By Sebastian Sage
It’s impossible to tell the story of the NFL without the main character: eight Super Bowl rings, 31 playoff wins, 17 division titles, 20 consecutive winning seasons, and a perfect 16-0 season (2007). In over 100 years of the NFL, it is hard to argue that any other person has done what Bill Belichick has. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is meant to be a museum of excellence, but with the robbery of Belichick’s first ballot-entry into the Hall of Fame, it feels more like a heist. With this decision, a war has started over whether this supposedly prestigious award is a memorial to great things that actually happened, or merely a popularity contest fueled by petty grudges.
When Junior Zachary Surchin was asked about his feelings on the news, he stated how “This decision is absurd. To not include Belichick renders the Hall of Fame meaningless”.
One argument for the exclusion of Belichick from the Hall of Fame could be backed by questions of Belichick’s morality involving the deflation of the games’ footballs, commonly known as Deflategate. However, this claim is egregious. In a league filled with competitors determined to succeed, players and staff will go to any measure possible to give their team the slightest edge. Consequently, this snub illuminates the committee’s retaliation from hurt feelings over rational reasoning, initiating serious questions about the Hall of Fame’s authenticity. In Belichick’s 49 consecutive season coaching in the NFL, he succeeded not only as a defensive specialist, but also as the mastermind behind the New England Patriots’ 20-year legacy.
Another argument that could be made involves Tom Brady: the undisputed GOAT of the National Football League. With Tom Brady commanding the offense, the plays came easy, and putting points on the board never seemed so effortless. However, football is a team sport, and to win six super bowls with a franchise, it requires a complete team, not a one man show. Throughout his time with the Patriots, Belichick meticulously assembled his rosters, recruited experienced staff, and built the New England football identity. To leave one of the league’s defining coaches out of the Hall of Fame is blasphemy and unfairly diminishes his greatness.
When Junior Kelly Franks was asked about his opinions regarding Brady and Belichick, he described how “Tom Brady is the true GOAT of the sport. But even with him on offense, it still takes a stellar head coach to win six Super Bowls”.
Ultimately, a Hall of Fame that forces someone such as Belichick to wait in the lobby is an institution that has lost its direction. With this decision, they haven’t humbled Belichick, but rather have made the supposedly most prestigious club in football look remarkably small.
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