Latest news with #EricAllen
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chargers, Lions to kick off NFL preseason in Hall of Fame game
The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions will kick of the preseason in the NFL's annual Hall of Fame game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the matchup Wednesday. The game will take place in Canton, Ohio, on July 31. It will be a Thursday night game, two days before the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremony for the Class of 2025. Four players, including one Chargers great, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame that Saturday. Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will join cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe in the four-person class. The game will showcase a pair of playoff teams from 2024, though it's unlikely any of the prominent playoff performers will see action in Canton. The game will be the first on the preseason schedule and projects to feature backups and players competing to make the 53-man roster. At this stage of the offseason, both teams project to enter the season as playoff contenders again. The Lions are fresh off an NFC North title and the best record in the NFC. Their postseason ended in disappointment in a divisional round loss at home to the Washington Commanders. The Chargers made the playoffs as a wild-card team after a second-place finish in the AFC West under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh. They lost in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans. The appearance in the game is the first for the Lions since they played the Hall of Fame game in 1991. The Chargers last played in the Hall of Fame game in 1994.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chargers, Lions to kick off NFL preseason in Hall of Fame game
The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions will kick of the preseason in the NFL's annual Hall of Fame game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the matchup Wednesday. The game will take place in Canton, Ohio, on July 31. It will be a Thursday night game, two days before the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremony for the Class of 2025. Four players, including one Chargers great, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame that Saturday. Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will join cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe in the four-person class. The game will showcase a pair of playoff teams from 2024, though it's unlikely any of the prominent playoff performers will see action in Canton. The game will be the first on the preseason schedule and projects to feature backups and players competing to make the 53-man roster. At this stage of the offseason, both teams project to enter the season as playoff contenders again. The Lions are fresh off an NFC North title and the best record in the NFC. Their postseason ended in disappointment in a divisional round loss at home to the Washington Commanders. The Chargers made the playoffs as a wild-card team after a second-place finish in the AFC West under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh. They lost in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans. The appearance in the game is the first for the Lions since they played the Hall of Fame game in 1991. The Chargers last played in the Hall of Fame game in 1994.
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Lions, Chargers set to play in NFL's annual Hall of Fame game
The Los Angeles Chargers will take on the Detroit Lions in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on July 31, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. It will be the first time since 2000 that an NFL preseason game will be played in the month of July. Tight end Antonio Gates, a former Charger, will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 2, alongside cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. The Lions will be the game's designated home team after they went 15-2 last season and were the NFC's No. 1 seed. They were upset in stunning fashion by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round. Following the loss, both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for head coaching jobs. Johnson joined the Lions' division rival, the Chicago Bears, while Glenn took the New York Jets' head coaching position. As for the Chargers, they are coming off a campaign where they went 11-6 and made the playoffs in head coach Jim Harbaugh's first season with the team. They lost in the Wild Card Round to the Houston Texans, a game in which quarterback Justin Herbert struggled mightily. Over 17 regular-season games, Herbert threw just three interceptions, but in the Chargers' 32-12 playoff loss, he tossed a career-high four interceptions. This will be the fourth trip to Canton for the Lions and the third for the Chargers. Detroit last played in the game in 1991, beating the Denver Broncos 14-3. The last appearance for the Chargers was a 21-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
10-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Hall of Fame's rule changes did not fix the problem. Here's how to do so
(Editor's note: This is excerpted from Mike Sando's Pick Six of Feb. 10, 2025.) The Hall adopted new rules this year to 'help ensure that membership in the Hall of Fame remains elite' after some felt too many borderline candidates were earning gold jackets. The changes reduced the class size to four in 2025 after the Hall averaged 7.8 inductees per year from 2015-2024, not counting a 20-member Centennial class. GO DEEPER Hall of Fame voting rules: Why the highest NFL honor is now more exclusive Antonio Gates, Eric Allen and Jared Allen earned enshrinement as modern-era players. Sterling Sharpe earned enshrinement as a senior player (retired at least 25 years). The four-member class was the Hall's smallest since 2005. The changes failed in another sense because, in my view as one of the 49 selectors, the committee did not sufficiently prioritize voting for the most elite candidates regardless of how long other candidates had been waiting. Advertisement Gates and linebacker Luke Kuechly met the super-elite standard better than the other modern-era finalists, but Kuechly, in his first year of eligibility, was forced to wait. Opinions on players vary. Not everyone will agree with my take on Kuechly relative to the other finalists. But I'm very confident the public outcry would be much louder if, say, Kuechly were excluded over a 10-year period than if Eric Allen, Jared Allen or both were excluded for that long (Eric Allen had been excluded much longer than that, gaining enshrinement in his 19th year of eligibility). Some voters advocate hurrying to enshrine long-eligible candidates before they fall into an abyss with other senior candidates, perhaps never to surface again. Some of these voters also complain about too many first-ballot selections, contending these players push others into the seniors category. This thinking was more defensible when enough slots were effectively available for nearly all finalists to earn enshrinement eventually. Following this line of thinking under the new, more restrictive rules creates a disconnect with the Hall's mission to improve class quality. That disconnect was on display Thursday night when the Hall introduced a class lacking in both size and star power. The table above stacks the 15 modern-era finalists for 2025 by how likely each was to earn enshrinement based on Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor score, which takes into account career production and honors. This is not, by any means, how Hall classes should be elected. But it's a thoughtful, independent point of reference. It's telling when almost none of the highest-rated players earn enshrinement. Voters must recalibrate. The chart below arranges modern-era Hall of Fame player classes by weighted career AV (Y axis) and Hall of Fame Monitor score (X axis). The problem should resolve itself temporarily in 2026 when Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald become eligible. A three-man class with Brees, Fitzgerald and Kuechly would rank sixth among 46 modern-era player classes since 1980 in average Hall of Fame Monitor score (the 2025 class ranks 40th). Bill Belichick could be the choice in the senior/coach/contributor category, further elevating the 2026 class prestige. Advertisement There are other concerns. In addition to the 15 modern-era finalists listed above, the committee also considered three seniors, one coach and one contributor separately. Sharpe was the only one to earn enshrinement under rules that assure between one and three are enshrined. The Hall would be wise to reconsider slot allocation. Three slots for seniors is too many after 18 were enshrined in the past six years, including 10 in 2020. I see no obvious contributor candidates beyond Robert Kraft. Should that category be in the mix every year? Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and Tom Coughlin are the strongest coach candidates, pending Belichick's eligibility. Their candidacies are stronger than those for contributors. The way things are set up now, voters pick three of the five finalists in this combined category, with 80 percent of votes (40 of 49 this year) required for enshrinement. Seven of the broader selection committee members serve on the subcommittee for senior candidates. They could, in theory, vote only for seniors, while the other subcommittee members (nine on the coach committee and seven on the contributor committee) must also choose players. I do not think subcommittee voters are this rigid, but with every vote being so precious, and with players naturally having the edge over coaches and contributors anyway, the 3-1-1 distribution exaggerates the imbalance. We saw the results of that imbalance when only Sharpe qualified, when many voters thought both Sharpe and Holmgren would make it. (Photo of Luke Kuechly: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
Miami Herald
07-02-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Visual Edge IT Congratulates the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
NORTH CANTON, OHIO / ACCESS Newswire / February 7, 2025 / Visual Edge IT, the proud presenting sponsor of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class, extends its heartfelt congratulations to the newest inductees. This year's distinguished class includes defensive back Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, whose contributions to the game of football have left an enduring legacy on and off the field. Visual Edge IT is honored to support the Pro Football Hall of Fame's mission to celebrate excellence and preserve the rich history of the game. Just as these legendary athletes have demonstrated leadership, perseverance, and dedication to their craft, Visual Edge IT remains committed to empowering businesses with innovative technology solutions to drive success. "The Pro Football Hall of Fame represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, and we are thrilled to play a role in recognizing these outstanding individuals," said David Ramos, Chief Strategy Officer Visual Edge IT. "Their impact on the game and their communities is truly inspiring, and we are proud to celebrate their remarkable careers." The 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will take place in Canton, Ohio, where the newest members will officially receive their gold jackets and take their rightful place among the game's greatest legends. Visual Edge IT looks forward to being part of this prestigious event and continuing its partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For more information about Visual Edge IT and its partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, visit Contact Information: Jeffrey Hayes Vice President, Marketingjhayes@ SOURCE: Visual Edge IT, Inc. press release
