ESPN Report Reveals Reasons for Robert Kraft's Continued Hall of Fame Snub

This October, a committee will once again deliberate possible candidates for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and one man can only hope that he'll finally get the nod after being snubbed for over a decade now: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Despite his sustained success with the Patriots, including a dynastic run that produced six Super Bowl crowns, and major contributions to the NFL's growth, Kraft remains knocking on the door.

The voting process for the Hall of Fame is normally a guarded secret. However, ESPN senior writer Don Van Natta Jr. managed to talk to several anonymous voters, who outlined why the 83-year-old Kraft's entry to Canton has been denied for 12 years and counting.

A primary reason has been "Spygate" in 2007, which some voters called the "biggest cheating scandal" in NFL history.

"A small group of anti-Kraft voters told ESPN they have long harbored concerns that Kraft knew far more about 'Spygate' than he has acknowledged," wrote Van Natta.

He added that another issue that voters couldn't shake off is Kraft's sex solicitation charges stemming from his visits to a massage parlor in Florida in 2019.

The aggressive lobbying by Patriots spokesperson Stacey James throughout the years for Kraft's induction has also turned off some voters, saying "subtlety goes a long way," the report revealed.

"One Hall of Fame voter said he urged James and Kraft's other supporters to 'go lightly—and that's advice they obviously didn't take,'" wrote Van Natta.

The report added that Kraft, who made former Patriots coach Bill Belichick and ex-star quarterback Tom Brady work together, has been incensed by the continued snub.

16 NFL owners are in the Hall of Fame. Since 2000, five have been enshrined: Pittsburgh Steelers' Dan Rooney (2000), Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson (2009), San Francisco 49ers' Eddie DeBartolo (2016), Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones (2017) and Denver Broncos' Pat Bowlen (2019).

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