"Belichick did not cross the 80% threshold for induction into Canton on the first ballot, meaning that 11 people in a group of 50 somehow saw six rings and did not vote in the affirmative. Deion Sanders, a Hall of Fame cornerback himself and current Colorado coach, was beside himself. Sanders said that Belichick is the best coach to ever live (which should not be an outlandish statement) and blasted the decision to prevent him from getting his gold jacket as "ignorant.""
"Multiple coaches who have never won a Super Bowl managed to get in, but apparently topping their best achievement six times is not worth such adulation. It has been reported and speculated that Bill Polian, longtime Indianapolis Colts GM and Belichick rival, leveraged his influence to convince multiple voters to make Belichick wait a year or two as punishment for transgressions like Spygate."
Bill Belichick failed to reach the 80% Hall of Fame voting threshold on the first ballot despite nine Super Bowl appearances and six victories. Eleven of 50 voters withheld affirmative votes. Deion Sanders called Belichick the best coach ever and labeled the snub "ignorant." Speculation arose that Bill Polian influenced some voters to delay induction as punishment for transgressions like Spygate; Polian denies the allegation. Critics argue that the Hall of Fame's stated standard of considering only on-field actions was breached when anonymous committee members let personal feelings affect the vote. Observers compare the situation to Terrell Owens' delayed induction, which was attributed to committee distaste despite clear statistical credentials.
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