Bill Belichick NOT named to HOF on first ballot

[CalgaryFan05]

What Gemini says FWIW:

This is considered a massive snub, but there are three specific reasons why this happened, ranging from bureaucratic to petty.

1. The "Bucket" Problem (The Bureaucratic Reason)​

This is the most "logical" explanation. The Hall of Fame recently changed its voting procedures.

• The Rule: Belichick wasn't just running against himself. He was placed in a combined "Coach / Contributor / Senior" category.
  
  
• The Competition: He was grouped with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and three senior players (Roger Craig, Ken Anderson, L.C. Greenwood).
  
  
• The Math: The 50 voters were only allowed to select a maximum of 3 people from this group of 5.
  
  
• The Strategy: Some voters (like Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star) have publicly admitted they didn't vote against Belichick, but rather voted for the Senior players. Their logic was that the Seniors (like Roger Craig) have been waiting decades and might die before getting in, whereas Belichick is a "lock" to get in eventually. They effectively made him wait in line behind the older guys.
  

2. The "Scarlet Letter" (The Cheating Scandals)​

According to inside reports from ESPN (Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr.), the room was not just doing "strategic voting." There was genuine animosity.

• Spygate & Deflategate: Sources inside the room confirmed that the cheating scandals were openly discussed as reasons to deny him a "first-ballot" entry.
  
  
• The "Punishment": Some voters felt that while his wins are undeniable, the "stain" of those scandals meant he shouldn't be honored immediately. They wanted to make him sweat for a year as a form of retrospective punishment.
  

3. The "Bill Polian" Factor (The Petty Reason)​

This is the juiciest part of the rumor mill right now.

• Reports surfaced that Hall of Famer Bill Polian (the former Colts GM and a longtime rival of the Patriots) may have politicked against Belichick during the selection meeting.
• The rumor is that Polian suggested Belichick should "wait a year" because of the scandals.
  
  
• The Denial: Polian went on radio yesterday (Wednesday) to deny this and claimed he did vote for Belichick, but the report has already convinced many fans that old rivalries played a part.

 

[NoGain]

Anyone who got a ballot and didn't immediately vote BB in before doing anything else should never have been part of the voting process. It was a slam dunk, no brainer thing to do. He's the most successful coach in NFL history, six SB wins as head coach, two as defensive coordinator, and second in career victories, just fourteen behind Don Shula. That's what the HOF is all about, being amongst the very best at what you do, and he was at the top. Just dumb.

 

[RiverDog]

This. And TBH - Brady leaving revealed who had the magic there. Other than that it's just chopped sweats and Darth Vader drama.

Just a toxic culture - even the owner, that pissed everyone off on all fronts. Not surprised much.

I don't necessarily disagree, but that stuff shouldn't enter into the balloting debate.

There's also the possibility that voting could have been influenced by the fact that he has a 24-year-old girlfriend, and that really doesn't have anything to do with the price of tea in China.

 

[Sperrydogg]

Exactly. This guy might be the best we have ever seen. This is pathetic.

This is worse than 3 voters who didn't vote in Ken Griffey Jr. his first year of eligibility. ONE didn't vote for Ichiro.

Sweet Jesus, some people are just plain ridiculous.

But Mariano Rivera is unanimous…. New York. Bill coached in Boston so….

 

[AubHawk71]

Does Kraft taking his limo to massage parlors in FLA for handies dq him?

 

[pmedic920]

Don’t like him one bit.

This is total

I’m disappointed and have lost faith in the committee

 

[flv2]

As was pointed out earlier in the thread there is a change to how people are voted in. The 50 members each get 5 votes. There are 250 total votes. People need 40 votes to automatically get in. With all due respect to Belichick pretty much everyone is going to vote for both Brees and Fitzgerald. It's an exceptionally strong field for 1st time eligible candidates. Witten has 10 ProBowls, some broadcasting experience, and he's generally been media friendly. I could see him getting quite a few of the 150-160 votes that were available.

The voters are all long-time followers of the NFL. They may well have their own old-timer agendas for some of the historical candidates. It may be the system and circumstances that have beaten Belichick rather than it being a snub.

 

[Rat]

As was pointed out earlier in the thread there is a change to how people are voted in. The 50 members each get 5 votes. There are 250 total votes. People need 40 votes to automatically get in. With all due respect to Belichick pretty much everyone is going to vote for both Brees and Fitzgerald. It's an exceptionally strong field for 1st time eligible candidates. Witten has 10 ProBowls, some broadcasting experience, and he's generally been media friendly. I could see him getting quite a few of the 150-160 votes that were available.

The voters are all long-time followers of the NFL. They may well have their own old-timer agendas for some of the historical candidates. It may be the system and circumstances that have beaten Belichick rather than it being a snub.

Isn't the coach thing separate from the voting that includes Brees and the non-committee nominations?

 

[flv2]

Isn't the coach thing separate from the voting that includes Brees and the non-committee nominations?

My mistake. I read your previous post too quickly and misunderstood it.

As per your post 50 voters each have 3 votes with just 5 possible candidates. Up to 3 candidates can get in provided they have at least 40 votes. If no-one gets 40 votes then the candidate with the highest total gets in.

It's possible that another Roy Jones Jr at the Seoul Olympics scenario occurred with people voting tactically. It's a still a system and circumstances fubar. Then again, if you have a secret ballot democracy* you won't always get the optimum or desired result.

*Secret ballot democracy - with voters hand-picked by the NFL.

Later edit for voter list:
cbssports.com/nfl/news/bill-belichick-hall-of-fame-snub-voters-full-committee-list/

 

[AubHawk71]

Handy Kraft got the limp shaft too. Seems pretty obvious. Croooked

 

[chris98251]

We already are getting a first hand view of his Kraftyness with all the ownership stories coming out in effort to distract the team and try to cause discourse. Where else would these stories orgiginate from at that level.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Look at Bellicheck’s winning percentage with and without Brady. That’s a strong reason why he didn’t get in first ballot

Surprised we got a page and a half without someone saying this.

Though the Gates are also good reason.

 

[NoGain]

Surprised we got a page and a half without someone saying this.

Though the Gates are also good reason.

I don't see it that way at all. Coaches/managers success is always limited by the talent they have to work with. You still have to make the most of it. Is Phil Jackson any less of a basketball coach because he had Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq? You still have to make a team of it and drive it to the pinnacle of success.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

I don't see it that way at all. Coaches/managers success is always limited by the talent they have to work with. You still have to make the most of it. Is Phil Jackson any less of a basketball coach because he had Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq? You still have to make a team of it and drive it to the pinnacle of success.

Sorry, I spent too many years watching posters running around and yelling about how Belichick is over there magicking a perennial contender out of an entire roster of 6th and 7th round draft picks and that we needed to be trading down, down, down every draft. More picks, more picks, more picks.

Then his quarterback leaves and the drop is sufficiently steep to where plenty of people have wondered just how much of it was hoodie.

Plus that QB immediately elevated Tampa, after one winning season in the previous nine years, into a playoff contender. I know what's up.

 

[AubHawk71]

Seahawks for sale! NE legends snubbed for HOF! So tired of reality TV filler.

I heard there might actually be a game at some point. When did we turn into a bunch of gossipy teenage girls?

Oh right, our current (redacted).

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Maybe Kraft will make the Epstein HOF?




/sarcasm

 

[NoGain]

Sorry, I spent too many years watching posters running around and yelling about how Belichick is over there magicking a perennial contender out of an entire roster of 6th and 7th round draft picks and that we needed to be trading down, down, down every draft. More picks, more picks, more picks.

Then his quarterback leaves and the drop is sufficiently steep to where plenty of people have wondered just how much of it was hoodie.

Plus that QB immediately elevated Tampa, after one winning season in the previous nine years, into a playoff contender. I know what's up.

I go a lot on what his former players say about him, most of whom played on other teams with other coaches. When it came to things like attention to detail, a strategist, an in-game coach, exploiting every available thing to achieve success, knowing every weakness and strength of an opponent, his knowledge of the history of the game, etc.., most all give him high praise for, especially in comparison to other coaches they played for.

 

[chris98251]

I go a lot on what his former players say about him, most of whom played on other teams with other coaches. When it came to things like attention to detail, a strategist, an in-game coach, exploiting every available thing to achieve success, knowing every weakness and strength of an opponent, his knowledge of the history of the game, etc.., most all give him high praise for, especially in comparison to other coaches they played for.

Also he would break any rule and push boundaries, don't forget that, not cheating if your not caught. Win at any cost pretty much, let his players get concussed and send them back out of the Officials didn't notice. Hate him, but if he was yours I can understand the love.

 

[Dolomight12]

I don't see it that way at all. Coaches/managers success is always limited by the talent they have to work with. You still have to make the most of it. Is Phil Jackson any less of a basketball coach because he had Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq? You still have to make a team of it and drive it to the pinnacle of success.

This.

 

[CPHawk]

Handy Kraft got the limp shaft too. Seems pretty obvious. Croooked

Kraft shouldn’t ever get in though.