Bill Belichick was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first appearance on the ballot, causing much confusion — and anger from some. Belichick is one of the greatest NFL coaches in history, and his six Super Bowls as a head coach are unmatched.
So why did Belichick fall short of the 80 percent vote threshold needed for induction? It all comes back to the Spygate and Deflategate scandals.
According to an article published by ESPN on Tuesday, the scandals that surrounded the Patriots’ dynasty run under Belichick came up during deliberations by the voters. Many voters were “bothered” by the scandals involving the teams.
Bill Polian, who is a supporter of Patriots owner Robert Kraft and was a rival GM for the Colts, reportedly felt Belichick should have to wait a year before being inducted as penance for the scandals.
To refresh your memory, “Spygate” was a scandal exposed by former Patriots assistant coach Eric Mangini. He said the Patriots had illegally filmed opposing teams to gain advantages. The “Deflategate” scandal revolved around the Patriots allegedly using complex schemes to deflate footballs beyond the legal limit in order to fit Tom Brady’s preference.
One item to note is that Belichick being blocked for a year could come at a time when Kraft gets inducted, which would give the team owner a leg up in a rivalry between the two.
