Podcast Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: The Herd – Hour 1 – Bill Belichick Not a First-Ballot Hall of Famer, What Goes On in the Voting Room, Seth Wickersham
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd dives deep into the surprising news that legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick was not voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Colin explores the precedent for Hall of Fame voting, weighs factors that might have contributed to Belichick's snub, and discusses the nuances of voting methodologies and their impact. Additionally, ESPN's Seth Wickersham joins to provide insider perspectives on the selection process, the influence of scandals like Spygate, and what happened behind the scenes.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reaction to Belichick’s First-Ballot Hall of Fame Snub

• Colin’s Take: The internet erupted with outrage over Belichick not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
  • "Is it possible, possible that what I'm about to explain to you went into consideration?" (03:12)

Key Arguments Presented:

• Precedent for Legendary Coaches:

  • Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, Jimmie Johnson, and Andy Reid all had to wait for Hall of Fame induction.
    • "Don Shula had to wait five years. Parcells waited forever... Lombardi didn’t get in first year eligible." (07:35)

• Voting Methodology Change:

  • New rules allow coaches to be inducted just one year after leaving the league, unlike players who must wait five.
    • "Because of a tweak this year in the voting... coaches now can get in one year removed from being out of the league." (02:17)

• Belichick’s Resume Scrutinized:

  • Without Tom Brady, Belichick’s win percentage drops to an unimpressive level.
  • Belichick faced firing twice (Cleveland, and likely New England without Brady).
    • "If you take out one superstar quarterback in Belichick’s career, he has a winning percentage below Jerry Glanville and equal to Anthony Lynn." (04:30)

• Scandals and Personality Impact:

  • The Spygate scandal (filming opponents) tarnished a Super Bowl week and may have affected voting.
  • His reputation as difficult, surly, and holding grudges with writers may have imposed a “12-month tax.”
    • "If you dump on people...If you're difficult...don't be surprised if there's a little bit a 12-month tax on your actions and personality." (12:10)

2. Inside the Hall of Fame Voting Room (w/Seth Wickersham)

Voting Structure:

• 50 voters, only 3 votes per person among a combined group of senior players, coaches, and contributors.
• Many assumed Belichick was a lock and used votes elsewhere, resulting in an unexpected result.

“I think that there are some voters who tried to vote for their guys with the assumption that Belichick was going to get in. And I think they figured that it was a fait accompli.” – Seth Wickersham (38:16)

Potential Factors in the Outcome:

• Spygate & Other Scandals:
  • The NFL’s handling of Spygate, including a rushed investigation and destruction of tapes, left unresolved bitterness among some league insiders and voters.
    • "Belichick was taping from the illegal location for seven years...the league had sent Belichick three letters warning him to stop, and he didn't do it." – Seth Wickersham (39:07)
• Assumptions and Backfiring:
  • Multiple voters prioritized personal favorites, assuming Belichick was secure, which accidentally left him below the vote threshold.
    • "It's like this perfect storm of dysfunction...didn't get in." – Seth Wickersham (38:16)
• Personality Penalty:
  • Belichick's chilly relationships possibly cost him some votes.
    • "Mariano Rivera...is the only player ever [baseball] to get 100%...I think a lot of it is he was so gracious, so humble, so decent and he was great. But there's been a lot of great in baseball." – Colin (34:30)

Reporting from the Inside:

• Belichick himself expected 49 out of 50 votes.
  • "Belichick was expecting that he was going to get 49 votes. Like, privately, that was his expectation..." – Seth Wickersham (40:51)
• Many voters were shocked he didn’t get in, believing he was a sure thing.
  • "A lot of the voters didn't know that Belichick hadn't gotten in. You see a lot of their reactions on social media." – Seth Wickersham (41:07)

3. Broader Issues with Hall of Fame Voting

• Inconsistency for Coaches vs. Players:

  • Colin criticizes that coaches can get in right away while players have to wait five years.
    • "It's a players league, not a coaches league." (11:37)

• Opaque and Convoluted System:

  • Limits on number of votes per ballot are arbitrary, and too many procedural oddities remain.
    • "It shouldn't be limited to I can vote for 2 of 5 or 3 of 5." (15:49)

• Comparisons to Baseball's Morality Clause:

  • NFL has no such clause, but relationships and character do still play a role in practice.
    • "Baseball's got a morality clause, football doesn’t. But when you change it, sometimes stuff like this happens." (11:02)

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The “Director vs. Actor” Analogy (04:48)

"Ask yourself if there was a great movie director who made 20 movies. In 12 of them, he had a superstar actor, and they won Oscars ... in the eight other movies...they were unwatchable. Would it give you pause...Was it the director or the actor?"

On the “Tax” for Being Difficult (12:10)

"If you dump on people, if you're difficult...Well, don't be surprised if there’s a little bit a 12-month tax on your actions and personality. Just a little bit of a tax. You sleep on the couch for a night or two."

On Belichick’s Lack of Coaching Tree (11:53)

"Belichick doesn’t even have a coaching tree. I mean, seriously. Sean McVay, relative to Belichick, has been in the league 45 minutes. He’s got a coaching forest."

Wickersham on the Voters’ Assumptions (38:16)

"I think that there are some voters who tried to vote for their guys with the assumption that Belichick was going to get in. And I think they figured that it was a fait accompli."

Inside the Spygate Aftermath (39:07)

"The league had sent Belichick three letters warning him to stop and he didn't do it. I think Belichick’s paying also a price for the way that the investigation was conducted, which was really a matter of days...There's an entire perception that the league was covering up and swept all this under the rug."

Colin on Hall of Fame Humanity (34:30)

"...if you know people who cover you, you probably shouldn’t treat them really, really poorly. If you build walls and make enemies, don’t be shocked if nobody shows up to your birthday party."

On Belichick’s Expectation (40:51)

"Belichick was expecting that he was going to get 49 votes. That was his expectation...and obviously, he didn't come close to 40." – Seth Wickersham

5. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment/Topic | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Opening, Belichick Hall of Fame debate begins | 02:20 | | Director/Actor analogy & Brady impact | 04:48 | | Spygate & “tax” for cheating/difficult personality | 07:48 / 12:10 | | History: Coach induction waits (Shula, Gibbs, etc.) | 07:35 | | Hall of Fame process/ballot structure | 15:02 | | Colin/J. Mac exchange on voting methodology | 15:49 | | Row with Robert Kraft (Patriots owner) | 14:24 | | Voting rules & transparency rant | 15:02-16:36 | | Colin’s take on baseball Hall 100% vote/Mariano Rivera | 34:30 | | Interview: Seth Wickersham joins the show | 37:04 | | Wickersham: Hall voting & methodology | 38:16 | | Spygate recap & league’s handling | 39:07 | | Belichick’s expectations, voters shocked | 40:51 |

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Belichick is a Hall of Famer—but the process, historical precedent, his resume minus Brady, Spygate, and his combative personality all contributed to his wait.
• New voting methods, legacy voter preferences, and unintended consequences meant many shifted votes to others, assuming Bill was a lock.
• Despite the outcry, both Cowherd and Wickersham believe Belichick will get in—possibly as early as next year—and that the structure of voting, not just spite or punishment, is largely to blame.

Overall Tone:
Thoughtful, candid, and slightly irreverent—Colin blends sharp analysis, analogies from film and business, and wit, while Wickersham brings humility and deep reporting, delivering an inside look at a process often shielded from public view.

For more discussions on sports, culture, and the human stories behind the headlines, tune in to The Herd with Colin Cowherd every weekday.