Change the Hall of Fame Game

[ALBIT]

The Hall of Fame Game was created to honor those players that are inducted into the Hall of Fame. They have been voted in as some of the best players to ever play. It is considered the ultimate individual honor for NFL football players and their fans.

But what about the game itself?

Does the game really pay homage to the best of the best in the quality for which it is played? What does it say to the HOFers and those with an interest in the game that most teams don't want to play in it. It is a fifth preseason game, another potential opportunity for unnecessary but devastating injury to the player and to his team's season.

Typically, the game starts out with a few drives by the non-essential starters combined with their primary backups. Halfway through the 1st quarter we then see the rest of the backups and top rookies for the length of about a quarter. Before the 1st half is even over, the game is degraded into teams consisting of bubble players and those we may never see again save for those who are good enough to compete for the last three to four spots on the team or the practice squad.

Exciting, right? Not so much. Is this how me honor the best of the best? With a game in which teams could care whether or not they win the game? Where the primary goal of the players is to not get hurt?

Be honest, how many of you have actually watched a Hall of Fame game from the very beginning to the very end? I mean, even the announcers stop calling the plays and descend into cute little stories of how this player overcame an eating disorder or that player graduated from a high school class of 7 students.

The biggest story that can possibly come out of it is some tragic injury.

I propose a change. Instead of the Hall of Fame game being the first preseason game, make it the first regular season game. The Hall of Fame game should be the very first regular season game played on Thursday. They should move the induction day to the beginning of the regular season. Is there a better day to celebrate the best of the best than the game that kicks off that regular season?

The league has many great choices for that game. It should be a game with additional meaning, perhaps a great rivalry or a replay of a pivotal playoff game from the previous season. Perhaps part of the "parity" of the league should include the defending Super Bowl champions having a "home' game in Canton.

Such a move would certainly generate more interest in the game. It would discontinue a game whose only newsworthy event would be injury to a key player. It would be a far more meaningful tribute to those who contributed the most to the popularity and excitement of the game.

I understand where your coming from the that stadium can't not even come close to hold and accommodate a regular season NFL game.

 

[ALBIT]

I understand where your coming from the that stadium can't not even come close to hold and accommodate a regular season NFL game.

Also keep in mind the owners would never ever go for it and lose a home game. Teams that go to London get a significant amount of cash. So having a regular season game there would be pretty much impossible

 

[Screw The Hall]

I appreciate the post but I kind of like the way it is. They spend the bulk of this game interviewing the inductees while the game is being played which would be tough to do during a regular season game when the analysis would actually matter. In this way I think they do honor these All-time greats in a way they never could if the game actually meant something.

 

[GORICO]

i would love hall of fame game to be first game of season....for us the first game against Giants is huge...if somehow some way we can win that game we are on our way
the Giants see that first game as one of their biggest of season.....i just hope we dont get hit by injury bug...this is what really concerns me...the only way we can win the division is to be healthy and to play to our potential...the NFC east got a lot better this off season

 

[DeaconBlues]

If the cowboys are playing in it...I am going to watch it from start to finish unless there are some unforeseen circumstances that pop up.

As far as the game not meaning much compared to the HOF...True enough but it helps lure more fans to the HOF that weekend and I imagine it probably gets its biggest income of any weekend of the year.

Plus not only for the HOF itself...I imagine a good number of local businesses enjoy the boom of incoming people into their local market.

1) The coaches like the game-time situations for the rookies, UDFA and fringe players.

2) Cool sig. My kids are constantly ragging on me as a Dr. Who nerd.

 

[Virginia-Dave]

I went to the HOF game the last time the Cowboys played in it (2010 I think), and it was the most boring sporting event I have ever attended. The coolest part of the entire experience was watching the Cowboys on a high school field, because everyone is close to the action. Unfortunately once the game started there was no action. Some of the starters played 1 series, then it was all guys that were either bottom of the roster or guys that wouldn't be on the team at the end of August. It was so boring that when they fired a cannon at the beginning of half time, half of the crowd (including me) almost pooped their pants. Once the cannon woke us up, my friends and I decided to bail on the game and go to a "gentlemen's" club instead.

If they really want to "honor" the HOF inductees they should make the HOF game a regular season game. Make it the first Sunday or Monday game so it actually means something. That will never happen though, because of course they want that tv revenue they get from televising the extra POS preseason game.

 

[hornitosmonster]

Will we even see starters?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Will we even see starters?

probably for a series. I don't know if Dak or Zeke will play though. Get a chance to see our great backup QB. lol

 

[Blackspider214]

It's a sign that football is right around the corner but the quality of the game is downright atrocious.

 

[plasticman]

That was the college all star classic

https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/12/09/college-all-star-football-classic-jackie-slater-joe-greene#

I remember the Cowboys playing in that All-Star game the year after they won a Super Bowl. The draft had already been completed so, essentially, they were playing against all the 1st and 2nd round picks from the draft a few months before.

The Cowboys won 20-6, the All-Stars scored a TD but missed the extra point. However, the most interesting aspect from the point of a Cowboy fan is that the TD was scored by Robert Newhouse.....2nd round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys and eventually fullback for Tony Dorsett.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Convicts vs guards!!!

 

[Biggems]

The way I see it, get rid of the 5th game. Have all but 2 teams play friday night. Then, Saturday, have the HOF inductions. Sunday, play the HOF game.