Robert Kraft apparently won’t be nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame again. Instead, the committee chooses Ralph Hay, co-founder of the NFL, as its candidate.
Robert Kraft, the six-time Super Bowl winner and owner of the New England Patriots, was considered the favorite for the 2025 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But once again he was passed over by Hall’s Contributor Committee, sources told ESPN.
Instead, the nine-member committee, which each year recommends a name for a vote by all 50 eligible voters, chose Ralph Hay. Hay was a co-founder of the National Football League and owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922.
Decision against strength causes surprise
The committee’s decision was made on November 12 and is expected to be officially announced by the Hall of Fame next month.
Hay, along with a coaching candidate and three candidates from a previous NFL era whose names have not yet been released, will be considered by the full Hall of Fame selection committee in January 2025.
In a statement to ESPN The Hall of Fame said the names of all finalists “will be announced collectively in early December once all committees have made their selections.”
Kraft missed out on the final round again
2024 is now the 13th year in which Kraft, now 83 years old, would have been eligible for election but is being ignored by the committee. Eighty percent of voters must approve the nominee finalists for induction into the Hall in Canton, Ohio.
Several voters commented opposite ESPN their surprise that the committee did not make Kraft a finalist this year. After the Hall divided coaches and administrators into separate categories, some voters believed Kraft would have an easier path to induction.
Ralph Hay: A Pioneer of American Football
Ralph Hay is considered the founding father of the NFL. In 1920, he organized the first meeting of the teams that became the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL.
Historians say that without Hay there may not have been an NFL. Kraft had thirteen opportunities for Canton, while Hay was passed over since the Hall’s inception in 1963. In fact, he had never been a finalist until this year.
Controversy surrounding Hay’s selection
Some sources expressed displeasure with the selection of Hay over Kraft. “Hay didn’t believe players should be paid. He sold the team after just four years. I don’t know how he’s considered more deserving than Bob Kraft,” a source said.
Although Hay does not have a bronze bust in Canton, there is a Hall of Fame honor named after him. Established in 1972, the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award is presented to individuals who have “made significant and innovative contributions to professional football.”
Robert Kraft: Controversial master maker
Kraft’s supporters say his inclusion is long overdue. The lifelong Patriots fan purchased the team in 1994 and quickly transformed it into one of the most successful franchises in NFL history.
He hired Bill Belichick as coach in 2000 and led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles as owner from the 2001 to 2018 seasons. “There is no point that Robert Kraft doesn’t do to be in the Hall of Fame.” to be inducted,” Hall of Famer Bill Polian, a staunch Kraft supporter, said earlier this year ESPN.
However, Kraft’s reputation has also suffered from a number of scandals – privately and within the Patriots. Under his aegis, New England caused a stir with the “Spy-Gate” and “Deflate-Gate” scandals. There was a prostitution scandal surrounding Kraft in 2020, the charges were later dropped.
Other candidates and the path to admission
In the past ten years, three owners have been inducted into the Hall. Eddie J. DeBartolo, the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, was inducted in 2016 despite his team’s loss in 2000 due to his connection to an extortion case.
Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, was inducted in August 2017. And Pat Bowlen, the late Denver Broncos owner, was inducted the following year.
In October, the Hall of Fame announced the 25 people being considered for induction. In addition to Kraft and Hay, former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, Houston Oilers founder Bud Adams and Chicago Bears owner Virginia McCaskey were also considered.
