source: AP

The Chicago Bears almost defeated the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game, which was canceled early due to weather conditions. 

With 3:31 remaining in the third quarter, lightning strikes near Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium caused the game to be delayed and eventually canceled. 

This is far from the end of the world.

Hardly any notable NFL stars, or even starting-caliber players, appeared in this game. By the end of the third quarter, we were watching players hoping to secure roles as backups, catch onto other teams or find their way onto a practice squad.

The game itself was on pace to be a high-scoring affair, especially for the Hall of Fame Game. We'll see if that trend continues throughout the rest of the preseason, which continues in less than one week.

While the Bears technically won, or were winning, here are the true winners from Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game.

Winner: Society

The Hall of Fame Game is far from the perfect event. Both teams just reported to camp a few short weeks ago. It’s mostly backups. Society as a whole won because the game was canceled early.

However, it’s a good thing that football is back. Life's better with football on. For that reason, we are all winners. 

Winner: Collin Johnson

Chicago Bears wide receiver Collin Johnson was this year’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who put on an absolutely thrilling performance in the Hall of Fame Game.

Johnson spent last season on Chicago’s practice squad. He’s entering his fourth season in the NFL and gave the Bears two touchdowns and 56 receiving yards. 

Loser: Sports Bettors

Because the game was not completed, many sportsbooks voided bets. This means that even if you had a bet on the Bears, who were winning the game, your bet would likely not pay out. Instead, your wager amount was likely refunded.

House rules are a funny thing, and each sportsbook operates differently.

Regardless, there were some disgruntled bettors online who did not get to see their first football bets of the season cash in.

Loser: Hall of Fame 2024 Class

Julius Peppers source: Getty Images

This is the biggest weekend of the year for Canton. The thunderstorms put a damper on the festivities on Thursday. 

And this weekend? This Hall of Fame class is rather underwhelming. 

We’re a few years away from Tom Brady’s induction. We’re even further from Aaron Donald. Don’t get me wrong, Devin Hester and Julius Peppers are excellent players and deserving Hall of Famers. But this class doesn’t have the swag that some other upcoming classes will have.