Bill Belichick’s absurd Pro Football Hall of Fame snub has shaken the sports world since news broke on the matter on Tuesday night. According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta, the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach failed to be elected into Canton in his first year of eligibility.
In response to the Hall’s outrageous decision, several prominent figures have spoken out—most recently Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who released a statement via the Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon.
“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick's record and body of work speak for themselves,” said Kraft. “As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also spoke about the Hall’s decision, calling it “completely ridiculous.”
“I don’t understand it,” said Brady on a radio appearance with Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk on Wednesday. “I mean I was with him every day. If he’s not a first ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first ballot Hall of Famer.”
“There’s no coach I’d rather play for,” he continued. “If I’m picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough said. Outside of that, when it comes down to votes and popularity and all that, welcome to the world of voting ... He’s going to get into the Hall of Fame, in the end I’m not worried about that. A lot of times in life, for all of us, things don’t happen exactly how you want them or on your timeline, but we’ll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen. He’s going to have a huge turnout from so many players [and] coaches that appreciated everything that he did, and the commitment that he made to winning, and the impact that he made on all of our lives.”
Belichick, 73, coached the Patriots from 2000 to '23 and amassed a 333-178 overall record—regular and postseason combined—while winning 17 AFC East titles, nine conference championships, and six Super Bowls.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Robert Kraft Takes Clear Stance on Stunning Bill Belichick Hall of Fame Snub.
