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The football world was stunned on Tuesday night when it was initially reported that eight-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
ESPN first reported that Belichick would not be going into the Hall of Fame this time around. The outlet, citing sources, reported that Belichick was “puzzled” and “disappointed” with the decision and wondered what more he had to do as a head coach to get in immediately.
However, the outlet also reported that Spygate and Deflategate were points of contention and “bothered some guys,” leading some to convince other voters that Belichick should be punished by waiting one year to get in. The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round pick and $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000. Deflategate resulted in a four-game suspension for Tom Brady and $1 million in fines and went all the way to U.S. courts.
Bill Polian speaks during the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 8, 2015 in Canton, Ohio. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ESPN reported that Bill Polian, a rival general manager during Belichick’s New England Patriots years, was one of the voters who told others Belichick should “wait a year” before induction.
Polian denied that notion to ESPN and told Sports Illustrated that the accusations were “totally and categorically untrue.”
“I was shocked to learn Bill didn’t get in. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” Polian told ESPN.
Polian also told SI that he “voted for” Belichick, but ESPN said Polian told them he could not remember with 100% certainty whether he did.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick smiles as he walks off the field during training camp in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
ESPN also said Polian “heard his fellow voters ‘float that idea’” of a one-year penance “but insisted he didn’t agree or disagree with the proposal.”
The finalized list of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees will be released ahead of Super Bowl LX. Belichick was among the candidates in a separate group from the modern-era players category, along with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood and Robert Kraft.
Six of Belichick’s titles came as head coach of the Patriots, and the other two came as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator.
Belichick, currently the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, was 302-165 in his career as a head coach with the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns. He and the Patriots mutually parted ways following the 2023 campaign after 24 seasons.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 11, 2024. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
He had a controversial end with both the Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under the cover of darkness, leaving the entirety of the franchise in the city. As he was set to take the Jets’ head coaching job, he resigned as “HC of the NYJ” at his opening press conference and decided to take the New England job instead.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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