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Another Pro Football Hall of Fame voter who did not check Bill Belichick’s name for the class of 2026 came forward to explain his choice.
He also chose New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft over Belichick.
FOX59/CBS4 sports reporter Mike Chappell, who covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than 40 years, was the second voter to come forward to explain his decision on why he didn’t vote for Belichick in a column published this week.
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Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick addressed the media at Gillette Stadium about his departure. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star was the first to do so and also wrote a column.
Like Gregorian, Chappell noted that being forced to pick up to three names from the five-man group with Belichick, Kraft and three senior members made it difficult. Chappell chose two of the most senior candidates, believing it was his last chance to reach the hallowed halls of Canton.
This is how Kraft and Belichick remained. He chose the first.
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“As one of the 50 selectors, I voted FOR Robert Kraft, the veteran and accomplished owner of the New England Patriots,” Chappell wrote in his column. “I did not vote AGAINST Bill Belichick, the veteran and accomplished head coach of that dynasty. I realize it is a no-brainer, but I am comfortable with my decision.”
Chappell went on to explain why he believed Kraft deserved this year’s class over Belichick.
“Kraft’s role in building the Patriots’ dynasty beginning in 1994 AND his undeniable role in helping negotiate an end to the 100-game-day work stoppage in 2011, while his wife was seriously ill, has resulted in lasting labor peace,” Chappell wrote. “He has also been involved behind the scenes to bolster the NFL’s ever-growing television revenue.”
It was reported that Belichick’s involvement with the Patriots during the infamous Spygate and Deflategate scandals affected his failure to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
For Chappell, Spygate was involved in his decision.
Then-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
“You can’t erase the stain of Spygate from your biography,” he wrote. “This was not alleged behavior. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000, the maximum allowed, in addition to docking the Patriots $250,000 and a first-round pick for illegally videotaping the New York Jets’ signals in 2007.”
Chappell believes Belichick will be a Hall of Famer, but he was faced with a difficult decision.
“This year’s decision in no way suggests that Belichick is not worthy of the Hall of Fame,” Chappell wrote. “Of course he is. I think he’ll make it next year. Would that mean his gold jacket isn’t as bold if he had been drafted in his first year of eligibility? Of course not.”
Until Chappell’s last point, others have commented otherwise, saying the integrity of the Hall of Fame has been diminished because Belichick, who owns the second-most wins by a head coach all-time with six Super Bowls and two as coordinator of the New York Giants, has a first-ballot resume.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky even went so far as to say that the Hall of Fame should rectify its decision.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on January 11, 2024. (JOSÉ PREZIOSO/AFP)
“There is not a single person that has come out that has given a justifiable reason for Coach Belichick not to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Orlosky said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday, according to Awful Anusing. “This is obviously a big problem. Unless someone does it, why can’t the Hall of Fame step back and say, ‘You know what? We re-evaluated it. Everyone makes a lot of good points. The process is flawed. Let’s make sure we do it the right way.’ Because the right thing to do is to have him as a Hall of Famer on the first ballot. I understand why everyone is up in arms and saying, ‘No, you can’t go back.’ The vote.’ Why not? “Why can’t the Hall of Fame do the right thing and realize what an egregious mistake has occurred?”
Others like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, JJ Watt and Kraft, who called Belichick the “greatest coach of all time,” shared their displeasure over what happened.
