August 9, 2016
Unless you live without Internet, by now, you probably know that the first NFL Preseason game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers was cancelled due to poor field conditions. While it does hurt the NFL to have its first game of the year cancelled, it isn’t the end of the world.
This is not the first preseason game to be cancelled, but it is the first Hall of Fame game to be called off.
In 1995, a preseason game between the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers was cancelled due to turf problems with the Astrodome. This is the first game in NFL history to be cancelled due to field conditions.
The Colts and Packers weren’t even the second preseason game to be cancelled. That honor goes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. This game was also cancelled due to field conditions because the same field was used for both baseball and football.
The Hall of Fame game is played on essentially a high school and Division II football field. Ideally, that is not the type of field you want to play a professional football game.
It didn’t help that the field was used for events all during the Hall of Fame weekend. When using an overworked field, it’s just a matter of time before problems start happening.
If the field couldn’t be safe for play during the one weekend the NFL needs it, maybe the game should have been moved to Cleveland, Ohio, which is an hour away from Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame game is played each year.
The field is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium after New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. In 2014, Benson donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with $10 million going to a new field.
Speaking of the Saints, Drew Brees is having one of the roughest camps of his career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown seven interceptions during team drills through the first nine days of camp.
Last year, the Saints and Brees were deep into training camp before he threw his first pick. Hopefully, he is getting all his interceptions out of the way now, so he throws just a few during the season.
The only reason this story about Brees throwing picks in practice is a story because it is a future Hall of Famer throwing interceptions. The Saints have a young receiving unit, so all the interceptions are not Brees’ fault.
This story doesn’t mean much unless he keeps throwing interceptions during preseason games. It will really gain legs if he begins throwing picks in bunches during the regular season.
Speaking of the Saints receivers, youth won out over experience when New Orleans cut wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on Aug. 8. The former New York Giants receiver hoped that New Orleans would be the place to jumpstart his career.
Instead, Nicks lasted just two weeks, and he was cut so the team could sign another long-snapper. New Orleans also activated left tackle Terron Armstead from the Physically Unable to Perform list today.
If you missed it, on Friday, Aug. 5, the Saints signed longtime Packers fullback John Kuhn. The veteran fullback spent nine seasons with Green Bay.
New Orleans needed to sign another fullback after primary fullback Austin Johnson suffered an injury in practice. Before signing Kuhn, the Saints just had undrafted rookie Sione Houma on the roster.
In a bit of sad news, former Saints receiver Lance Moore called it a career today. He had just signed with the Falcons on Friday, battling to be the fifth receiver.
Moore played for the Saints, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Falcons and Cleveland Browns. He broke into the league with the Browns as an undrafted free agent from the University of Toledo.
The former MAC star spent time in NFL Europe with the Berlin Thunder while under contract with the Saints. He worked his way onto the New Orleans roster.
Moore was a big part of the Saints offense during his time in New Orleans and made several big catches when the Saints needed a huge play. He caught a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.
After 10 NFL seasons, Moore ends his career with 389 catches for 4,816 yards and 44 touchdowns.
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