Bill Polian clarifies his Bill Belichick Hall of Fame vote as questions swirl

Bill Polian continued to push back on the narrative that he played a role in Bill Belichick not becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The former football executive, who served as general manager for the Bills and Colts, was specifically named in an ESPN report on Tuesday as having told other voters that the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach should “wait a year” to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as some sort of penance for the 2007 Spygate scandal. Belichick did not receive the necessary votes to be included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.Polian has denied having a role in that decision in multiple interviews and said he voted for Belichick, though that was a claim he seemed to slightly backtrack on Tuesday night.But he seemed sure of his yes vote on Wednesday during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I voted for Coach Belichick in the Hall of Fame selection meeting,” Polian said, reading from a prepared statement.

“The Pro Football Hall of Fame has confirmed that fact through the auditors of the selection process.Again, I’ll state that I never said that I believed that Coach Belichick should ‘wait a year’ for enshrinement.

This has been confirmed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, numerous selectors who were in the room and my vote for Coach Belichick.As a Hall of Fame member and selector, I realize the import of what we do.

I’ve always tried as a selector to make these difficult choices with the utmost objectivity.I’ve said on Sirius XM Radio and numerous other media outlets that I believe Coach Belichick to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

My vote confirms that.”The initial ESPN report, which included the claims about Polian, has created plenty of animosity toward the ex-NFL general manager, with Ringer founder Bill Simmons even labeling him a “petty, whiny, not-honest, hypocritical, self-serving, score-settling d–khead.”And Simmons hasn’t been alone in questioning Polian’s account.That chorus g...