We are less than a month into 2026, and we already found a winner for the most bizarre, ludicrous, and reprehensible sports story of the year. On Tuesday night, the NFL world’s collective jaw was slammed onto the floor after a bombshell report from ESPN — and later confirmed by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones — revealed that Bill Belichick, widely considered to be the greatest head coach in the history of the NFL, was not selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. It’s as much comical as it is disgraceful. 

But how did we get here? What were the series of events, and who may have been at the forefront of blocking what should’ve been Belichick’s easy path to Canton? 

If we look at the reporting done by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, former Indianapolis Colts team president Bill Polian was outright lobbying for Belichick not to get in, citing the franchise’s Spygate and Deflategate cheating scandals as the primary reason why.

A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts — a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty — told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick. Commissioner Roger Goodell also fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000. 

In the aftermath of this report coming to light and Polian being highlighted as a sort of ringleader in the Hall of Fame snub, he spoke with ESPN on Tuesday night and denied imploring voters that Belichick should serve a one-year penance for Spygate. He acknowledged that he heard fellow voters “float that idea” but relayed that he did not agree or disagree with the proposal. 

Arguably, the second most egregious aspect of this story, after Belichick not getting into the Hall of Fame, revolves around Polian admitting that he does not remember if he voted for Belichick. 

Polian added that he could not remember with 100% certainty if he voted for Belichick, saying he was 95% sure he voted for the coach and a player, “most likely” [L.C.] Greenwood.

For those unaware, voters met on Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to discuss this year’s finalists. That’s two weeks to the date of this ESPN report being released, and Polian can’t remember if he voted for Belichick (and anyone else, for that matter) for what is supposed to be the highest individual honor that the sport has? I’m sorry, but if you believe that, I have oceanfront property in Montana I’d like to sell you. 

There are two ways we can analyze Polian’s recent comments about possibly voting for Belichick. 

He’s lying and did campaign against Belichick, but is now covering his tracks now that his role in the snub has been highlighted to the general public. If he truly cannot remember if he voted for Belichick during a meeting that took place just two weeks ago, how can we depend on Polian to accurately and honestly remember Hall of Fame candidates’ careers after the minimum five-year waiting period (if not longer in some cases)? 

Polian served as the Colts’ general manager and team president from 1998 to 2009, and after stepping down as GM in 2009, remained with the organization as president until 2011. Over that time, Indy and New England were bitter rivals, as they squared off for supremacy in the AFC with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning at the helm under center. 

From 2000 to 2011, New England (Belichick) owned a 10-6 record over Indy (Polian). That includes three playoff matchups where the Patriots went 2-1. The franchises met twice in the AFC Championship and split those matchups a game apiece. Overall, that’s a pretty one-sided rivalry in favor of Belichick’s Patriots. Over that timeframe, the Spygate cheating scandal was revealed, so it’s not too far of a leap to suggest that Polian may have sour grapes. 

But to use that as a cudgel to allegedly keep Belichick out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is silly. The head coach was fined $500,000 for his role in the incident, and the team was fined $250,000 and docked a first-round pick in 2008. The punishment had already been handed out. So, if that was the reason spearheading Polian’s alleged campaign, it’s overkill and makes the former Colts executive — and the Pro Football Hall of Fame by proxy — look petty, which is a damming development for what is supposed to be the most hallowed ground of the NFL.