@@acornsucks2111and his O-line couldn't use hands to "block," there was no arbitrary five-yard rule for making "contact" with a receiver, no arbitrary "tackle box" that allows you now to ground the ball without penalty.
And in addition to all you said, it was a time when it was considered good if a QB completed over 50% of his passes, 51, 53, 50.5, etc. Stabler completed 60% of his passes even with all the pass unfriendly rules he labored against. He was the best QB of his era. Some would disagree and say Bob Griese with his 3 straight Superbowl appearances, and 2 Rings ... the perfect season, etc. Or Bradshaw with his 4 Superbowl rings and I'd have to disagree wholeheartedly. Griese simply handed off the ball to Csonka, Morris and Kick. In fact he was injured for the bulk of the 1972 perfect season right through the playoffs up to the Superbowl. Old man Earl Morrall led the team doing the handing off to those great runners. They also had the best defense at the time. We turn to Bradshaw. He had Bleier and Harris to hand the ball to, and the best defense of all time. Any QB could have done what he did and the Steelers would still have won. Stabler was the best come from behind QB from that generation. He's got games named from his miraculous way of finding the win and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The Sea of Hands that marked the end of the Dolphin Dynasty, Ghost to the Post, the Holy Roller, etc. I know of no other QB with games bearing names like that. Those other teams were a run first team with two of the best running attacks of all time. The Raiders were a pass first team.
The belief that the Raiders under Kenny Stabler were a "pass first" offense is erroneous. The Raiders during their great years in the 1970s had a beautifully balanced offense of the running of RBs Mark Van Eegan, Clarence Davis and FB Pete Banasak (after Marv Hubbard got injured - shoulder injury - prior to the start of the 1976 NFL season) and the passing of Stabler to great WRs Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikov and TE Dave Casper. It is also a misconception that the Raiders were a deep-ball throwing team under Stabler. Stabler himself said that they were a midrange passing team that would occasionally throw the ball deep just to keep Managing General Partner Al Davis happy. Al Davis preferred the long-ball throwing Lamonica to the midrange passing Stabler.
class guy.... he was probably not feeling his best either. yet he stands up for this guy & does a gracious interview. misunderstood guy by many.... RIP
I'm a tried and true Sreelers fan, but the Snake holds a special place in my heart.He, they Were the competitors, but I respected them. The Steelers ,Raiders rivalry has never been equaled.
Daryl "The Mad Bomber" Lamonica was far better and more iconic an Oakland Raider than Kenny "The Snake" Stabler. Stabler was lucky Lamonica had to eventually get old before he could take over.
@@kentduryea7109 Pretty ridiculous comment. It took the injury before Davis, obsessed with 60-yd bombs to Warren Wells, woke up to what the team was missing. Btw, Lamonica was 31 (4 1/2 yrs older than Stabler) when Stabler took over.
The great Kenny Stabler. I was at a radio event in Dallas put on by Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket, a spare radio station for sure. But The Snake was there in a booth talking to a girl. I didn't want to interrupt them but regret knowing now it was my last chance for a visit and a picture. RIP to him what a fun time he gave us in sports.
I'm in my 60's now and have always lived in Ohio but those Raiders with Stabler are still my favorite team. I'll always remember all the stickum glue on speedster WR Cliff Branch's forearms. What a group of classic characters. Like their owner Al Davis said: "just win baby!", and they did.
He and his raiders beat my Minnesota vikings in the super bowl. Broke my heart. Lol. But HE was good and that madden team had some chapters on it . They were fun to watch. Except when they played Tarkenton and the vikings . Lol. R. I. P. TO A GREAT Quarterback and leader of that team . 🙏 🙏 🙏. Amen.
on his death bed Ken was still worried about those that had supported his push to get into the HOF and he was signing things even near the end to make sure everyone got thanked and he knew how much he appreciated them. He loved the fans of Oakland and they adored him. Probably the most popular Raider of all time. What a great guy and great QB.
I’ll say this: I’d like to see Tom Brady and Aaron Rogers win a Super Bowl with a hangover like Stabler and Namath! Studied his playbook by the jukebox light but he was ALWAYS there for his teammates on game day. Go back and look how those Oakland Raiders teams finally got past the Steelers and y’all will see how great of a QB he really was. Great team quarterback, knew his position players because they hung out in their off time. Miss that era of the NFL which was the greatest in the seventies. I was a Houston Oilers fan and I saw the Snake play for the Oilers in the Astrodome. Great memories and great video, thanks for posting my friend, he will always be missed and remembered.
Kenny always talks very good. He's got a sharp memory. He doesn't stutter, sit there and think he just comes everything at the top of his head. Good faculties
Quick story, Right before he threw the “Ghost to the post” pass to Dave Casper to beat then the Baltimore colts , in Baltimore, During the playoffs in overtime, he told coach madden “ the fans are sure getting there moneys worth today” RIP,
I met him in Houston near Bal Harbor (he lived there) at the gas station I worked at in High School during the night shift. He came in with some giant guy in mostly leather and they were in some Bronco or large oversized tire sport utility vehicle to gas up late at night. I was a big fan but I was totally starstruck. He was taller than I thought and was nice...I think he was amused at my shock and awe face.
When I was 14, I worked for a landscaper & we planted all of the grass in Bal Harbor! (That one job, @ $1.99/hour, convinced me to get a good education & a job with A/C!) I grew up in FW & never knew he lived over there. I did become familiar with his Diamondback Saloon a few years later, though.😊
Stabler was special. He should have been in the HOF years ago. The best measure of a player is by the respect of his peers and if you asked members of those great Steeler teams who they respected most as an opposing QB to a man they say Ken Stabler.
I'm just a dumb Yankee....but loved Snake & listening to his interviews. He is always very gracious and interesting. He was just such a cool southern dude....RIP.
DUDE! I've been a Bears fan since I can remember. However!!! I loved the way the Raiders played with the Snake at QB... Biletnikoff at WR...and too many other great players to mention... Just saying. Class players who played the game with heart!!! RIP SNAKE!!!
If this man had any concussion it doesn't show up one of the greats he played when football was a real game he came from a era of football where they played even if they had broken fingers and didn't cry about it they just wanted to get out on the field and play truly a battle game to try and rip each others heads off to them seeing blood mint they were doing their jobs that they were hired to do and that was to bring the pain to their opponent every time I seen many of these games when I was a child from the 60's so these guys probably should have been in easy been able to tame a wild bull in a rodeo and get eight seconds with out any problems
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. According to Wikipedia: February 2016, The New York Times reported that researchers at Boston University discovered high Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in Stabler's brain after death. Watching this interview I call bullshit on that research. He still had his mind even with advanced colon cancer and at a mature age. Makes me wonder if at times when I hear CTE research findings if I’m hearing truth or fiction. I also recall multiple other interviews in the 2000s where Stabler does just fine comprehension wise.
Plunkett isn't in because his stats aren't good, the hall love stats. Forget Rookie of the year, comeback player of the year, Super Bowl MVP...2 Super Bowl trophies....they love stats not winners.
