Hall of Fame Says Bears vs. Rams Still ‘On Track’
Added on Jul 05, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
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The NFL labor negotiations have yet to officially produce a new collective bargaining agreement, but according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame it sure sounds like both players and owners are getting ready for some football. According to Hall of Fame President Steve Perry (not to be confused with the former lead singer of 80′s supergroup Journey) said that he’s spoken to both sides of the NFL labor squabble and that they’re thinking that everything will be copacetic for the August 5th game to be played as scheduled.
Perry said that only half of the tickets for the game held in 22,000 seat Fawcett Stadium have been sold, but the relative lack of interest is understandable given the circumstances of the labor dispute:
“We’re making all plans to have the game on time. We’ve heard from both parties — the owners and the players — and they’ve expressed their desire to have the game. So, that’s our plan.”
“Ticket sales are lagging behind where they were compared to this time last year. That’s understandable. There is some uncertainty out there. But we’re planning to have the game. Nobody has told us otherwise. In fact, both sides have told us they want to play the game.”
Worst case scenario, he’s hoping the game won’t get postponed:
“That’s not our desire. It would not have the same impact as having it on Hall of Fame weekend.”
And it wouldn’t be the NFL without the threat of a blackout. Perry said that if the game isn’t a sellout that it would be blacked out in the Canton, Ohio area.
The Bears and Rams have both said they want to play in the game, which would mean that they would have to start training camp by the third week in July. The prevailing wisdom is for that to happen a deal would have to be finalized by the middle of the month. Since the negotiations took a break for the Fourth of July holiday before resuming on Tuesday that leaves 10 days to get a new labor deal done if training camps are going to begin on time and the preseason played as scheduled.
