A hot August day in Canton, Ohio. Lines of gleaming cars snake down Tuscarawas Street and sunlight dances over Nimishillen Creek. At the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, more than 20,000 fans await a whistle. The scene is set the same each year, but the actors change, and in 2022 it will be the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders who line up to start the show on 4 August.
The fans are in town for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, an annual tradition that sees 2 NFL teams go head-to-head in the town where the nation’s favourite league was founded. Back in 1920, the owner of the local Bulldogs team met with other football magnates at a Hupmobile car showroom in downtown Canton. This gathering resulted in the creation of the American Professional Football Association, which 2 years later became the National Football League. In 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum opened in the town, further cementing the place of this small corner of north-east Ohio in the history of American football.
The Hall of Fame Game takes place on the same weekend as the yearly Hall of Fame inductions, when legendary figures in the sport are given golden jackets and the chance to see themselves immortalised as stars of the game. The teams chosen to compete in the first preseason matchup of the year are typically connected with 1 or more of the inductees, and in 2022 the Jaguars will celebrate their first ever Hall of Famer in Tony Boselli. The former tackle played 7 seasons in Jacksonville, earning 5 Pro Bowl selections and reaching 2 AFC Championship games.
The Jaguars will face the Raiders, whose former wide receiver Cliff Branch has been chosen for a posthumous Hall of Fame induction this summer. Branch spent his whole 14 year NFL career with the Raiders in Oakland and Los Angeles, winning 3 Championships and 4 Pro Bowl selections.
Like all preseason contests, the Hall of Fame Game does not count towards the teams’ records for the upcoming season, but it does represent the first chance for fans to see their favourite players hit the field. Tickets are on sale for all areas of the stadium, including the luxurious Club seats, with prices starting at USD $80 per person.
As August progresses and the children of the US start heading back to school, the NFL preseason will leap to life, warming up players and fans for the start of regular football in September. Reigning champions the Los Angeles Rams will face local rivals the Chargers at their shared home ground, SoFi Stadium, on 13 August, and 2 weeks later the Rams will take on the Bengals in Cincinnati for a preseason rematch of this February’s Super Bowl. Star quarterback Russell Wilson will begin his Denver Broncos career with a home game against the Cowboys, while his former teammates at the Seattle Seahawks will open their preseason by taking on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Tom Brady will get some throwing practice to ease him out of his brief retirement when the Bucs host the Miami Dolphins in Tampa on 13 August, and Josh Allen will make his case for being the best current QB in the league when the Bills host the Colts at Highmark Stadium on the same day.
With tickets priced much lower than regular season games, the NFL preseason is a perfect opportunity to see the greatest players in the sport without breaking the bank. Book your seats now!
