NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has nothing to do with the vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that he believes Bill Belichick will eventually get inducted.
A report last week said Belichick did not get enough votes in his first year of eligibility despite winning a record six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots.
There was speculation that Belichick’s role in the Spygate scandal in 2007 and changes to the voting process might have contributed to at least 11 of the 50 voters opting against voting for Belichick.
Belichick was in a group with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and three seniors players, Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood, with voters only allowed to vote for three candidates with 80% support needed.
“We are not involved in it,” Goodell said. “Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate. They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”
Bill Belichick’s failure to gain induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility has been criticised widely. Despite winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach, Belichick was snubbed, which has sparked fresh debate about how Hall of Famers are selected.
While the exact reasons behind his omission remain unclear, there are several possible factors that may explain why at least 11 of the 50 voters did not support the candidacy of one of football’s most successful coaches.
Recent rule changes implemented by the Hall could also have played a role. Last year, the Hall eliminated the traditional five-year waiting period for coaches, allowing Belichick to appear on the ballot after just one season away from coaching. That decision may have frustrated some voters who preferred a longer period of reflection before considering a candidate of his stature.
Those same changes also raised the overall bar for induction. Only four individuals were elected last year, marking the smallest Hall of Fame class in two decades. Additionally, coaches are now evaluated alongside players in the seniors category rather than in a separate coaching track, making the competition even tougher, even for someone with Belichick’s résumé.
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