Bill Belichick, an NFL coaching legend, faces Hall of Fame snub despite his record achievements.
We’ll begin by acknowledging the counterarguments:
All of the above are true. (Especially #1: In the NFL, Willies and Joes matter FAR more than X’s and O’s — and if you don’t believe me, consider the fact that Barry freaking Switzer has more Super Bowl rings than Hall of Fame head coaches Bud Grant and Marv Levy — or Hall of Very Good head coaches Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Allen, and Chuck Knox.) Tom Brady, who played at an elite level for 20+ years, mattered more for the Pats/Bucs success than any of their coaches, Belichick included.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Bill Belichick was one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.
Consider:
Despite these accomplishments, Belichick was allegedly snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports and ProFootballTalk.com was outraged:
The failure to put Belichick in on the first try strips the Hall of Fame and its voting process of all legitimacy and credibility. It’s a joke that he didn’t make it. Anyone who voted against his enshrinement should be stripped of the privilege, immediately.
[…]
So congratulations to those who didn’t want [Belichick] in. You got your pound of flesh. At the expense of the integrity of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tom Landry (2 rings), Don Shula (2 rings), and Chuck Noll (4 rings) all made it into the Hall of Fame in their first years of eligibility. Bill Belichick, alas, won’t be joining them.
Hall of Fame head coach Jimmy Johnson (2 rings) shared his disgust (NSFW):
This is just WRONG .#2 winning ALL TIME…more Super Bowls than anyone unimaginable # of division championships…lot of small jealous voters https://t.
