The Football Hall of Fame Game

A trip to Canton, OH is definitely not "top of mind" for most sports fans-even amongst the ultimate sports enthusiasts. I mean Canton, Ohio is not exactly a vacation destination. Sure, you may pass through if you are making the ‘rounds to all the major Hall of Fames but that does not compare to Induction Weekend. It is a gem that you just cannot miss.

For us, it all started at a charity auction where a "Hall a Fame Weekend" was a prize package. With only $125 bid, we got two rooms for two nights at the Hilton, Canton, OH, four tickets to the Hall Fame Luncheon, four tickets to the Hall of Fame game and so much more...

Day 1: Driving and Arriving.
We pulled up to the luxurious Canton Holiday Inn. Ok, that is a lie. The hotel is no luxury. It is a retro dump. Musty, out of date, but hospitable.

The first night, we ate at the hotel restaurant and realized that staying in this dump was not the disaster we thought. It was a proverbially "who’s who" of the sports world (we sat in an adjacent booth and eavesdropped on Eric Dickerson and Al Michaels.

It wasn’t until the next night that we learned from Hall of Famer, Dan Fouts, that staying at the Canton Hilton is a right of passage for all the Hall of Famers. (it is the nicest hotel in town). And, if it is good enough for the Hall of Famers, it is good enough for us. For them, it is a homecoming of sorts and by association, for the media too. And, by media, we mean the case of Monday Night Football.

The night ended by a shared elevator ride with Coach Marv Levy who was an inductee that year. I asked him if he had a fabulous time enjoying the "night life" of beautiful Canton and he got a kick out of that.

Day 2: The Big Day…Luncheon, Game, Drinks with the Hall of Fame
This is one big day of Hall o’ Fame Fun. So, take a deep breath and take it all in.

The Luncheon:
The Hall of Fame luncheon is like a high school football banquet only with better lighting and true NFL stars. The luncheon has bad banquet food but clearly, that is not the main event. They do “talk-show” format round table with the inductees at the end of the lunch and if you are lucky enough, you may even win an autograph football that dons the centerpiece at every table.

The Game:
Before the game, take time to browse the Hall of Fame, find you favorite players, and pose with the stars from your home team.

Then, move on to the game. Now, a quick tip on that. The Hall of Fame game is played in a high school stadium (which is the biggest high school stadium in the country), but since it is “high school,” there is no alcohol served. You will survive but it is good to know these things in advance.

The best thing about this stadium is that it is big enough to feel grandiose but small enough to heckle the players and coaches and actually have them hear you. My target of choice was Coach Dave Wannstedt of the Miami Dolphins…stupid jerk, who dragged the Bears through the toilet and back…

The After Party:
After four quarters of football and no beer, your best bet for a drink is the Hilton hotel bar, but you must be a registered hotel guest to get in. Be patient, have your beer, settle down and hang with you friends. By about 11pm, the stars will start trickling in. The year we went the stars included Lynn Swan, Dan Fouts, Melissa Starks, etc.

By 1am the bright lights went on to signal it was closing time. We looked over and Lynn Swann took out a wad o’ cash, gave it to the bartender and within seconds the lights go dim, the music goes back on and the party starts pumping for at least an hour longer. To that, I went up to him and said: “Lynn Swann, you kept the bar open, YOU SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME.” And, he said: “I am in the Hall of Fame!!!” This chumminess led to the below picture of Lynn, Dan and Andrew.

So, I diverge. But, the story is all the same. A trip to the Hall of Fame in a small town like Canton while staying in the only real hotel in Canton equals big time fan sighting and a hell of a story for your friends.