After information broke Tuesday night time that former New England Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick was snubbed in his first 12 months as a candidate for the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, reactions of shock and anger poured in from throughout the soccer world and past, together with from President Trump.
CBS Sports activities confirmed Tuesday that Belichick — who received six Tremendous Bowls as head coach of the Patriots, and two extra as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants — is not going to be a primary poll Corridor of Fame choice when the category is revealed to the general public on Feb. 5. A candidate must obtain no less than 40 votes from the 50-member choice committee to be inducted.
ESPN was first to report that Belichick acquired a name on Friday that he didn’t obtain sufficient votes.
“It’s the similar mindset that gave professional soccer the brand new and unwatchable ‘Sissy’ Kickoff Rule, that made it attainable for Invoice Belichick to not be elected into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. Each are ridiculous and ought to be overturned!” Mr. Trump posted on Fact Social in reference to the NFL’s new kickoff guidelines, which took impact at the start of the 2024 season.
Belichick and Mr. Trump have a friendship that dates again a long time. The night time earlier than the 2016 presidential election, Mr. Trump learn a letter from Belichick endorsing him throughout a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. And the night time earlier than the 2024 election, Mr. Trump joined Belichick on his podcast.
NFL world reacts to Corridor of Fame vote
Retired Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who received six of his seven Tremendous Bowls with Belichick — forming arguably the best coach-quarterback duo of all time — appeared flummoxed when requested in regards to the snub in an interview Wednesday with a Seattle sports activities speak radio station.
“I do not perceive it, I imply, I used to be with him day by day,” Brady mentioned. “If he is not a first-ballot Corridor of Famer, there’s actually no coach that ought to ever be a first-ballot Corridor of Famer.”
In an X put up, Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes known as the choice “Insane… do not even perceive how this may very well be attainable.”
Former Houston Texans star defensive finish JJ Watt, now an analyst for CBS Sports activities, sounded off as nicely.
“I am unable to be studying this proper. This needs to be some knock-off Corridor of Fame or one thing, it could actually’t be the precise NFL Corridor of Fame,” Watt posted to X. “There’s not a single world in any way wherein Invoice Belichick shouldn’t be a First-Poll Corridor of Famer.”
In a number of social media posts, Corridor of Fame coach and retired analyst Jimmy Johnson known as for voters who left Belichick off their poll to determine themselves, and accusing them of being “too cowardly to determine themselves.”
“Dumbest s*** we are going to see all 2026!!!” wrote retired Patriots defensive again Devin McCourty, who performed 13 seasons for Belichick.
Los Angeles Lakers celebrity LeBron James weighed in as nicely, calling the choice “inconceivable, egregious, and fairly frankly disrespectful.”
“There is not any manner I learn that proper!” James wrote.
Who votes for the Corridor of Fame?
The Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame web site lays out particulars in regards to the committee that snubbed Belichick, together with a listing of the voters. For New England, former newspaper author Ron Borges, now with the Discuss of Fame Community, is a voter.
“The Committee consists of 1 media consultant from every professional soccer metropolis with two every from Los Angeles and New York, inasmuch as these cities have two groups within the Nationwide Soccer League. A thirty third member is a consultant of the Professional Soccer Writers of America, and there are as much as 17 at-large delegates,” the web site reads.
The Corridor of Fame doesn’t launch the precise outcomes of who voted for every candidate. However lots of the voters have already revealed that they voted for Belichick. Nonetheless, he fell no less than 11 votes quick.
One voter whose opinion has come into focus has been former Indianapolis Colts basic supervisor and president Invoice Polian, who was a longtime rival of the Patriots. ESPN reported Polian instructed some voters that Belichick ought to be compelled to attend a 12 months to be inducted as punishment for the Spygate and Deflategate scandals.
Polian gave two seemingly conflicting interviews after the information broke Tuesday night time. First, he instructed SI Now that it was “categorically unfaithful” that he led a cost towards Belichick, including that he voted for him. Later, Polian instructed ESPN he “couldn’t bear in mind with 100% certainty” if he voted for Belichick.
Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft is a finalist for the Corridor of Fame this 12 months as nicely, together with former New England kicker Adam Vinatieri. The outcomes are formally introduced through the NFL Honors broadcast throughout Tremendous Bowl week.
“It is insane,” Dave Portnoy, founding father of Barstool Sports activities and an outspoken Patriots, fan, instructed CBS Boston. “It simply ruins the complete integrity of the complete Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. You may as nicely not even have it. What is the level to even having the Corridor of Fame if Invoice Belichick’s not first poll?”
Belichick’s six Tremendous Bowl wins between 2001 and 2019 are essentially the most for any head coach in NFL historical past. The Patriots additionally made three extra Tremendous Bowl appearances throughout that point span.
