Belichick HOF Snub: The 22 Voters For, The 1 Against

Over a day has passed since the initial revelation that Bill Belichick, who holds the record for most Super Bowl victories and postseason triumphs as a head coach in the NFL, was not selected for the Hall of Fame in his inaugural year of eligibility. This news has sparked considerable debate.

The response to this announcement has largely leaned towards strong disapproval, voiced by prominent figures within and outside the realm of football. Adding further complexity to the matter is an intricate and unclear voting mechanism that could have encouraged certain committee members to omit Belichick from their considerations.

The exclusion of Belichick from immediate induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was determined by the selection panel, comprising 50 individuals, all of whom are media professionals with varied experiences, including delegates from each of the 32 NFL team media groups. A number of these members have served as esteemed journalists for many years. Others were previously enshrined as Hall of Fame athletes or mentors.

To be inducted, Belichick required a minimum of 80% endorsement, which translates to 40 votes. Consequently, a minimum of 11 individuals cast votes opposing his inclusion.

The atmosphere has become sufficiently strained that the Hall of Fame issued a declaration on Wednesday, suggesting that any breach of its regulations might result in penalties for voters, such as being barred from subsequent committees. Belichick’s name was not mentioned in this declaration.

The precise individuals who supported or opposed Belichick remain officially unknown. The information regarding his failure to be inducted was not meant to be public until the unveiling of the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees in the coming week, but ESPN chose to disseminate the information prematurely. Whether the complete voting statistics will ever be disclosed is uncertain.

Nevertheless, multiple committee members have independently communicated to the public that they are not responsible for this outcome, an unusual move in what is typically a confidential procedure. Yahoo Sports has gathered all accessible declarations from these voters to analyze how each of the 50 selection committee participants seemingly cast their ballots.

Affirmed ‘pro’ votes (22)

Further clarification is needed regarding Polian, as ESPN originally stated he argued during deliberations that Belichick ought to endure a one-year deferral as retribution for the integrity breaches that occurred during his tenure. Polian promptly refuted this assertion, subsequently retracting it somewhat by conceding uncertainty about his vote for Belichick, before ultimately affirming his vote for Belichick.

It is additionally noteworthy that multiple individuals within this cohort have advocated for the complete ballot results to be disclosed and for an overhaul of a system that restricted them to selecting just three candidates from Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and veteran players Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood.

Suggested ‘pro’ votes (4)

Furthermore, Mike Chappell from Fox 59/CBS 4 (covering the Indianapolis Colts) and Matt Maiocco from NBC Sports Bay Area (covering the San Francisco 49ers) each reposted Sando’s prior tweet, which verified his vote for Belichick and detailed the election procedures culminating in this decision. While we are not classifying this as a definitive “yes,” it strongly suggests their alignment with the “yes” position.

Affirmed ‘con’ votes (1)

Gregorian emerged as the initial committee member to unequivocally state his vote against Belichick. In an opinion piece published Wednesday by the Kansas City Star, he clarified that his vote was not primarily against Belichick (and Kraft), but rather in favor of the three veteran athletes nominated for induction: Anderson, Craig, and Greenwood.

Gregorian articulated his conviction that all five nominees were worthy, yet he harbored apprehension that the trio of players would face a considerably longer waiting period than Belichick, akin to numerous other seasoned candidates. He contends this methodology requires modification:

These considerations were central to my obligation to support the highly merited veteran candidates, who are unlikely to receive another review as additional senior nominees join the pool and new arguments are presented for others.

Concurrently, Belichick’s induction is imminent… as it rightfully ought to be. While potentially conflicting with my own ballot, truly, he should not even face a delay. I comprehend the displeasure regarding his non-selection at the earliest possible opportunity.