Turf Cam

[BGSU33]

Hopefully someone will check the paint at midfield and the endzones to make sure it didn't 'melt'. Wouldn't want a repeat of the Hall of fame game.

In a related note, I've heard the turf gets extremely hot in the sun after a couple hours. Might be something to watch for this year.

We have nothing to worry about along those lines. All of our logos and letters (both on the previous turf we had and the current turf) are made from the turf material itself, they aren't painted on. Yes, the field can get hot in direct sunlight but thankfully we have a completed design made out of turf and not painted on. One MAC school I know that does paint on its logos is Kent State. I walked on their painted logo before and it is both sticky and coarse in spots. I was at the Hall of Fame game last night. Very disappointing and embarassing. I felt really bad for those who traveled far to attend that. The HOF was giving refunds on tickets but that's little consolation to those who spend money on airfare, hotels, rental cars, etc., to get there.

[gmartin]

People are complaining and wanting a refund on travel expenses (gas, food, lodging) on top of the game ticket refund. That's pushing it a bit. If the game was cancelled for a thunderstorm or if a regular season game was cancelled due to a blizzard you wouldn't get your travel expenses returned. People, unless you live in or near Ohio, come to the Hall of Fame game for the entire weekend. You come to watch the players get inducted. I seriously doubt many people, even die hard fans, traveled from Indianapolis or Green Bay just to watch 3rd and 4th stringers duel it out to make it through the first round of cuts. Rodgers wasn't playing. Luck was playing one series. I heard the NFL was thinking about giving these people discounts on playoffs and superbowl tickets because of this fiasco. That, and refund the game ticket seems fair. My one question is why did they wait until the day of the game to paint midfield and endzones. Couldn't they have painted that last week.

[It's the Journey...]

I think the quickness of the paint job was so it would look as fresh as possible. During the induction ceremony the field is covered. Perhaps they did not want to do touch up work after the tarps were removed.

[BGSU33]

People are complaining and wanting a refund on travel expenses (gas, food, lodging) on top of the game ticket refund. That's pushing it a bit. If the game was cancelled for a thunderstorm or if a regular season game was cancelled due to a blizzard you wouldn't get your travel expenses returned. People, unless you live in or near Ohio, come to the Hall of Fame game for the entire weekend. You come to watch the players get inducted. I seriously doubt many people, even die hard fans, traveled from Indianapolis or Green Bay just to watch 3rd and 4th stringers duel it out to make it through the first round of cuts. Rodgers wasn't playing. Luck was playing one series. I heard the NFL was thinking about giving these people discounts on playoffs and superbowl tickets because of this fiasco. That, and refund the game ticket seems fair. My one question is why did they wait until the day of the game to paint midfield and endzones. Couldn't they have painted that last week.

I disagree. I was there for the weekend and met and talked to many, many people and can personally tell you, the game itself was a huge part of why they came. Yes they participated in a number of other activities during their time in Canton, but there's a reason why the weekend wraps up with the game and doesn't begin with it. Your examples of thunderstorms and blizzards are both weather-related circumstances and would be understandable had it caused a cancellation of this game. It happens every year to a handful games in college. But this wasn't weather related at all, it had to do with paint on the field. Big difference. I'm actually a Chicago Bears fan and despite all the Packers fans there, I still had a wonderful time. Not one word of trash talking and it was an enjoyable event. I essentially could give a rat's ass about the NFL preseason. I honestly wish they didn't even have one. But I have been to a number of preseason games and by comparison, the Hall of Fame game is very different. There are a bunch of activities set up around the grounds and it is a showcase to essentially start of the football season. You have fans from all different teams that also attend the game and all of the event and are collectively celebrating the start of the football season. It's probably one of two games in the NFL (the Super Bowl being the other) where people from that many different teams come together to watch the game. And no I'm not saying the Super Bowl is the same as the Hall of Fame game from an importance standpoint, it is not. Simply put, the Hall of Fame game starts the season off and the Super Bowl ends it.

All that said, I do feel bad for those who spent that kind of money to have a game canceled because of non-weather related issues. I do understand why they made the decision, but that decision should never have been on the table to be made.