Following the news that Bill Belichick has been snubbed in his first year of eligibility, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s selection process has attracted no shortage of attention.
That included on Manish Mehta’s Between the Tackles podcast, in which Peter King discussed his own experiences — and regrets — regarding Hall of Fame voting.
When asked about Vahe Gregorian’s explanation for not voting Belichick, King said that he understands the rationale, even though he believes it to be flawed. In fact, it was the same logic that the former Monday Morning Quarterback author used when he didn’t vote for former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu in his first year of eligibility, a snub he now regrets in retrospect.
“I used similar rationale, which I came to regret, the year that Troy Polamalu got in,” he said. “If you are on the Hall of Fame committee, you have to abide by the bylaws of the Hall of Fame. And the bylaws say that you have to vote for who you think is most deserving.
“Unless Vahe believes that Ken Anderson is more deserving for the Hall of Fame than Bill Belichick — which would be shocking to me that somebody would think that — what you’re doing is you’re taking the law into your own hands. And again, I like Vahe, I really do. But it’s not what our charge is. Our charge is to vote for the people we think our the most deserving.”
🎙️Peter King on Hall of Fame voter Vahe Gregorian’s rationale snubbing Bill Belichick:
“I used similar rationale, which I came to regret. I know it’s wrong. I was wrong in 2020 when I didn’t vote for (Troy) Polamalu. What you’re doing is taking the law into your own hands. It’s… pic.twitter.com/faKEzJhaPk— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaSports) January 29, 2026
As Peter King alluded to, Gregorian voted for Ken Anderson — as well as Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood — which he justified by noting that the trio was on the verge of having their eligibility expire. Meanwhile, Indianapolis TV reporter Mike Chappell justified his Belichick snub by pointing to the controversies attached to the 6-time Super Bowl champion head coach’s career, including Spygate and Deflategate.
Regardless of why Gregorian, Chappell and other voters didn’t elect Belichick, his first-ballot omission has largely been viewed as a black eye for the Hall of Fame. And it’s not a stretch to think those voters could come to regret their ballots down the road, just as King now does with Polamalu.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.