US EditionBill Polian's Alleged Role in Bill Belichick's First-Ballot Hall of Fame Snub
Bill Polian denies reports that he urged voters to delay Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame induction despite controversy over Spygate and Deflategate, saying he voted for Belichick and Robert Kraft.
- On January 28, 2026, former Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian said he voted for Robert Kraft and could not recall with 100% certainty if he voted for Bill Belichick.
- Belichick's snub set off debate after ESPN reported that Spygate and Deflategate arose in deliberations, and an anonymous Hall of Fame voter said Polian urged a 'wait a year' penance.
- Polian said he was 95% sure he voted for Belichick, and `I was shocked to learn Bill didn't get in`, Polian said, while coverage noted Belichick's eight Super Bowls and 302 regular-season wins.
- Belichick now faces a delayed Hall induction as current and former players, coaches, analysts and media reacted strongly, social media circulated competing accounts, and he was reported as `puzzled` and `disappointed`.
- Polian's history with the Patriots matters because he was a longtime rival as Colts GM when the team went 8-4 against Brady-Belichick New England, and ESPN in-depth reporting linked this to voters revisiting Patriots scandals.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Hall of Fame voter says he cannot remember if he checked Bill Belichick’s name amid snub
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The football world was stunned on Tuesday night when it was initially reported that eight-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. ESPN first reported that Belichick would not be going into the Hall of Fame this time around. The outlet, citing sources, reported that Belichick was “puzzled” and “disappointed” with the decisi…
Column: As outrage over Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub continues, the plot thickens
There’s only one way for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to right the wrong of denying former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick his first-ballot entrance into the Hall. Gather all the 50 voters back together and stage a “Knives Out” whodunit, with Daniel Craig investigating in a musky mansion. Maybe they could even get “Hard Knocks” star Liev Schreiber to narrate for HBO. Surely by the end of the two-hour mystery we’d know who committed th…
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