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[mooby]

Originally Posted by calia

I am in the minority here, but I have no problem with Belichick having to wait a year (I am sure he will get in next year) as a bit of penance for Spygate and Deflategate. The dude was a serial cheater, and didn't learn his lesson after being called out for Spygate. If the voters decide to shame him by making him wait a year for the jacket, I am having trouble being sympathetic. Does he deserve to be in the HOF? Of course he does -- part of 8 Superbowls and won 6, and near the top of the list for all-time wins. But I also think it is fine for the league to remind everyone that there's a standard to uphold, and the dude fell short of it in ways that were detrimental to the league and to the teams he was competing against.

I wonder whether he would still have made it if he were more likeable. Sitting at press conferences, muttering monosyllabic responses to questions from under the hoodie probably didn't endear him to folks. Sometimes in life, it helps to not be an asshole. Bill didn't get that memo.

Calia normally I agree with you on things but not on this. The man had a direct hand in 8 super bowl titles. Went to 12 title games overall. The cheating stuff - every coach will take advantage of a loophole if they see a grey area where things aren't clearly defined. Shit, even if things are clearly defined coaches and players will push the envelope, because winning in the NFL is a matter of inches. He paid his dues for those scandals.

If Belichick is not a first ballot HOFer, idk who is. This includes Tom Brady.

Keeping him out (especially if it's for one year) just because you don't like the man is playing politics, and it casts the HOF voting process in a terrible light.

The people who left him off their ballots need to do a public op-ed and explain why they did it and take the heat that they absolutely deserve. If nobody stands up for their reasoning it makes it even worse.