In case you hadn't heard by now, Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach, as he did not receive the number of votes he needed to hit that mark. It's a shocking turn of events, given what Belichick accomplished with the New England Patriots, including nine Super Bowl appearances and six titles.
Even with that being the case, Hall of Fame voters didn't all agree that Belichick should have a bust in Canton, or at least not yet. It shouldn't surprise anyone that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was not happy about Belichick's snub, and he let everyone know exactly how he felt about his former head coach not getting to the Hall of Fame.
“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves. As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League.
He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Robert Kraft furious over Bill Belichick Hall of Fame snub
Kraft hit the nail on the head here with his statement. It's absolutely absurd that Belichick, who helped lead the Patriots to nine Super Bowls and six Super Bowl wins during his 24 years in New England, will not make it into the Hall of Fame on his first attempt. What more could he have done to convince voters that he deserves to be in?
Perhaps voters were irked by the Spygate and Deflategate situations and are taking that out on Belichick. We'll have to see if Tom Brady gets the same sort of treatment when he's eligible for the Hall of Fame.
For now, though, it's justifiable that the snub would peeve Kraft and Patriots fans. Belichick definitely deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he hands down should have been in as a first-ballot guy. Others clearly feel differently, though.