FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-8                  3/9/05

Two teams with ties to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005 will meet in the annual Hall of Fame Game on August 8, the NFL announced today.

The Chicago Bears will play the Miami Dolphins in Canton, Ohio on Monday night, August 8 at 8:00 PM ET in a game to be televised live by ABC-TV.

The game will conclude 11 days of festivities in Canton – birthplace of the NFL -- surrounding the enshrinement of the Hall of Fame Class of 2005 – BENNY FRIEDMAN, DAN MARINO, FRITZ POLLARD and STEVE YOUNG.

Marino, one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, played for the Dolphins from 1983-99 and is the NFL’s career leader in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns.

Pollard was born in Chicago, and became the NFL’s first African-American quarterback and head coach.

The Bears will celebrate this year the 20th anniversary of their Super Bowl XX title (1985). They went 15-1 that season, losing only to the Dolphins in one of the most memorable Monday Night Football games in history. On December 2, 1985 in Miami, the Dolphins broke the Bears’ 13-game winning streak with a 38-24 victory sparked by Marino’s three touchdown passes.

Chicago (3-0) is one of four NFL teams who are undefeated in the Hall of Fame Game (Washington, 4-0; Oakland, 2-0; and Carolina, 1-0). The Bears also lead all NFL clubs in Hall of Fame enshrinees with 26 "primary" members (those players whose major NFL contribution came with the team). The Dolphins with Marino now have nine primary players.

The Hall of Fame Game will mark the NFL head-coaching debut of the Dolphins’ NICK SABAN, who returns to the NFL (assistant with Houston, 1988-89; and Cleveland, 1991-94) after taking LSU to the college national championship in 2003.