New England Patriots
“I mentioned I’m not going to make a touch upon it till we discover out who’s in and who’s out.”
SAN FRANCISCO — It didn’t take lengthy after information first broke that each Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft weren’t going to be elected into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s Class of 2026 for Patriots followers to attempt to canvas which voters didn’t deem the influential duo worthy of a gold jacket.
A number of media members who make up a part of the 50-person voting panel have come ahead to share their reasoning why they didn’t vote for Belichick — together with the Kansas Metropolis Star’s Vahe Gregorian and Indianapolis reporter Mike Chappell.
Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy — a longtime rival of each Belichick and the Patriots — additionally holds one of many 50 votes on the Corridor-of-Fame panel. Given his Indy ties, many Patriots followers have speculated that Dungy might need been one of many dissenting voices who selected to not vote for each Belichick and Kraft.
Talking at NBC’s media occasion forward of Tremendous Bowl LX on Tuesday, Dungy refused to debate his voting decisions, particularly because it pertains to 2 of the highest architects of New England’s two-decade dynasty.
“To begin with, we don’t know that they didn’t get inducted within the Corridor of Fame,” Dungy advised Entrance Workplace Sports activities’ Ryan Glasspiegel. “I’m a voter. I’ve not heard who’s in or who’s out, so I’m not going to make a touch upon it and speculate. We’ll discover out, I believe, on Thursday who’s in and who’s out.”
Glasspiegel then posed a follow-up — asking Dungy instantly if he voted for both Belichick or Kraft.
His response was much more pointed.
“I mentioned I’m not going to make a touch upon it till we discover out who’s in and who’s out,” he added.
Belichick — denied entry in his first yr on the hall-of-fame poll — gained eight Tremendous Bowls as a coach, together with six over a 24-year span with New England as head coach.
The Patriots have essentially the most wins (374) within the NFL since Kraft purchased the staff in 1994 — with a win over the Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl LX transferring New England right into a tie with the Packers for essentially the most playoff wins (37) in NFL historical past.
The Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame Class of 2026 can be introduced through the NFL Honors occasion on Thursday evening in San Francisco.
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