Neil Malik
Is Bill Belichick first-ballot Hall of Fame material?
Photo: flysnowfly, Shutterstock
The Topline
- ESPN reported this week that Bill Belichick, former head coach of the New England Patriots, will not be a first-ballot inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- As an NFL head coach, Belichick ranks second all-time in career wins including playoffs (333), behind only Don Shula, and won six Super Bowls in nine appearances
- The news stunned much of the NFL world, where many had viewed his first-ballot induction as a foregone conclusion
Switch sides,
back and forth
Let the man in
Not inducting Bill Belichick into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility is absurd.
Their own website says it all: The Pro Football Hall of Fame “pays tribute to the talents and triumphs of pro football’s greatest legends.”
By any serious football standard, Belichick’s résumé is clear proof that he is one of pro football’s greatest legends.
Six Super Bowls as a head coach. Two more as a defensive coordinator. Third all-time in regular-season wins. First all-time in playoff wins.
There is no honest football argument that he is not a legend.
The biggest argument being tossed around is cheating. But Hall of Fame induction doesn’t require perfection.
The precedent was set when Lawrence “LT” Taylor was inducted in 1999. Considered one of the best defensive football players of all time, Taylor was a frequent cocaine user who admitted to cheating on NFL drug tests by submitting urine samples from his teammates. He made it on the first ballot.
It’s possible that voters decided to impose a symbolic waiting period on Belichick as punishment.
ESPN reported that Bill Polian, a Hall of Fame voter and former NFL team general manager, told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as a penalty for Spygate. Polian later denied this.
The Hall of Fame is not a parole board. It exists to recognize football greatness.
Belichick didn’t just win. He didn’t just dominate. He defined an era.
Let the man in.
He cheated
Let’s not minimize the fact that Belichick is a football genius. He’s a six-time Super Bowl champion. The New England Patriots were a true dynasty, in every sense.
But he’s a cheater. Not once. But twice. Twice!
In 2007, Belichick and the New England Patriots were caught videotaping opposing coaches' signals during games.
Known as “ Spygate ,” the NFL fined Belichick $500,000 (the maximum allowed and the largest fine ever imposed on a coach), the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft.
Then “ Deflategate ” happened, when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was caught with underinflated footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship Game.
The team was fined $1 million, docked draft picks, and Brady was suspended. Belichick claimed he was unaware, but it still happened under his watch.
So it’s no big shock that some voters hesitated on Belichick’s first chance.
But let’s say cheating wasn’t the reason. What else could it be?
How about his crummy personality? Belichick spent two decades being a first-class grump who made the lives of NFL reporters more than difficult.
His press conferences were notorious , especially following a loss. Not for what he would say, but for what he wouldn’t say. He was a man of few words, to put it politely. It came across as disrespectful to the people whose job it was to report on the team.
And when at least 33 of 50 Hall of Fame voters are from the media, maybe that matters.
Hall of Fame voting is more than just stats. It’s about reputation. And whether you agree or not, likability.
Should Belichick be in the Hall of Fame?
Sure. His résumé demands it.
Should anyone be shocked he didn’t get in on the first try?
Nope. He cheated and acted like a jerk.
