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Another Pro Football Hall of Fame voter who didn’t check Bill Belichick’s name for the Class of 2026 has come forward to explain his choice.
He also chose New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft over Belichick.
FOX59/CBS4 sports reporter Mike Chappell, who has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than 40 years, was the second voter to explain his decision on why he didn’t vote for Belichick in a column published this week.
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Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media at Gillette Stadium about his departure. (John Tumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star was the first to do so, also writing a column.
Like Gregorian, Chappell noted that being forced to choose up to three names from the five-man field that included Belichick, Kraft and three senior members made it difficult. Chappell chose two of the senior candidates, believing it was their last chance to advance to the hallowed halls of Canton.
So that left Kraft and Belichick. He chose the first.
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“As one of 50 selectmen, I voted FOR Robert Kraft, longtime and accomplished owner of the New England Patriots,” Chappell wrote in his column. “I did not vote AGAINST Bill Belichick, the accomplished long-time head coach of this dynasty. I realize there is an indiscriminate difference, but I am comfortable with my decision.”
Chappell then explained why he thought Kraft deserved this year’s class over Belichick.
“Kraft’s role in building the Patriots’ dynasty starting in 1994 AND his undeniable role in brokering the end of the 100-day playing work stoppage in 2011 – while his wife was seriously ill – resulted in a long-standing labor peace,” Chappell wrote. “He has also been involved behind the scenes in bolstering the NFL’s ever-increasing television revenues.”
It was reported that Belichick’s involvement with the Patriots during the infamous Spygate and Deflategate scandals kept him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
For Chappell, Spygate was involved in his decision.
Then-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file)
“It is not possible to erase the stain of Spygate from his biography,” he wrote. “This was not alleged conduct. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 – the maximum allowed – as well as $250,000 to the Patriots and a first-round draft pick for illegally recording the New York Jets’ signals in 2007.”
Chappell thinks Belichick will be a Hall of Famer, but he was left with a tough choice in his eyes.
“This year’s decision in no way insinuates that Belichick is not worthy of the Hall of Fame,” Chappell wrote. “Of course he is. I believe he’ll make it next year. Will that mean his gold jacket isn’t as bold if he had been selected in his first year of eligibility? Of course not.”
Regarding Chappell’s final point, others have commented to the contrary, saying the Hall of Fame’s integrity has diminished because Belichick, who has the second-most wins by a head coach all-time with six Super Bowls and two while he was coordinator with the New York Giants, has a first-ballot resume.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky even went so far as to say the Hall of Famer should correct his decision.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on January 11, 2024. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP)
“There is not a single person who has given a justifiable reason for Coach Belichick not to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Orlosky said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday, according to Awful Announcing. “It’s obviously a big deal. Unless someone does it, why can’t the Hall of Fame take a step back and say, ‘You know what? We’ve re-evaluated. Everyone’s making a lot of good points. The process is flawed. Let’s make sure we’re doing it the right way.’ Because the good thing is having him as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I understand that everyone is in this turmoil like, “No, you can’t go back. The vote. Why not? Why can’t the Hall of Fame do the right thing and realize the blatant mistake that happened. »
Others like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, JJ Watt and Kraft, who called Belichick “the greatest coach of all time,” shared their displeasure with what happened.
