I thought some of you guys might wanna read this preview, so here it is.

If Washington D.C. is the capital of the nation then Canton, Ohio is the center of the galaxy for the NFL.

This Sunday will continue the 43-year tradition of the Hall of Fame ceremony followed by the evening game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders.

Before the contest gets under way at 8:00 p.m. EDT, a special induction into the hall is planned for the late Reggie White. This year’s class of famed players also includes Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, Warren Moon, Rayfield Wright and football brain John Madden.

While some might not reguard the Canton game, or any preseason game at that, an important contest or a bettors’ dream investment, we must still breakdown key components of this yearly occasion.

Among stats galore and oddsmaking, this is a game that will see rookies battling for starting positions, quarterbacks looking to integrate into a new year, and veterans planning on getting into top form.

The Eagles are no strangers to the HOF game, with three prior appearances and a record of two wins and one loss. The Raiders will be coming into Fawcett Stadium with an untarnished record of 2-0 in Canton.

Looking outside the Canton box, the last ten years have produced six total meetings between both teams during regular season play. Philly leads the series with a past performance of 4-2. Their most recent history came in September of 2005, as the Eagles beat the Raiders 23-20 at home.

Since 2002 the Eagles have compiled a record of 7-9 in pre-season games. In those four years, Philly has made the playoffs three out of four times, proving that “practice games” before the season do not dictate what road the team will travel towards the playoffs and beyond. Infact during the 2004 season, in which the Eagles lost to the Patriots 27-10 in Super Bowl XXXIX, the Birds racked up a preseason record of 1-3.

Making this long story short, do not put all your eggs in one basket on any exhibition game.

This year the Eagles are basically looking at the same roster as last year, with some changes in player positioning and at the wide receiver spot. Todd Pinkston is hopeful for a September return from his Achilles injury, so count him out of the lineup till then.

The inexperience at the wide out position will weigh heavily on how the Eagles perform in this contest. Jason Avant, Justin Jenkins, Derrick Fenner and Jermaine Jamison are all looking to prove that they can earn a spot on the WR squad, so look for production out of these names.

Expect good production from running back Brian Westbrook early on, but he will probably be limited to the first quarter.

Eagles’ camp also has good expectations for running back Reno Mahe. Look for the former BYU standout to surface with production on offense.

The Raiders have logged the same 7-9 record in preseason play as the Eagles have over the past five years, which really does not say much or explain what we might witness on Sunday. Proving this theory is the 2-2 performance that Oakland posted in 2002. Who appeared in the Super Bowl that year? It was the West Coast Raiders.

The Silver and Black squad can be best described as undergoing reconstructive surgery.

Art Shell resumes his coaching tenure, again, for the team he once helped bring to 24 playoff matchups at the offensive tackle position. With a career winning percentage of .587, Shell will dump the infamous West Coast offense. This will allow quarterback Aaron Brooks to freely air it out to receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter in an open field.
Aaron Brooks threw for 2882 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.


As QB Aaron Brooks takes the reigns, rookies litter the landscape this year. Oakland is listed as three-point underdogs, with the total at 36 ½.

Linebacker Danny Clark (113 tackles last season), defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, and veteran Tyrone Poole (sat out last two seasons due to injury) will have a lot to handle given the inexperience of the defense this season.

Look for RB LeMont Jordan and fourth year pro Justin Fargas to take form during the first quarter, as their one-two punch will be much needed during the regular season. The running game may be the deciding factor early on for the Raiders.

Given stats, rosters and injuries expect the unexpected in the first contest of the preseason. Both teams, early on, should dig deep into their 75 player roster. No predictions necessary, this game could be a crap shoot.

Far from comparing this to Super Bowl XV between the Eagles and Raiders (which Oakland took 27-10), the HOF game reminds us of a rebirth in the NFL. It is another season of new players, coaches, game plans and a fresh chance to make the bowl game.

Ceremonies at Canton this weekend will be more then who wins the primetime affair. It will be a time to reflect and remember the great Reggie White and a chance to celebrate the other five inductees who deserve to be placed in the immortal Hall of Fame.