Unless you live like Patrick Star, you’ve probably heard that Bill Belichick was not a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.
If people could bet on such things, Belichick was enough of a foregone conclusion to be a first-ballot choice that betting markets wouldn’t have had him on their boards. But somehow, he’s going to have to wait another year to (hopefully) reach Canton’s hallowed halls.
It’s unfortunate that the Hall of Fame can’t do anything to rectify this mistake and put Belichick in this year. However, it is fighting to make sure something like this never happens again. According to NFL Network’s Judy Battista, the Hall of Fame is discussing numerous potential changes to its voting process.
“I spoke to Jim Porter, the president of the Hall, yesterday,” Battista said on The Insiders the morning of Super Bowl LX. “Here are some of the changes they’re contemplating: Reducing the size of the panel… changing the makeup of the panel… reducing the number of modern era players who make it to the finalist stage… and finally, making the votes public… Porter wants to make sure the voters are selecting the absolute best candidates who are on the ballot each season. Certainly there was some question whether that’s what happened this year.”
Belichick revolutionized the way front offices operate during his time with the New England Patriots. Now, he’s having the same impact on Hall of Fame voting. Here’s hoping whatever changes unfold prevent this history from repeating itself with the likes of Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and others.
