Tom Brady joined the voices questioning Bill Belichick’s snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, saying the voting committee’s decision is “completely ridiculous.”
Brady expressed his opinion on the news during an event Interview with Seattle Sports 710-AM a day later on Wednesday ESPN reported Belichick fell 40 votes short of the 50 needed for induction into the Hall during his first year of eligibility.
“I don’t understand it,” said Brady, who played for 20 seasons under Belichick. new England Patriots. “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 guys deserve it.
“He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m picking a coach to win a Super Bowl — give me one season — I’m picking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough.”
The quarterback-coach combination of Brady and Belichick famously teamed up to lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories and nine conference championships. Multiple sources who spoke to Belichick over the weekend described him as “upset” and “frustrated” by his inability to receive support from at least 80% of the Hall committee members.
Belichick was one of five finalists among coaches, contributors and senior players who last appeared in a game in 2000 or earlier. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a contributing finalist, along with players like Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and LC Greenwood.
“Whatever notions exist about any personal differences between Bill and I, I firmly believe that Bill Belichick’s record and work ethic speak for themselves,” Kraft said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
“As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for excellence, preparation and sustained success on the field in the National Football League’s free agency and salary cap era. He is the greatest coach of all time and he clearly deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Belichick has a career NFL record of 333–178, including playoffs – second only to Don Shula’s 347 in all-time coaching wins. Belichick was one of the NFL’s top defensive assistants before taking over in New England, winning his first two Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator. New York Giants.
There were some flaws in Belichick’s career. He was implicated in the sign-stealing scandal known as Spygate in the 2007 season and was fined $500,000 after the team was caught filming defensive signals. New York Jets During a game.
Brady, who will be eligible for induction into the Hall in 2028, cited “popularity” and “the world of voting” when discussing the insult, but also emphasized that Belichick will ultimately be enshrined in Canton.
“When it comes to votes and popularity and all that, welcome to the world of voting,” Brady said. “You might as well try out for an Oscar and get a big panel to tell you whether you’re good or not. Unfortunately that’s how it works. He’s going to be in the Hall of Fame. In the end, I’m not worried about that.”
Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson and many other prominent football figures kansas city chiefs star quarterback patrick mahomesshared their stunned reactions Over Belichick’s disdain.
Belichick’s tenure in New England ends after the 2023 season. He just completed his first year of college coaching at North Carolina.
OutKick’s senior NFL writer and Hall of Fame voter Armando Salguero was the one who introduced Belichick to the Hall’s subcommittee meeting, which selected him to advance to the full 50-member selection body. Salguero then presented Belichick to the full Select Committee at a meeting on January 13.
Salguero is among the voters who chose Belichick and is urging others to turn themselves in.
“They should recognize themselves as the people who kept Belichick out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year,” Salguero wrote in a column. “I’m saying it here, and I’ll say the same to them. Their votes ruined Belichick’s chances and embarrassed the Hall of Fame in the process.
“They make all selectors look bad, and they shouldn’t hide behind their minority votes to protect themselves at the expense of the broader group. I know this is a broader group because I’ve talked to several selectors since our meeting, and they agreed with my vote for Belichick.”
Brady said Wednesday that when Belichick is finally inducted, there will be a “huge turnout” in Canton to celebrate his historic career.
“There are times in all of our lives when things don’t go exactly the way you want or on your timeline,” Brady said. “But when it happens we’ll all be there to celebrate him, and he’ll have a lot of players, coaches who appreciate everything he’s done, the commitment he’s made to win and the impact he’s had on our lives.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
