One thing that’s still unclear is how close Belichick came to getting in. Was it close? Or was it an explosion? Possibly the answer has emerged.
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In the middle of a column by Gerry Dulac of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in which he defends a deeply flawed process and insists that the public is not owed transparency hides an intriguing nugget.
From Dulac: “To be elected, a candidate must receive at least 80% of the votes, or in this case, 40 out of 50. Belichick, according to a published report, did not get them. He got 39.”
Because Dulac also explains that, if none of the five candidates who were grouped together in a meaningless Royal Rumble of consecration (Belichick, Robert Kraft, Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, LC Greenwood) appeared on the 80 percent of the pick three and only three ballots, the one with the most votes would enter.
If Belichick got to 39, that would mean at least one of the other four scored 40 or higher.
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It’s still not entirely clear whether Dulac is reporting that Belichick scored 39. That’s what Dulac seems to be saying. And if that’s what you’re reporting, that should have been the headline of a separate article, one that would have received a lot more attention, traffic, and possibly revenue for a publication that will be permanent closure in May.
Dulac attributes the failure to enshrine Belichick to the idea that, of the five candidates, Belichick should have been the first of the three on the 50 ballots. And Dulac is right about that. Of those five individuals, Belichick is clearly the most deserving of a bronze bust right now.
But the result demonstrates the problem with the process. Whoever invented it didn’t take into account the possibility that some voters rationalized focusing on others (like the three players nominated by the senior committee) who might never be so close to getting in again. (This is how Vahe Gregorian of the kansas city star explained his decision to pass Belichick.)
And on the topic of transparency, Dulac’s opinion on “how dare the public want to know” hinges on the ridiculous comparison to a coach who isn’t transparent with the media. Coaches have many valid reasons for not disclosing certain information, especially during an ongoing season of games. There is no valid reason to treat Hall of Fame ballots as nuclear secrets.
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The Associated Press is now releasing all the votes for the various awards that will be announced Thursday. The Hall of Fame should do the same. In a time with very little honesty and transparency, it is even more important to get rid of the you don’t need to know Attitude about anything for which there is no valid reason not to know. Especially in situations where the promise of complete secrecy to voters can lead to unfair results.
If all 50 voters knew when they chose three of the five candidates that their picks would eventually be revealed, they would take into account the reality that they would have no choice but to advocate not putting Belichick at the top of the list.
Instead, people like Dulac are now defending a process that was poorly designed, poorly implemented, and poorly executed. Given the outcome and the reaction, pointing fingers at those who want answers seems like a bad strategy.