Hall Of Fame Board Could Vote On Rule Changes This Weekend

Implicit in the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is this basic truth.

If it's broke, grab the freakin' toolbox.

To date, the Hall of Fame has made no changes to the convoluted voting process that kept former Patriots coach Bill Belichick out of the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Hall of Fame's board of directors holds its annual meeting during enshrinement weekend — and it's "likely" that the board will consider potential changes to the current protocol at that time.

Currently, the candidates nominated by the Coach Blue Ribbon Committee, the Contributor Blue Ribbon Committee, and the Seniors Blue Ribbon Committee land in the same bucket, and compete with each other.

For 2026, coach Bill Belichick, contributor Robert Kraft, and senior players Roger Craig, Ken Anderson, and L.C. Greenwood created a five-candidate menu from which the 50 votes picked three. To get in, the candidate had to appear on 80 percent of the ballots (i.e., 40).

The candidates didn't receive a standalone, up-or-down vote. If Belichick had gotten that, he'd surely be getting a bronze bust this weekend.

He should be anyway. If the task was to pick three from a list that included Belichick, Kraft, Craig, Anderson, and Greenwood, Belichick (and it was), Belichick should have been on all 50 ballots, with the voters' real work confined to picking the next two.

The fact that Belichick was omitted makes the entire process look bad. And it highlights the need for a different set of rules for getting in. And the Hall of Fame should have realized the moment that Belichick didn't get at least 40 votes that something was very, very wrong.

That should have been enough for someone to sound the alarm, and to intervene before all hell broke loose in a way that did irreparable damage to the Hall of Fame's reputation.

Which in turn tarnishes the Shield. Even though Commissioner Roger Goodell insisted after the Belichick debacle that the NFL doesn’t control the Hall of Fame, it's hardly a passive observer.

Goodell, the most powerful man in the sport at any level, is on the board of directors. Seven owners are, too.

If they aren't exercising enough influence to prevent embarrassing results, they should be. At Friday's meeting, hopefully they will.