NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The football world was stunned Tuesday night when it was initially announced that eight-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick was not elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
ESPN first reported that Belichick would not be entering the Hall of Fame this time around. The outlet, citing sources, reported that Belichick was “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the decision and wondered what more he needed to do as head coach to get in immediately.
However, the outlet also reported that Spygate and Deflategate were points of contention and “bothered some guys,” leading some to convince other voters that Belichick should be punished by waiting a year to enter. The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round draft pick and $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000. Deflategate resulted in a four-game suspension for Tom Brady and a $1 million fine and made its way to the US courts.
Bill Polian speaks during the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 8, 2015 in Canton, Ohio. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ESPN reported that Bill Polian, a rival general manager during Belichick’s years with the New England Patriots, was one of the voters who told others that Belichick should “wait a year” before being inducted.
Polian denied the idea to ESPN and told Sports Illustrated that the accusations were “totally and categorically false.”
“I was shocked to hear that Bill didn’t make it. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” Polian told ESPN.
Polian also told SI that he “voted for” Belichick, but ESPN said Polian told them he couldn’t remember with 100 percent certainty if he did.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick smiles as he walks off the field during training camp in Foxborough, Massachusetts, June 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
ESPN also said that Polian “heard his fellow voters ‘tossing this idea’ of ‘a year-long penance’ but insisted he neither agreed nor disagreed with the proposition.”
The finalized list of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees will be released before Super Bowl LX. Belichick was among the candidates in a separate group in the modern era player category, along with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, LC Greenwood and Robert Kraft.
Six of Belichick’s titles came as head coach of the Patriots, and the other two as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
Belichick, currently the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, had a record of 302-165 during his head coaching career with the Patriots and Cleveland Browns. He and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 campaign after 24 seasons.
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 via Getty Images)
He had a controversial ending with the Browns and New York Jets. The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under the cover of obscurity, leaving the entire franchise in the city. When he was about to accept the job as head coach of the Jets, he resigned as “HC of the NYJ” during his opening press conference and decided to accept the head coaching job of New England instead.
