Scott Garceau’s phone lit up early Wednesday morning - and not because of a breaking sports story. The longtime Baltimore broadcaster and Pro Football Hall of Fame selector suddenly found himself at the center of one of the biggest debates in football: Why wasn’t Bill Belichick inducted into Canton on his first try?
Garceau, who’s represented Baltimore on the Hall’s 50-member selection committee for over two decades, wasn’t about to break protocol. “Hey, I’d like to help you, but I’d be violating the trust that the Hall gives us,” he told those asking how he voted. That trust is central to a process that’s now under the microscope, especially with Belichick - the NFL’s six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and second all-time in wins with 347 - falling short of the 40 votes needed for induction.
To be clear, Garceau isn’t alone on the panel. Each of the NFL’s 32 franchises is represented by a media member, and the rest of the committee is rounded out by at-large delegates, including Pro Football Hall of Famers like Bill Polian and Tony Dungy, plus a representative from the Pro Football Writers of America.
This year, Belichick was one of five finalists from the coaches/contributors/senior players category. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a first-time contributor nominee, also made the list, along with senior player finalists Roger Craig, Ken Anderson, and L.C. Greenwood.
But only one to three from that group will ultimately make it in - and this time, Belichick didn’t get the nod.
According to reports, the committee’s deliberations included discussions of Spygate and Deflategate - the two scandals that have long followed Belichick’s otherwise immaculate résumé. That cloud may have been enough to sway just enough voters to keep him out, at least for now.
“Is it surprising? I think it is for a lot of people,” Garceau said.
“But I go back to this: Pete Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Barry Bonds isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
And now Bill Belichick isn’t in the Hall of Fame - at least not yet.”
It’s a comparison that hits home. Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, and Bonds, MLB’s all-time home run king, both have the numbers to be first-ballot locks.
But off-the-field issues - gambling for Rose, steroids for Bonds - have kept them on the outside looking in. Now Belichick, despite his unparalleled success, finds himself in a similar place.
“None of them are in right now, and none of it has to do with what they did on the field,” Garceau said. “Maybe I don’t agree with it, but I respect the process.
And if [Belichick] isn’t in this year, he might just have to wait one year. But Bill Belichick put a Hall of Fame career on.”
That process Garceau refers to? It’s not a quick show of hands.
Hall of Fame meetings often run eight to nine hours, with in-depth discussions about every finalist - the highs, the lows, and everything in between. And it’s not just the selectors doing the talking.
Teams, coaches, and even players reach out to voters ahead of time, making their case.
“You get phone calls, emails, letters - even handwritten ones,” Garceau said. “There’s a lot that goes into it.
You don’t just walk into the room and vote. The process gets questioned a lot, like it is right now.
But I think it’s the best in all of sports.”
One of the more intriguing dynamics this year? The shared ballot between Belichick and Kraft - two central figures in the Patriots’ dynasty, now reportedly not on the best of terms. Garceau chuckled at the idea of them being enshrined together and admitted that their strained relationship might’ve played a role.
“It’s still kind of a strained relationship,” he said. “So [at least] one of them’s not going in. We’ll see.”
While the spotlight remains on Belichick’s omission, the Hall will still induct a mix of contributors, senior finalists, and modern-era players this year. That modern group includes 15 finalists, among them two Ravens legends - Marshal Yanda and Terrell Suggs - both with strong cases of their own.
As for Belichick? He’s not in yet, but don’t mistake that for a final verdict.
With a record that includes six Lombardi Trophies and nearly 350 wins, his case isn’t going away anytime soon. The Hall may have made him wait this year, but Canton still feels like a matter of when - not if.