One of the most surprising storylines to emerge during the two-week buildup to Super Bowl LX was the news that Bill Belichick had been snubbed in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And much like Belichick’s inevitable induction into Canton, it now appears to be a matter of not “if” but rather “when” the Hall of Fame will make changes to its voting process.
Appearing on the NFL Network’s pregame coverage on Sunday, Judy Battista revealed that Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter is already weighing such adjustments. And he’s already mentioned specific potential changes, which could drastically shift how the museum goes about selecting its inductees.
“I spoke to Jim Porter, the president of the Hall, yesterday,” Battista said. “Here are some of the changes they’re contemplating: Reducing the size of the panel that votes. Changing the makeup of the panel that votes; they want to include some game historians, maybe former GMs. Reducing the number of modern era players who make it to the finalist stage, that number is now at 15. And finally, making the votes public.
“The bottom line here: Porter wants to make sure the voters are selecting the absolute best candidates who are on the ballot each season. Certainly there was some question whether that’s what happened this year.”
While it remains to be seen how many of these changes will ultimately take effect before next year’s voting process begins, it’s evident that the Hall of Fame views Belichick’s first-ballot snub as a black eye. That was clear in the aftermath of it first being reported, which prompted the Hall to release a statement, in which it said it would review this year’s selection process to ensure that proper protocols were followed.
“Each year, the Hall reviews the selection process and the composition of the 50-person Selection Committee. If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection process bylaws, they understand that action will be taken,” the statement read, in part. “That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward.
“The selection of a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year, and the integrity of that process cannot be in question.”
Considering the magnitude of Belichick’s snub, one could argue the integrity of the process is already in question. And now it appears the Hall is prepared to take steps in an attempt to ensure it won’t happen again.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.