Morning Sports Update
After initially insisting that he voted for the former Patriots head coach, Polian later admitted he “could not remember with 100% certainty.”
Bill Polian speaking to reporters at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
January 28, 2026 | 10:45 AM
4 minutes to read
Did Bill Polian cast a Hall of Fame vote for Bill Belichick? At the core of the controversy surrounding Bill Belichick’s reported failure to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot is the uncertain electoral status of former NFL executive (and noted Belichick rival) Bill Polian.
Polian, 83, was himself elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015 as contributor (having built winning teams with the Bills, Panthers, and Colts). He mostly crossed paths with Belichick during his time as Colts general manager from 1998-2009.
And according to an in-depth report from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham (which broke the news of Belichick not being elected), Polian may have played a role in convincing voters to not select the eight-time Super Bowl winner (six of which were won as head coach of the Patriots).
“Multiple sources told ESPN that Spygate and Deflategate, the twin cheating scandals during the Patriots’ championship run, came up in deliberations among voters,” noted ESPN. “A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts — a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty — told some voters he believed Belichick should ‘wait a year’ before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick.”
As the controversy swirled around social media, two accounts of Polian eventually emerged.
The first came from Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, who reported that Polian denied the allegation that he hadn’t voted for Belichick.
“That’s totally and categorically untrue. I voted for him,” Polian told Verderame.
However, a second Polian quote emerged that called the original into dispute. Van Natta Jr. shared that he had reached the former executive, updating the original piece to reflect it.
“In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, Polian denied telling fellow voters that Belichick should serve a one-year penance for Spygate. He said he heard his fellow voters ‘float that idea’ but insisted he didn’t agree or disagree with the proposal. Polian said he voted for Kraft and even spoke up on his behalf during the deliberations, saying Kraft had no knowledge of the Spygate scheme. Polian added that he could not remember with 100% certainty if he voted for Belichick, saying he was 95% sure he voted for the coach and a player, ‘most likely’ [L.C.] Greenwood.”
“I was shocked to learn Bill didn’t get in,” Polian told Van Natta Jr. “He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Belichick was reportedly “puzzled” and “disappointed” that he hadn’t been elected on the first try.
Trivia: Bill Belichick won his first Super Bowl ring as defensive coordinator for the Giants. What team did New York beat in that Super Bowl?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: This team is now 3-5 in Super Bowl appearances.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins defeated the Predators 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday, with David Pastrnak scoring the winner (see below). Boston will host the Flyers on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Celtics face the Hawks at TD Garden tonight at 7:30 p.m.
The Boston Fleet play the New York Sirens tonight at the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m.
And the Patriots are set to play the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Mack Hollins predicted the missed field goal: Prior to the Broncos’ attempt to tie the AFC Championship, the Patriots’ wide receiver called it.
“This is not a debate”: An overview of the Belichick Hall of Fame controversy from Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt.
On this day: In 1959, Celtics fans took Red Auerbach a little too literally. Having complained that St. Louis Hawks fans were the “worst in the league” after a Celtics’ loss to the Hawks earlier in January, the Boston head coach had an off-the-cuff suggestion.
“I hope Boston fans give them a taste of their own medicine,” Auerbach said. Sure enough, with St. Louis in town for a rematch on the 28th, Celtics fans “showered Hawks players and coach Ed Macauley with eggs as they entered the Boston Garden lobby prior to the game,” (as The Boston Globe account noted the following day).
Eventually, Celtics owner Walter Brown came out to demand the crowd stop, and apologized to St. Louis players (and Macauley, a former Celtic).
In the game itself, the two powerhouses put on a show. The Celtics rallied to force overtime, eventually winning 120-111. Hawks big man Bob Petit led all scorers with 40 points, but seven Celtics cracked double-digit point totals, and Bill Russell (15 points, 24 rebound) anchored a home team win.
Daily highlight: The Bruins won it in overtime after just 15 seconds thanks to a combination of Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak.
Trivia answer: Denver Broncos
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
