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US President Donald Trump has joined a chorus of disbelief after reports Bill Belichick - widely considered the greatest coach in NFL history - was denied first-ballot induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Belichick, who won six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots and two as defensive co-ordinator with the New York Giants, reportedly fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction in his first year of eligibility.
Trump took to social media to say it was "ridiculous and should be overturned".
His comments followed those of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who wrote on X: "Insane... don't even understand how this could be possible."
Meanwhile, NBA great LeBron James posted: "Man there's no way I read that right! Right? Ain't no WAY Bill Belichick ain't 1st Ballot HOF!! That's IMPOSSIBLE, EGREGIOUS, and quite frankly DISRESPECTFUL!"
Belichick's failure to gain sufficient votes could be a result of two scandals, known as Spy-gate and Deflate-gate, that engulfed the Patriots franchise during his time at the helm, according to ESPN, external.
The first, in 2007, saw the team heavily fined and a first-round draft pick taken away after they were caught recording the New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals from an unauthorised location during a match.
Eight years later they were fined $1m (equivalent to $642,000 at the time) and quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for four games after an inquiry into under-inflated balls, which it was alleged gave the star more grip in cold and wet conditions.
In addition to his Super Bowl victories, Belichick won nine conference championships, 17 division titles and he is second on the all-time wins list, including playoffs, with 333.
He left the Patriots in January 2024 after 24 years and currently coaches the University of North Carolina in the college form of the game.
The Hall of Fame's voting committee is made up of mostly veteran NFL reporters but also includes former players and coaches.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who was inducted in 2006 after three Super Bowl wins, described it as a "disappointing day for the Pro Football Hall of Fame".
