Just about everyone who follows pro football is shaking their head in disbelief at the NFL Hall of Fame's buzzed-about snub of Bill Belichick. With eight Super Bowl rings to his credit - six from when he coached the New England Patriots and two as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants - you would think he would have been a shoo-in for HOF induction on the first ballot. But BB failed to land 40 out of 50 votes needed for the prized HOF green light.
Belichick and former Patriots QB Tom " G.O.A.T." Brady were a juggernaut, an unstoppable football combo. Brady is as shocked and puzzled by the outcome of Belichick's HOF balloting as anyone. When Brady talked about it recently, he sounded mystified and maybe even a little disgusted.
When Tom Brady was a guest on a radio show,
He added, "There's no coach I'd rather play for. If I'm picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl—give me one season—I'm taking Bill Belichick. So that's enough said."
New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Is Also Upset
Tom Brady isn't the only NFL insider who is miffed at Belichick's no-go from the HOF. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is also perturbed by the former NFL coach's bizarre snub. He made an oblique reference to alleged friction that may have existed between him and Belichick. But Kraft nevertheless endorsed the former coach's HOF bid and could not fathom why it fell short.
Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, Kraft's statement reads as follows. "Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick's record and body of work speak for themselves.'
Kraft continued, "As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer."
The NFL Hall of Fame Issued a Statement That Has Not Quelled the Furor
Aware of the ongoing controversy about Belichick, the NFL Hall of Fame issued a statement of its own. It probably won't stop the disenchantment with the verdict on BB, though.
It read in part, "The Pro Football Hall of Fame understands and respects the passionate reaction of many fans, media members and enshrinees of the Hall itself in light of published reports regarding the voting results for the Class of 2026. It's that very passion that propels the game. The Hall also respects the members of the Selection Committee when they follow the selection process bylaws."
The statement also mentioned this. "The selection of a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year, and the integrity of that process cannot be in question."
