Bill Belichick will not make it as a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach.
ESPN has reported that former New England Patriots head coach and current UNC head coach Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed to make it into Canton, Ohio, during his first year of eligibility. With an all-time record of 302-165 in the regular season and a postseason record of 31-13, Belichick is hailed as one of the greatest to ever put on a headset and lead a team into battle on Sunday. He hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy twice as a New York Giant as a defensive coordinator and six times as a head coach for the New England Patriots.
Social media around the NFL has erupted with disputes over Belichick being ousted from the Hall of Fame.
The ESPN report states, "Multiple sources told ESPN that Spygate and Deflategate, the twin cheating scandals during the Patriots' championship run, came up in deliberations among voters. A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Bill Polian, an ardent Robert Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts -- a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty -- told some voters he believed Belichick should 'wait a year' before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick. Commissioner Roger Goodell also fined the Patriots $500,000 and fined Belichick $250,000."
The vibe around the dispute over Belichick not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer suggests that if Belichick can't make it in his first year of eligibility, then who can?
Belichick has been under a lot of public criticism for the last half-decade. Patriots fans have a slightly sour taste in their mouths about how Belichick and Brady parted ways, even though they seem to be on better terms these days.
Belichick's exit in New England was less than satisfactory, even if Robert Kraft said it was a "mutual parting of ways" between owner and coach.
Then there's his personal life as of late spilling into his image as one of the best coaches of all time. But that should not be the deciding factor.
The narrative that the league is using Spygate and Deflategate as a penalty for all of this holds a lot of validity.
But still, if one of the most accomplished head coaches of all time can't get in, what hope is there for any of the other greats?