A Pro Football Hall of Fame voter has come forward to explain why he did not cast a ballot for Bill Belichick, revealing that the legendary coach's exclusion was due to a flawed voting process rather than any personal vendetta.
Vahe Gregorian, a veteran sports writer for the Kansas City Star, admitted he was one of the 50 selectors who left Belichick off his ballot. In a column, Gregorian called Belichick 'hard to imagine a more accomplished candidate' but said the voting rules forced him to choose between the coach, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and three senior players.
The Hall of Fame's 'coach/contributor/senior' category lumps together Belichick, Kraft, and three senior candidates, with each voter allowed only three votes. Gregorian said he voted for senior players Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood, all of whom he deemed more deserving of immediate enshrinement.
Gregorian dismissed suggestions that Belichick's past scandals, such as Deflategate and Spygate, influenced his decision. 'The so-called cheating stuff is not at all the only possible explanation,' he wrote, adding that he did not vote against Belichick but rather for the senior candidates.
Belichick, 73, is an eight-time Super Bowl champion and widely considered one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. His snub has sparked backlash, but Gregorian argued that the voting system is to blame, saying, 'If the curious selection dynamics now in place allowed for a simple up-down vote on Belichick, as a selector I absolutely would have voted for him.'
