CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s veil of secrecy was pierced this week when news leaked that Bill Belichick failed to make the cut as a first-ballot selection. On the latest Orange and Brown Talk podcast, Hall of Fame voter Mary Kay Cabot offered a rare glimpse inside that mysterious voting room, while navigating the delicate line of what she’s permitted to reveal.
“This is like the first time I can ever recall a leak happening from hall of Fame voting,” host Dan Labbe noted, setting the stage for Cabot’s perspective on the shocking outcome.
While treading carefully, Cabot identified a structural issue with the current voting system that may have doomed Belichick’s chances: “The thing that I can talk about is the fact that the voting is done in a new way now, where the seniors are lumped in together with the contributors and the coaches. And it just does feel awkward when you’re trying to vote. It just does feel a little bit awkward.”
This system forced voters to select only three of five finalists across these categories, creating an impossible choice between legendary coaches and senior candidates who might never get another chance at induction.
Cabot disclosed her personal role in advocating for the former Patriots coach: “I spoke in favor of Bill Belichick in the general meeting. I may have had my first hand up after the presentation because I felt like I had a unique perspective on Bill Belichick from having covered him for so long here in Cleveland.”
The podcast revealed that Belichick fell just short, receiving 39 of the 50 votes when he needed 40 to gain induction. This one-vote margin has sparked outrage across the NFL world and raised serious questions about the Hall’s selection process.
Cabot expressed her disappointment plainly: “I feel like I did my part. I’m glad that I did my part, and I’m disappointed in the result.”
The discussion highlighted that at least one voter, Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star, publicly explained his reasoning for leaving Belichick off his ballot — he prioritized senior candidates who might never get another chance at induction. As Cabot characterized it, this was “a principled way of thinking about it,” even if she disagreed with the outcome.
Perhaps most significantly, Cabot suggested that this controversy will likely spark change: “It gives a bad look to the whole process. I think a lot of us, most of us are really, really disappointed that it went this way. And I think that there will be change in the future, and I know there will be.”
Here’s the latest podcast:
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