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Perhaps unfairly, Bill Belichick has to wait his turn to enter Canton.
Despite eight Super Bowl wins and the second-most wins in NFL history, Belichick fell short of the 80% of votes (40 out of 50) needed to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
Dick Vermeil was inducted into the Hall in 2022 while having seven fewer rings and 213 fewer wins. So Vermeil knows where the limit might be for entry.
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Dick Vermeil is introduced during the 2022 Pro Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 6, 2022 in Canton, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
“If anyone belongs in the Hall of Fame, regardless of vote, it’s Bill Belichick. I honestly feel guilty being in there without him…” Vermeil told TMZ Sports. When you leave Bill Belichick out, the system doesn’t work and there’s no way to justify it the way it is.”
It has been reported and speculated that Spygate and Deflategate were points of contention that led to a lack of full support for Belichick, leading some to convince other voters that Belichick should be punished by waiting a year to come in. The 2007 spying scandal cost the team a first-round pick and $250,000 was fined $0000, while Belichick was paid $0000. Deflategate resulted in a four-game suspension for Tom Brady and $1 million in fines, and ultimately reached US courts.
But Vermeil said it’s “balloney” to keep him out because of those scandals.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks on during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
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“I’ve been in the league since 1969 and I’ve seen plenty of things done that technically weren’t legal or ethical that nobody ever knew about, things similar to any of these charges. It’s almost a joke,” Vermeil added. “Coaching against Bill was nerve-wracking. I knew I was going to be outcoached and needed everyone else’s help. It’s scary to think that maybe in a few years the people who voted not to let him in may have the same reservations about Tom Brady not being on the first ballot.”
The final list of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees will be released prior to Super Bowl LX. Belichick was among the nominees in a separate group from the modern players category, along with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, LC Greenwood and Robert Kraft.
Kansas City Stars Vahe Gregorian wrote one column Wednesday revealed that he was one of at least 11 Hall of Fame voters who did not vote for Belichick. Gregorian, who has covered the league for nearly 40 years, said the controversies were not the reason he passed on the coach.
Gregorian said he felt “obligated” to cast his votes for Anderson, Craig and Greenwood, believing they may be looking at their last chances to get into the Hall. Each selection committee voter may vote for up to three candidates outside of the Modern Era Player Committee.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick turns his whistle during an NFL football practice, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Six of Belichick’s titles came as a head coach New England Patriotsand the other two came as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator.
Belichick, currently the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, was 302-165 in his career as a head coach with the Patriots and Cleveland Browns. He and the Patriots mutually parted ways following the 2023 campaign after 24 seasons.
