New England Patriots
“I mean this is crazy. What are we even voting on?”
Eight Super Bowl titles reportedly wasn’t enough to earn Bill Belichick a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr., Belichick won’t be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer — as the 73-year-old head coach didn’t receive the 40 out of 50 votes needed for a spot in Canton during this voting cycle.
Given Belichick’s sterling NFL coaching credentials, it should come as little surprise that several former Patriots — along with many other sports figures and media members — voiced their anger at Belichick not earning a spot in this Hall of Fame class.
Here are a few reactions from many around the sports world at Belichick’s snub:
Julian Edelman, former Patriots wide receiver
David Andrews, former Patriots center
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
James White, former Patriots running back
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers forward
Devin McCourty, former Patriots safety
Jason McCourty, former Patriots cornerback
Jimmy Johnson, Hall-of-Fame head coach
Damien Woody, former Patriots offensive lineman
Matt Cassel, former Patriots QB
J.J. Watt, 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Kendrick Bourne, former Patriots wide receiver
Christian Fauria, former Patriots tight end
Ja’Whaun Bentley, former Patriots linebacker
Aqib Talib, former Patriots cornerback
Damien Harris, former Patriots running back
“If there is a Hall of Fame, if there is a way for coaches to get in it — there’s no way, there’s no world where Bill Belichick is not a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer,” Harris said on CBS Tuesday night, adding; “He is hands-down the best orchestrator of an organization, of a team. … I was just as shocked as everyone else. It doesn’t really make any sense.”
Phillip Dorsett, former Patriots wide receiver
Logan Ryan, former Patriots cornerback
Darius Butler, former Patriots defensive back
Bob Socci, Patriots radio play-by-play voice
Jonas Gray, former Patriots running back
Terrell Owens, Hall of Fame wide receiver
Owens was one of several former players who took umbrage with former NFL GM and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Polian — who is on the Hall-of-Fame voting committee.
“A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent [Robert] Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts — a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty — told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick,” Wickersham and Van Natta wrote.
Robert Griffin III, former NFL QB
Kevin Youkilis, former Red Sox first baseman
Dez Bryant, former All-Pro wide receiver
Ryan Clark, former Steelers safety and current ESPN personality
Lou Williams, former NBA guard
Mike Pellegrino, former Patriots cornerbacks coach
Gerald McCoy, former All-Pro defensive tackle
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints defensive end
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated writer
Dan Graziano, ESPN NFL writer
“You’re gonna tell me Spygate & Deflategate, this is a voting body that has for years insisted that it only focuses on what happened on the field. Are you gonna hold Tom Brady out for Spygate & Deflategate too,” Graziano said on ESPN. “And by the way, there’s guys in there that have been suspended for PEDs, gambling, for all kinds of things. So now, when it comes to Belichick, it matters and it’s never mattered before… I think it’s a crock.”
Peter Schrager, ESPN NFL analyst
Jemele Hill, The Atlantic writer
Pat McAfee, former Colts punter, current ESPN personality
Keyshawn Johnson, former Jets wide receiver
Jay Gruden, former NFL head coach
Mike Freeman, NFL writer
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