Hall of Fame president Baker apologizes for inclement field

David Baker, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, issued an apology to the fans after the annual Hall of Fame game was canceled due to unsafe field conditions.

The Green Bay Packers were scheduled to play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but the game was called off after dried paint and numerous rubber pellets made the field unplayable.

Baker said the field was fine prior to Sunday but became untenable after the groundskeepers used the incorrect type of paint at the 50-yard line. Numerous players described the field conditions as being "like cement."

After the game was canceled, Baker provided an explanation via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

This is a brand new field. It passed the test when it was first installed, it passed the test this morning when the cover came off from the enshrinement, but apparently as a result of painting some things at the midfield and the end zone, the paint congealed. And I think there were some players who had some concerns, some physicians from the teams who had some concerns. We thought we would be able to remediate it by delaying the game for as much as an hour. But in the end, if it's remotely close to unsafe, we conferred with the league, we think the best thing to do is respect the safety of the players. It's the only thing to do.

Fans will be granted a full refund as a result, and players are expected to sign autographs in an impromptu event.