Goodell: NFL ‘not involved’ in HOF vote, thinks Belichick will be inducted

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had nothing to do with voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that he believed Bill Belichick would end up being inducted. An ESPN report last week indicated that Belichick did not receive enough votes in his first year of eligibility, despite winning a record six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots. There was speculation that Belichick’s role in the Spygate scandal in 2007 and changes to the voting process may have contributed to at least 11 of 50 voters choosing not to vote for Belichick. Belichick was in a group with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and three senior players — Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and LC Greenwood — with voters only allowed to vote for three candidates with the required 80 percent support. “We’re not involved in it,” Goodell said. “Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, as does the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate. They are spectacular. They contributed so much to this game and I believe they will go into the Hall of Fame.” Associated Press reporting.