Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League pre-season exhibition game that is held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Fawcett Stadium, which is located next door to the Hall of Fame building in Canton, Ohio.
The two teams that play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game are selected by the league, which since 1971 has been one AFC team vs. one NFC team. Because this game and the Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies are scheduled on the weekend before the league's regular four-week pre-season begins, both teams end up playing five pre-season games instead of the normal four and (unlike the Canadian Football League) the league does not take away another preseason game in another week.
Since 1995, expansion teams usually played the Hall of Fame Game as their first ever NFL contest; the teams that have done so thus far are Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers matchup in 1995, and the Houston Texans in 2002. The only exception to an expansion franchise not playing at this venue is the Baltimore Ravens. It is assumed that this is because the team was considered a moved franchise (although it is officially recognized as an expansion franchise founded in 1996 as a result of an agreement between the NFL and the city of Cleveland). However, the Cleveland Browns were featured in the Hall of Fame Game upon their return to the league in 1999.
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[edit] Television and radio
From 1998-2005, the game was held on Monday night, televised as part of ABC's Monday Night Football package. It had previously been held typically on Saturday afternoons, televised as part of ABC's Wide World of Sports package. Starting in 2006, it was moved to Sunday night, coinciding with the new NBC Sunday Night Football television package. The 2007 game was telecast on NFL Network as NBC was intending to televise the China Bowl game in Beijing, China (a game which was postponed to 2009). The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-7 in the 2007 game, giving new head coach Mike Tomlin the win in his first game as an NFL head coach.
Westwood One owns national radio rights; it is the only preseason game to air on a nationwide network. Each team's radio network is also allowed to broadcast the games (albeit usually with fewer affiliates since preseason games are traditionally much lower priority to non-sports and non-flagship stations).
Since 2007 the game has been broadcast live in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland by Sky Sports. NASN broadcasts the game in the rest of Europe.
[edit] Game history
- ^ Game ended with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter due to severe lightning.
- ^ Game ended with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter due to severe lightning
[edit] Standings
| Team | W- | L- | T | Pct. | Last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2008 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2005 |
| Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2006 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1995 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2003 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 1997 |
| New England Patriots | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2001 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 2000 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 1 | 1 | .625 | 2002 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 2007 |
| Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2008 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2006 |
| St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1986 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1988 |
| New York Jets | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1992 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1997 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1998 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1999 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1 | 2 | 1 | .375 | 2003 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 1994 |
| Denver Broncos | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2004 |
| Detroit Lions | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 1991 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0 | 0 | 0 | .----- | N/A |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2007 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | 1994 |
| Houston Texans | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2002 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1995 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 1989 |
| Houston Oilers/TN Titans | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 1985 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 1999 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 2005 |
Most appearances- 5: (tie) Cleveland Browns (1963, 1967, 1981, 1990 and 1999), Pittsburgh Steelers (1963, 1964, 1983, 1998 and 2007) and Washington Redskins (1965, 1975, 1989, 2004, and 2008)
Most wins- 5: Washington Redskins (1965, 1975, 1989, 2004 and 2008)
Longest active drought without Hall of Fame Game appearance- 23 seasons: Tennessee Titans (last appearance- 1985 {as Houston Oilers})
Active teams to have never made a Hall of Fame Game appearance- 1: Baltimore Ravens (founded 1996)
All three Cardinals appearances have been as the St. Louis Cardinals. Likewise, all three Oilers/Titans appearances have been as the Houston Oilers. The Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans--the two teams with the longest current absence from the game--are the only teams yet to appear in the game since their respective moves.
[edit] References
- 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book, 401. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
- "AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
