayed the start of the preseason. That game was not made up, and though it remains to be seen whether this one will be, it seems unlikely.