Legendary Man of Integrity Tony Dungy Refuses to Admit He Torpedoed Belichick's Hall of Fame Vote Out of Pure Spite

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There's a great quote for dealing with people who like to make big, grandiose displays of their own integrity. It's from Ralph Waldo Emerson in The Conduct of Life when he said, “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” Meaning, always beware of that person who loves to signal their own virtue. Because invariably, they're just trying to distract us from the fact they're just petty thief. 

Take for example, the author of this little page turner, filled with his own many wisdoms he brought down from the mountain to dispense to us lesser mortals:

I don't know how you can claim to be "quiet" about your strengths when you're slapping them in between the covers of "#1 NY Times Bestseller" and speaking them into a prime time network microphone every Sunday night, but whatever. The discussion for today his how Dungy very quietly used his strength to conspire to keep the most deserving head coach in history out of the Hall of Fame. With the help of his boss with the Colts. As Dante posted, a move so blatantly petty and spiteful that it cost both of them their spots on the Selection Committee:

Now that Dungy no longer has a Hall vote, or that Sunday Night Football job, you might assume that quiet strength would get a lot quieter. And you'd be right. But only when it comes to the only thing any of us gives a Tinker's cuss about, which is why he hates Belichick so much that he'd sabotage his first ballot induction. When it comes to that topic, he's got nothing to say:

"Because I wouldn't talk about it, I haven't talked about it, and I'm not going to. Everybody thinks Bill should have gotten in. There were 50 people that voted. That's the process. I've always said I stood with the voters.

"That's how we voted under the rules we had. And yet, those same votes, had it been under the old rules, he would've gotten in. I look at it and say, 'I don't know why everybody is looking at the voters.'

"I think he'll get in. I know everybody made a big thing about the first ballot. Vince Lombardi didn't get in on the first ballot. Being a Hall of Famer, I can tell you it doesn't matter if you go in on the first ballot or not. Once you get in, you feel good about the process."

Can't you just feel the moral authority here? Smell the righteousness? See, hear and taste the upright incorruptibility of this fine man? He won't talk about it. Other than to blame the injustice on the "50 people that voted." On "the process." After all, he "stood with the voters," while acting dumbfounded that everyone would be "looking at" those voters. 

Well who the fook are we supposed to be looking at for an explanation as to why the second winningest coach with the most rings somehow didn't deserve to get in. The Jedi Council? And while we're at it, how did we find out that Belichick didn't get the necessary votes before we learned who actually did? Someone leaked that information. And the only explanation is that it was someone hoping to achieve maximum levels of embarrassment. 

Every cop show in history cracks a case by looking for the suspect that had means, opportunity, and motive. The means and opportunity to stab Belichick in the back belong to every one of the 50 voters. As far as motive? Let's see … Hmm. That's toughie. 

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Could it possibly have been the two voters who've been seething with jealousy ever since their high-octane, nitro-powered offense got a Denver boot put on it by the 2003 Patriots. And were so sensitive about the way they got manhandled that they got the rules changed. Only to see it happen again in 2004. Only worse. 

Was it perhaps the head coach of that team who made no effort to hide the fact he thought Belichick had the visitors locker room bugged that he used to take strategy sessions out into the hall? The same guy who furrowed his brow and shook his head like a stern dad and talked about how "disappointed" he was about the Spygate nonsense? 

Could it have possibly been someone connected to the franchise that gave birth to Deflategate? 

The world may never know. But if Tony Dungy isn't the prime suspect, it's fair to call him a Person of Interest. And the simple fact he tosses this word salad at us about voters and process and Vince Lombardi, instead of saying "I voted for him" is all the proof of guilt I need. 

I'll end this with another quote. This one about judging others. From a book Dungy is no doubt familiar with. 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” 

We're all sinners. I certainly am. But always be wary of the person who acts like they're above it all. You'll almost always find someone who is an even bigger conniving asshole than the rest of us.