Hall of Fame's "Week of Excellence" at Super Bowl XLIX
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Mission is to: Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values and Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE! Super Bowl week will provide the Hall with many opportunities to fulfill that important mission.
The Hall of Fame will have a large presence throughout the entire Super Bowl XLIX celebration in Arizona. The Super Bowl is widely considered as an undeclared national holiday. It also provides the perfect stage for the Hall to carry out its mission.
Class of 2015 to be Elected
The year round selection process is capped by a daylong meeting in Phoenix on Saturday as the 46-member Selection Committee meets to elect the new class of enshrinees. The Selection Committee will have before them 18 finalists for consideration. The first order of business will be to review the merits of the Senior finalist Mick Tingelhoff. After the debate, the committee will vote either “yes” or “no” and Tingelhoff must receive a minimum vote of 80% to be elected. Then, the panel will discuss the two Contributor Finalists, Bill Polian and Ron Wolf, followed by a vote of “yes” or “no” on each of the candidates who need a minimum of 80% of yes votes to earn election.
The Selection Committee then analyzes the 15 Modern-Era Finalists. After extensive debate, the list is trimmed from 15 to 10 and later from 10 to 5. At that point the Selection Committee votes “yes” or “no” on each of the remaining five finalists all of whom need a minimum vote of 80% to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Fans can follow along and share in the coverage of the new class using the hashtag #PFHOF15.
New class revealed on NFL Honors
All voting during the selection meeting is tabulated by the independent accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. The new class of Enshrinees will be revealed and introduced during the “4th Annual NFL Honors” show. The two-hour primetime awards show from Symphony Hall in Phoenix will be hosted by Seth Myers and will air nationally on Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET.
The newly elected Class of 2015 will also make an appearance the following day when they are introduced to the fans at University of Phoenix Stadium during Super Bowl XLIX.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Merlin Olsen Luncheon at Super Bowl XLIX
Amid the numerous officially sanctioned Super Bowl events is the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Merlin Olsen Luncheon at Super Bowl XLIX. Now in its tenth year, and named after the late Hall of Fame defensive tackle, the luncheon takes place on the Friday before the Super Bowl. The private luncheon provides 300 guests with exclusive access to some of the NFL’s greatest heroes of the game. On hand are 30 Gold Jackets (living Hall of Famers) including Fred Biletnikoff, Derrick Brooks, Steve Largent, and Warren Moon. Cardinals legend Dan Dierdorf will be honored as the 10th recipient of the Merlin Olsen Award for Excellence. Anthony Muñoz and Aeneas Williams will serve as the emcees alongside Hall of Fame President David Baker.
Gridiron Glory
The Hall of Fame is displaying hundreds of its one-of-a-kind artifacts throughout the week. Aside from a major exhibit at the NFL Experience inside the Phoenix Convention Center, the Hall’s largest exhibit of its collection is Hall of Fame’s spectacular national traveling exhibit, Gridiron Glory, The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix. Gridiron Glory is an 8,000 square-foot exhibit which includes more than 200 rare and never-before seen artifacts from the Hall of Fame’s collection. Large-scale multimedia experiences and revolutionary material from NFL Films captures not only the essence of the game but provides a unique visitor experience.
Ford Super Bowl Chalk Talk
As part of the Hall’s national sponsorship with Ford, Gold Jackets Terry Bradshaw and Marcus Allen will deliver an exclusive private invite Chalk Talk to national and local Ford representatives on Saturday, Jan 31, 2015. They will share stories and answer questions about their careers.
Super Bowl Sunday Tailgate Party
The Hall of Fame is teaming up with DirecTV to throw the biggest and hottest party before the Super Bowl. Supermodel and TV personality Chrissy Teigen and NFL Legend Tony Gonzalez are hosting the third annual Super Fan Tailgate on Feb. 1, 2015 from noon-3 p.m. MT at 91st Ave. & Bethany Home Rd., which is located less than a half mile from the stadium. Several Gold Jackets will be on hand for the party including Marcus Allen, Chris Doleman, Mike Haynes and Andre Tippett.
Enjoy multiple buffet stations with unlimited first-class cuisine from the world’s finest chefs, top-shelf open bar, live music and entertainment, interactive games and autograph and photo opportunities with current NFL players and NFL legends. Admission also includes special entry stadium access with no waiting and premium parking adjacent to the stadium.
#PFHOFatSB49
The Hall of Fame will share its Super Bowl experience through social media. Be on the lookout for Gold Jackets on the scene in Arizona throughout the week and some behind-the-scenes glimpse of the grandeur that is the Super Bowl! To make it easy for fans, the Hall’s using the hashtag #PFHOFatSB49!
Class of 2015 Orientation
The newly-elected Class of 2015 members will start to prepare for their Enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8, 2015. The class will be fitted and measured for their Bust, Gold Jacket and Ring of Excellence. Follow @ProFootballHOF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see behind-the-scene pictures of the process.
St. Jude & Warren Moon Hall of Fame Reception
Gold Jacket Warren Moon hosted a fundraiser dinner on Jan. 22, 2015 at the Mint Lounge & Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Proceeds will help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Guests had the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, live music, a filet mignon and lobster dinner and both silent & live auctions with several high-profile celebrities and athletes.
Odds for Saturday
The Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee will select the Class of 2015. The possibilities are nearly endless.