Bill Belichick sends a sharp message to voters after Hall of Fame snub

Bill Belichick sends a sharp message to voters after Hall of Fame snub originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Bill Belichick isn’t hiding his frustration after being left out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first try.

According to a report from ESPN, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach was both “puzzled” and “disappointed” after learning Tuesday that he failed to reach the required 40 of 50 votes for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” Bill Belichick asked an associate, per ESPN. “What does a guy have to do?”

Belichick won six Lombardi Trophies as head coach of the New England Patriots, added two more as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, and finished his career with 302 regular-season wins — third-most in NFL history. His 333 total victories, including the playoffs, trail only Don Shula.

A source told ESPN that Belichick believes “politics kept him out,” adding that the decision was not a reflection of his on-field accomplishments. Multiple voters cited Spygate and Deflategate, which were the Patriots’ two major cheating scandals, as key factors during deliberations.

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“The only explanation was the cheating stuff,” one voter said.

The 50-member voting committee includes veteran media members and football figures such as Billo Polian and Tony Dungy. ESPN reported that Polian suggested Belichick should “wait a year” as penance for Spygate, which resulted in fines from commissioner Roger Goodell.

Belichick was a finalist alongside former Patriots owner Robert Kraft, his longtime partner turned rival. Their strained relationship has been public since their split in 2024, adding another layer to a dramatic Hall of Fame vote.

Retired voter Peter King summed up the reaction best: “I’m very, very surprised.”

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Belichick, who is now the head coach at North Carolina, appears unlikely to let the snub fade quietly. If he's not elected next year, there might be a bigger push to make that happen in the subsequent years. 

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