Many NFL fans are still up in arms over Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub. The legendary coach, who has won eight Super Bowls as a head coach and assistant, will somehow not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That decision has called into question the legitimacy of the selection process and whether sports writers should be the ones deciding the legacies of NFL legends. Even former Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre feels the same way.
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After failing to receive 40 of the 50 votes required for Hall of Fame induction, excuses from voters regarding Belichick came quickly. Reports suggest voters cited his ties to controversial investigations like Spygate and Deflategate. Some also pointed to his coaching record with and without Tom Brady, among other factors.
But Favre is tired of these explanations. He holds a great deal of respect for Belichick and believes it’s laughable that the coach did not make the Hall on his first try. Favre even suggested that Belichick may have rubbed some voters the wrong way during his career.
“You know, most of the voters are sports writers. And probably a good amount of those sports writers were shunned or didn’t get their question answered the way they wanted. Or they were not called on. And they just say, ‘I’m not voting for it.’ That’s my gut,” Favre said on his podcast, 4th and Favre.
It was an angle that many had already mentioned as a possible reason for Belichick’s exclusion. After all, he was often reserved, secretive, and at times rude toward the media during his time with the New England Patriots. He made a point of keeping the media at arm’s length to ensure team information stayed in-house.
Later on, Favre also shut down the idea that Belichick’s record with and without Brady was the main reason for his exclusion. The former QB offered some simple logic to counter the argument.
“I’m sure you could go across the league historically and say the same thing. Would Tom Landry have been as good without Roger Staubach? Would Chuck Noll have been as good without Terry Bradshaw?” Favre questioned, before adding, “Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t think those voters said, ‘Well, if he didn’t have Roger Staubach, he wouldn’t have won all this.’ He had him!”
It’s a great argument that not many are considering when they cite Belichick’s record with and without Brady. Sure, the figures are staggeringly different. But at the same time, Brady didn’t single-handedly carry his coach to all of those Super Bowls. He was a big part of those runs, yet so were the defenses, which were masterfully crafted by Belichick.
At the end of the day, no matter how you spin it, it’s a bit ridiculous that the coach with the most Super Bowl rings will not be a first-ballot HoFer. He most certainly will be voted in in the future. But the selection committee missed the mark here and decided to make a statement on their viewpoint of Belichick’s career.
Well, the writers got what they wanted. This all became a massive story that will not be put down anytime soon. But was it really worth sacrificing the legacy of one of the greatest coaches in NFL history?
