The Pro Football Hall of Fame embarrassed themselves on Tuesday night when it was reported that legendary former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would not be a first-ballot Hall of Fame.
Belichick did not receive the 40 out of 50 votes needed to secure a bid to the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility.
According to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, Belichick not receiving the votes could have to do with the Spygate and Deflategate scandals, with the topics coming up in “deliberations among voters.”
One voter explained that former Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian “told some voters he believed Belichick should ‘wait a year’ before induction as penance for Spygate.”
Polian, however, told Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated that he didn’t have an influence on the voting however, told Wickersham that he did not remember if he voted or Belichick or not.
Belichick is overwhelmingly considered one of, if not the greatest coach of all time. He won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots and another two as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. The three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year has a career record of 333-178.
His resume speaks for itself and one has to image if that resume isn’t worthy of being a first ballot Hall of Famer, then who’s is?
