NFL Cancels 2020 Hall of Fame Game, the Kickoff to Preseason Football, Due to Coronavirus

An NFL game has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame canceled the Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game, which was intended to be the official kickoff of the 2020 NFL Preseason, due to COVID-19.

The two teams will face off to start the 2021 NFL Preseason instead.

“The health and safety of our Hall of Famers, fans and volunteers who make Enshrinement Week so special remains our top priority,” David Baker, the president and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “The Hall will honor the Centennial Class of 2020 next August, along with what promises to be an equally spectacular Class of 2021, as part of a multi-day celebration of football with an atmosphere that will deliver for fans ‘Twice the Fun in ’21.'”

The exhibition game was scheduled for Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio, which is the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was set to air on NBC. The Hall of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony for the class of 2020, which was set to take place two days later, has been postponed.

Also Read: Will 'Hard Knocks' Show Players Get COVID Tests? 'It's a Fair Assumption'

Until now, the NFL hasn’t missed an offseason event on its schedule — they’ve just been…different. In April, the National Football League held a virtual draft instead of the usual in-person extravaganza. The league’s free agency period has stayed on track, but has also followed social-distancing protocols.

The 2020 NFL regular season is supposed to start on Thursday, Sept. 10, when the Houston Texans visit Arrowhead Stadium and the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Though it is a Thursday game, the regular season kickoff is a “Sunday Night Football” presentation, and thus, an NBC broadcast.

ESPN first reported the news of the 2020 Hall of Fame Game’s cancellation.

Longest Running TV Shows Still on Air in the US, From 'General Hospital' to 'The Simpsons' (Photos)

Here are the longest running TV shows still airing in the U.S. -- not counting news and sports programming.
"General Hospital"

Series debut: April 1, 1963

The ABC daytime soap opera started as a half-hour show but it's been an hour-long staple since 1978.
ABC
"Days of Our Lives"

Series debut: Nov. 8, 1965

The NBC soap also spent its first decade as a half-hour show and has churned out decades' worth of domestic drama.
NBC
"Sesame Street"

Series debut: Nov. 10, 1969

The children's series, first launched on PBS with its mix of short segments and furry Muppets, has been broadcast in more than 120 countries.
PBS
"Masterpiece Theatre"

Series debut: January 10, 1971

PBS' long-running anthology, many adaptations of classic novels, has gone through multiple hosts over the years -- from Alastair Cooke to Russell Baker to Laura Linney.
PBS
"The Price Is Right"

Series debut: Sept. 4, 1972

Technically, this game show debuted in 1956 and ran for nine years on both NBC and ABC. But the 1972 relaunch, hosted by Bob Barker, has become a daytime mainstay with contestants playing guessing games about the cost of merchandise.

CBS
"The Young and the Restless"

Series debut: March 26, 1973

The soap opera joined the CBS daytime lineup in 1973 -- and wound up outlasting the network's "As the World Turns" which ended its 54-year run in 2010.
CBS
"Saturday Night Live"

Series debut: October 11, 1975

Lorne Michaels' weekly sketch comedy series has launched the careers of countless stars over five decades.
NBC
"Wheel of Fortune"

Series debut: January 6, 1975

The TV version of Hangman started on NBC with host Chuck Woolery; Pat Sajak took over as host in 1981 and stayed with the show when it became syndicated two years later.
"Jeopardy!"

Series debut: September 10, 1984

The syndicated quiz show first aired as a daytime show in 1964. The current syndicated evening version kicked off two decades later, with host Alex Trebek.
"The Bold and the Beautiful"

Series debut: March 23, 1987

The CBS soap launched as a sister series to the Wisconsin-set "The Young and the Restless" despite its more glamorous L.A. locale.

CBS
"The Simpsons"

Series debut: December 17, 1989

Matt Groening's animated sitcom helped put the Fox network on the map -- and it's still going strong. Ay, caramba!

Fox
"America's Funniest Home Videos"

Series debut: November 26, 1989

The collection of wacky clips has survived three decades on ABC.
"Power Rangers"

Series debut: August 28, 1993

The campy and colorful live-action superhero series for kids has jumped among a half-dozen networks over the years, and it's spawned a series of big-screen adaptations.
Saban
"South Park"

Series debut: Aug. 13, 1997

Trey Parker and Matt Stone's lo-fi animated satire has followed the adventures of Colorado fourth graders Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman through countless topical controversies on Comedy Central.
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

Series debut: Sept. 20, 1999

The spinoff of Dick Wolf's original cop-legal drama, starring Mariska Hargitay as a detective (and later commander) on an NYPD unit handling sex crimes, has now outlasted its long-running predecessor.