A surprising development has occurred in the voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Somehow, Bill Belichick will not be a first ballot selection.
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ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham broke the news on Tuesday. They cited several sources with direct knowledge of the outcome, and they reported that the former New England Patriots head coach had received fewer than the 40 required votes to be selected.
Additionally, ESPN reported that a representative from the Hall of Fame called Belichick last week and informed him that he would not be selected this year.
The news will not be official until next week when the NFL and the Hall of Fame announce this year's inductees. Hall of Fame announcements always take place during the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl.
Belichick, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and nine Super Bowl appearances, is one of the winningest coaches in NFL history. He led the team to 17 division titles, the most by a head coach in NFL history. He also led the team to nine conference championships and a 266-121 record.
Belichick also won two Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, giving him eight rings total.
This is quite the resume, so why would the voters block the multi-time champion? According to ESPN's sources, it's all "politics." These sources said that the cheating scandals Spygate and Deflategate both played a role in deliberations.
Once source said that former Bills, Panthers, and Colts GM Bill Polian argued that Belichick should wait one year before being inducted into the Hall of Fame as "penance" for Spygate. This particular scandal surfaced in 2007, and it involved the Patriots filmed opposing coaches and their signals during games.
The NFL responded by fining the team $500,000, fining the coach $250,000, and taking away a first-round draft pick.
The former Patriots coach is one of more than a dozen finalists for the Hall of Fame. He is eligible as a coaching candidate while team owner Robert Kraft is eligible as a contributor. The list also includes senior candidates Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood.
The modern era finalists include Frank Gore, Jason Witten, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Kevin Williams, Eli Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs, Darren Woodson, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.
