Sports
Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub Sets a Dangerous Precedent
The football world stood still for a moment on Tuesday when the news trickled out that legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick didn’t receive enough votes to be a first ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Believe it or not, prior to coaching in the ACC and dating a much younger and controversial maiden, Belichick is one of the sport’s most accomplished coaches.
Belichick’s 333 total wins in the NFL is the second-greatest mark of all time behind the legendary Don Shula, who won 14 more games. Belichick has won 31 postseason games, which is the NFL record. His six Super Bowls speak to the dominant tenure he had in the NFL.
Over the recent years, football fans have debated if Belichick or superstar quarterback Tom Brady deserves more credit for all of those titles. After all, Belichick’s New England Patriots floundered while Brady was bringing titles to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady put an end to any speculation about their relationship, standing up for his head coach on the radio one day after Belichick’s historic snub.
“I don’t understand it,” Brady said. “If he’s not a first ballot hall of famer then there’s really no coach who should ever be a first ballot hall of famer.”
Brady brings up a good point. If Belichick isn’t on the first ballot… what coach will be?
In some ugly corners of the football internet, sportswriters hypothesized that Belichick’s repeated cheating scandals could be the reason why he will not be inducted right away. Really?
A few rogue camcorders at practice? A few footballs that were a bit deflated?
Listen, I’m not necessarily a Belichick fan or a fan of the Patriots whatsoever. But does the punishment really fit the crime to exclude one of the greatest coaches ever over a few minor scandals that were blown out of proportion because of how dominant New England was during that generation?
Cheating is never cool. But even without a few stray cameramen or deflated footballs, the Patriots dynasty still would have happened. Love him or hate him, Belichick was the leader of the organization for one of the most dominant stretches of football that the AFC has ever seen.
With all of those postseason victories and Super Bowl rings, Belichick’s snub will make it harder for the coaches that have followed him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame right away.
Just a few weeks ago, legendary Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down from his position. There’s no way he can be first ballot if Belichick wasn’t — even though he has a compelling case. Whenever Andy Reid decides to walk away from coaching the Kansas City Chiefs, he won’t be able to enter Canton right away either, by the benchmark that he hadn’t won more postseason games or Super Bowls than Belichick.
Maybe the voters were trying to make a point about an individual who bent the rules during his time in the NFL. Perhaps all of the negative media attention surrounding Belichick’s personal relationship and struggles in college football have clouded his legacy.
But he’s one of the greatest coaches ever. Because of this precedent, it’ll be hard to induct any other coach right away.
Sports
Defender Chris Richards returns to USMNT practice
June 8, 2026; Irvine, California, U.S.; Chris Richards of the U.S. signs an autograph for a fan during training. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Defender Chris Richards is back on the field with the United States Men’s National Team on Monday and appears to be on track for the World Cup opener against Paraguay this week.
“We will see … first time with the team,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said Monday. “Nearly everyone ready to be selected for the game.”
Richards sustained an ankle injury last month and is viewed as a vital defender in the center of the backline.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie filled in for Richards on Saturday in the final World Cup tuneup against Germany in Chicago.
At Monday’s practice in Irvine, Calif., Tyler Adams was not on the field. He worked in the gym for load management purposes, Pochettino said.
Richards, 26, suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle on May 17 as his Crystal Palace team played Brentford in a Premier League match. He did complete the match but limped off the field and has not competed since.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Kings to hire Peter Laviolette as head coach
Mar 29, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette instructs his team as left wings Artemi Panarin (10), Chris Kreider (20) and Brennan Othmann (78) look on against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Kings are set to hire Peter Laviolette to a three-year deal as their next head coach, Sportsnet and ESPN reported Monday.
Laviolette had been in talks to become the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as recently as last week, according to multiple reports, and the Edmonton Oilers had also reportedly looked at him as a candidate to fill their head coaching vacancy.
Laviolette, 61, has been an NHL head coach for 23 seasons.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He also reached the Stanley Cup Final as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017.
He most recently coached the New York Rangers from 2023-25. The Rangers went 55-23-4 (114 points) in Laviolette’s first season and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in a six-game series. New York went 39-36-7 (85 points) the following season to finish six points out of a playoff spot, leading to Laviolette’s dismissal in April 2025.
He owns an 846-562-161 record (25 ties) as head coach with the New York Islanders (2001-03), Hurricanes (2003-09), Flyers (2009-14), Predators (2014-20), Washington Capitals (2020-23) and Rangers.
His 846 regular-season wins are the most among United States-born coaches in NHL history and seventh all-time.
Laviolette appeared in 12 NHL games during his playing career as a defenseman, all during the 1988-89 season with the Rangers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top 2 seeds ousted in chaotic opening day at Libema Open
Aug 27, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia serves against Wang Xinyu of China in the second round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds each fell in straight sets on a chaotic first day of women’s competition in the Libema Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands on Monday.
No. 1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia — a two-time winner at the event in 2022 and ‘23 — fell 6-4, 7-6 (5) to Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, who ranks nearly 50 spots lower (65th to 17th). In a match that was statistically even in a number of spots, the difference may have been Udvardy’s one more converted break (3 of 6) in an equal number of chances.
Second-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark lost 6-4, 6-4 to Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova, a 17-year-old who won the final five games of the match to secure her first career top-30 win. No. 3 seed Belgian Elise Mertens avoided the same fate with a thorough 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
In other Monday action, Poland’s Magda Linette rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian Kimberly Birrell, Robin Montgomery pulled out a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 victory against Daria Kasatkina of Australia and Ukraine’s Daria Snigur swept Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-6 (2).
HSBC Championships
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic rallied for a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-3 defeat of McCartney Kessler in first-round action at London.
Pliskova was sloppy on her serve with three aces and 11 double faults but made up for it by winning 51% of her return points and converting 8 of 11 break-point opportunities.
In the only two other matches completed on Monday, when multiple matches were delayed or postponed by rain, Great Britain’s Harriet Dart beat Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, while Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian swept Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 7-6 (4).
The final match of the day, which pitted No. 8 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, was suspended due to darkness with Fernandez up a set and the second set level at 3 games apiece.
–Field Level Media
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