Advertisement Bad turf: Hall of Fame Game canceled Ticketholders to receive refunds, Hall president says Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Sunday's Hall of Fame game between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts was abruptly canceled because of field conditions.Hall president David Baker said all ticketholders would be issued refunds, a move that will cost the hall several million dollars."This is a hard decision, but we know it is the right decision," he said. "In some respects a hard decision because of the impact it has. This is an important game to the people in Canton."Following Saturday evening's induction ceremony, crews painted a logo on the center of the turf. The paint was heated to reduce drying time. That caused damage to the rubber pellets of the field. ESPN reported that a crew member used the wrong type of paint on the field. During warm-ups earlier in the day, players complained the surface was too hard for their cleats. Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Colts coach Chuck Pagano both watched as crews tried to rectify the problem. Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker later met with representatives of both teams."This is kind of hallowed ground right here and our whole deal about our mission is to honor the heroes of the game. That's not just the hall of famers. That's the guys that are playing today," Baker said. "It's to preserve its history. It's to promote its values and celebrate excellence. Notwithstanding that, maybe we didn't have a whole lot of celebrating excellence in painting today."He added: "If we don't stand for integrity, how can we represent the game? This is a very, very difficult decision for us today."The NFL said in a statement: "We are very disappointed for our fans, but player safety is our primary concern, and as a result, we could not play an NFL game on this field tonight."Baker said the Hall's class of 2016 would be introduced to the crowd, and the halftime show featuring Lee Greenwood would be held. Both teams walked onto the field at about 7 p.m., moments before the game would have kicked off, and the players saluted the crowd.This was not the first cancellation of an NFL exhibition game - the Hall of Game contest was not played in 2011 because of the lockout - but it was the most high-profile preseason match to be called off.In 2001, a new artificial surface at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium was deemed too dangerous for the Eagles to play the Ravens.41093240