Hall of Fame voters are making Bill Belichick wait (and the reason is petty)

"According to an ESPN report, Bill Belichick fell short of the 80 percent vote needed for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Belichick has reportedly been notified of the news in a phone call, per the report. If true, this is obviously a brutal look for the Hall's selection committee, which includes a group of 50 voters, comprised mostly of media members. Belichick would've needed at least 40 of the 50 votes to be inducted this year."

"There was a contingent of NFL media members in this year's selection committee that felt it was best to make Belichick wait a year due to the two big black marks on his resume: Spygate and Deflategate. The alleged cheerleaders of that movement? None other than Bill Polian and Tony Dungy - two key pillars of the Patriots' rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts in the early 2000s - according to ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham."

Belichick fell short of the 80 percent vote required for Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in his first year of eligibility, receiving fewer than 40 of 50 votes. Belichick was notified by phone. The selection committee includes 50 voters, comprised largely of media members. Belichick drafted Tom Brady in 2000; together they reached nine Super Bowls and won six championships. Belichick has 302 career wins as a head coach, trailing only Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318). Voters raised Spygate and Deflategate during deliberations, and some influential committee members favored delaying induction because of those scandals.

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