Another wrinkle has been added to the Bill Belichick-Hall of Fame saga.
After originally declining to comment on the situation, the Pro Football Hall of Fame released a statement on Wednesday regarding the rumours surrounding Belichick’s snub, stating, “If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection bylaws, they understand actions will be taken.”
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo added that the violation of the selection bylaws applies to non-football reasons, such as being non-cooperative with the media.
Perhaps more importantly, Garafolo also stated that regarding Belichick, his ‘Spygate’ and ‘Deflategate’ scandals during his time as the Patriots head coach are considered football-related, and therefore, no actions would be taken against voters.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. reported that an anonymous source revealed Hall of Fame general manager and current voter Bill Polian believed Belichick should “wait a year” as a result of two cheating scandals.
However, Polian denied that rumour, telling Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame that he voted for Belichick, before then telling ESPN that he’s 95 per cent sure and couldn’t remember.
The former GM ultimately cleared the air during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday, in which he revealed confirmation that Belichick was on his ballot.
“I voted for coach Belichick in the Hall of Fame selection meeting,” Polian said. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame has confirmed that fact through the auditors of the selection process. Again, I’ll state that I never said that I believed that Coach Belichick should ‘wait a year’ for enshrinement.”
Belichick’s eight Super Bowl rings — six as head coach of the Patriots, two as a defensive co-ordinator — are the most in NFL history.
The new Hall of Fame inductees will be announced during the NFL Honours on Feb. 5.