The NFL community is still trying to gather its bearings after the shocking announcement that Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. For a coach who won eight Super Bowls as a head coach and assistant, it is a stunning turn of events. So much so that the snub has sparked questions about the legitimacy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and whether the voting process needs a major overhaul.
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In reaction to Belichick’s exclusion, a current member of the Hall of Fame, Cris Carter, was genuinely appalled. He was so taken aback that he even decided to write directly to the Hall of Fame president, expressing his embarrassment at being part of a group that kept what many consider the greatest NFL coach of all time out on his first attempt.
“I woke up in disappointment. I also woke up in shame,” Carter told the HoF president, which he shared on his podcast, Fully Loaded. “People, network news, mainstream media was ripping apart the Hall that I’ve been bragging to people,” added the former wideout.
Carter mentioned that he always told his friends he believed the Pro Football Hall of Fame was the best of all pro sports Halls. But after the Belichick debacle, he is no longer so sure. That is why Carter even bashed the current selection process.
Carter told the Hall of Fame president via text that something had to change after this. The president replied, and the two ended up having a lengthy conversation. According to Carter, the Hall’s president is also concerned about the omission and is now open to ideas on how to fix the situation.
“My first suggestion was that you need to call f**king Bill Belichick. You need to call him and be a grown man. Because when TO didn’t get in, no one called him. When I didn’t get in, no one called me. But that’s the right thing to do,” Carter stated.
After their chat, the president did get in touch with Belichick. It’s unknown what was said between the two. But we can assume that he apologized to the legendary coach for what went down.
This isn’t the first time Carter has taken issue with the HoF and its selection process. Back when he was on the ballot to be selected, he was upset that he and Terrell Owens never made it in on the first try.
“I don’t mention it, but I’m still upset that they didn’t vote me in as a first ballot Hall of Famer,” Carter said. “I saw a lot of my colleagues in the media. They began to start to stand up for Bill Belichick, and no one stood up for me. No one stood up for TO. Even when TO didn’t get in, I was like, I don’t like TO, but this is not right.”
Carter eventually made it into the Hall of Fame in his sixth year of eligibility. Despite ranking second all-time in NFL history in receptions and receiving touchdowns, voters made it a long, difficult process before he got in. Some cited his lack of championships as a factor, while others pointed to his occasionally combative relationship with the media.
At the end of the day, it feels wrong that media members are the ones deciding Hall of Fame legacies. Coaches like Belichick should not be penalized for not playing along with the media. Hall of Fame selections should be based strictly on performance. But for now, it is what it is, and some legendary figures will continue to see their legacies diminished because of it.
