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Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey said Wednesday it was “unfortunate” that Bill Belichick failed to make it into Canton on the first ballot, but understood why.
Bailey suggested that Belichick’s relationships with the media may have altered the way the voting went down.
“I’m surprised. I would love to know the reasoning behind not voting for him, because I could see on one hand why some people wouldn’t, and I could see on the other hand why he should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Bailey said on “Up & Adams.” “There’s a lot of questions around his time as a head coach. You got Spygate and all these other things that happened. So, you have that to worry about.
“Also, he was never very kind to the media. So, what I’ve understood throughout my career, and before, and definitely after, is your relationships with the media determines a lot of the awards you get. I don’t think it diminishes what he’s done. I mean, he’s till an eight-time Super Bowl champion. The guy done it all from a success standpoint. It’s unfortunate that we’re here, but there’s other guys that deserve to be first ballot that I can name that aren’t first ballot. There’s still a Hall of Fame and he’s one of them.”
Belichick notoriously kept his answers close to the vest during his career. He would have a handful of viral moments explaining Xs and Os from time to time. Mostly, though, he was short with reporters.
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It wasn’t until he departed from the New England Patriots that his personal life became more exposed. Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson became the talk of the sports world last year as he took over the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Still, a few blunt responses to the media may not be the ultimate reason why Belichick wasn’t on the first ballot. One voter suggested that the process of the vote in the category he was in was handcuffing.
He was caught up in the Spygate and Deflategate scandals during his time. ESPN reported that the cheating scandals had played a role in some voters’ decision on Belichick’s candidacy.
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Belichick’s coaching tree appeared to be as strong as ever. The Patriots will return to the Super Bowl with Mike Vrabel at the helm. Vrabel won three titles under Belichick. Josh McDaniels, another Belichick staff member, is also serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
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