North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick stole the headlines on Tuesday when it was reported that he was not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The former New England Patriots coach did not receive 40 of the 50 votes required for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Michael Lombardi Criticizes Bill Belichick’s HoF Snub
The shocking news sparked widespread discussion among players, coaches, and fans, given Belichick’s resume, which includes six Super Bowl wins as a coach and two as an assistant.
Among the notable figures who spoke out about Belichick’s astounding snub were Tar Heels General Manager Michael Lombardi, who criticized the politics of the voting on X.
“In my book Football Done Right I strongly urged and established a criteria for head coaches to qualify for the HOF. This would remove politics from the vote and would avoid the complete injustice that occurred today. When I wrote the book I said the whole system was flawed today’s news confirms that belief,” Lombardi tweeted.
According to ESPN, the Deflategate and Spygate fiascos that the Patriots were involved in during Belichick’s reign played a huge part in Belichick’s snub among voters for the Hall of Fame induction.
Tom Brady Backs Belichick After HoF Saga
Former New England quarterback Tom Brady and Belichick formed perhaps the greatest QB-head coach duo in NFL history, building the Patriots into a modern-day dynasty and winning six Super Bowls together, before parting ways before it all came crashing down.
After Belichick’s snub, Brady backed his former coach’s pedigree during an interview on “Seattle Sports 710 AM.”
“You know, I just think that to me, I don’t understand it. I mean, I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it,” Brady said.
“He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough said.”
Belichick’s resume is the most decorated in NFL history, as apart from the six Super Bowl wins as head coach, he has the most Super Bowl appearances (nine) and playoff wins (31), and the second most wins in NFL history (333), accounting for the outrage over his Hall of Fame snub.
