SI:AM | Bill Belichick’s Canton Call on Hold

In a shocking development, the legendary Patriots coach won't enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

DAN GARTLAND Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. Leave it to the NFL to find a way to seize headlines during the Super Bowl bye week.  In today's SI:AM: 🏆 Belichick's Hall snub 🏈 Why Belichick doesn't deserve further punishment 🥌 NFLers' new curling venture No golden hoodie for Belichick Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images Bill Belichick is going to have to wait to get his gold jacket.  The longtime Patriots coach will not be among those included in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class when the inductees are announced at the NFL Honors awards show in San Francisco on Feb. 5, ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham reported Tuesday.  I realize plenty of people don't give a damn about halls of fame—and especially don't care about the vagaries of the voting process for who gets inducted—but there's plenty about the Belichick situation that every sports fan should find interesting.  For one thing, we're talking about Bill Belichick, the most accomplished coach in modern NFL history. His six Super Bowl victories with New England, plus his two additional rings as the mind behind two Super Bowl-winning defenses with the Giants, should make him an easy first-ballot selection. He compiled a career record of 333–178, including playoff games, giving him the second-most wins of any coach in NFL history. (Don Shula is first with 347.) So why didn't he get in? CONTINUE DAN'S COLUMN ON SI The best of Sports Illustrated Matt Verderame argues that Bill Belichick's exclusion is a blaring alarm that the Pro Football Hall of Fame's new voting system is faulty. The NFL already punished Bill Belichick, Conor Orr writes, so why punish him further by not voting him into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot? The Bills' decision to hire Joe Brady shoveled even more blame onto Sean McDermott than a Lake Erie snowstorm, Orr writes. Several All-Pros in the midst of their primes made Gilberto Manzano's list of the Nos. 50–11 players in his 2026 NFL Top 100 projection. Curling is often known for its quiet crowds, knitting spectators and short-lived Olympic popularity. But Pro Football Hall of Famer Jared Allen and the newly created Rock League are out to turn the sport into an event worth experiencing beyond the Winter Games, writes Ben Steiner. Pat Forde asks where SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is while his league's scandals pile up. As the NBA trade deadline approaches, Chris Mannix explains why Giannis Antetokounmpo may have played his last game in Milwaukee. No. 3 Michigan does not look like the dominant team it was in November, but Kevin Sweeney writes that its ability to win ugly could be a dangerous trait come March. Orr takes us inside Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir's Bay Area flag football dynasty. Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. Click to subscribe! Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images 👀 The top five ... … plays on a wild night in college basketball:  5. Divine Ugochukwu's game-tying three (above) to force overtime for Michigan State on the road against Rutgers. The Spartans held off an upset bid to win in OT and improve to 19–2.  4. The roar of the crowd when Miami (Ohio) wrapped up its win over UMass to improve to 21–0. The Redhawks are one of only two undefeated men's basketball teams in the nation, joining Arizona.  3. Robbie Avila's game-winning three for Saint Louis against George Washington. The Billikens have won 14 straight to improve to 20–1 on the season and are ranked in the AP poll for the first time in five years. (And yes, Avila is the guy with the glasses who became a cult hero at Indiana State two years ago.) 2. Sam Lewis's contested three for Virginia to force a second overtime against Notre Dame. The Cavaliers went on to win, 100–97.  1. Cole Certa's audacious go-ahead three for the Irish earlier in the game.  The best of SI Video In the latest episode of Open Floor, Chris Mannix and retired NBA player Evan Turner talk about how the streaking Clippers have joined the play-in race after starting 6-21, why the Warriors should talk with Steph Curry about what comes next for the team and how Giannis Antetokounmpo's calf injury could affect trade talks. Sign up for SI Newsletters Stay ahead of the game—sign up for all of SI's newsletters, from golf and soccer to MMQB, and never miss a moment. Get it in your inbox We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 155 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 202 New York, New York 10013 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI:AM newsletter. You can unsubscribe here . Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2025 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI:AM newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators' opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM. Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.