Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
True, and Joe Namath was an Alabama QB just before that from 1962-1964.
Heh, he also learned how to get in Coach Bryant's doghouse, just like Joe did. In 1963, Namath was suspended for the 1963 Orange Bowl for breaking team rules. The same thing happened to Stabler in 1967. In ESPN's "Sports Century" bio on Joe Namath on that little story was covered.
Namath: "I received a telegram from Coach Bryant saying that I was temporarily suspended from the team for breaking team rules."
Stabler: I got two telegrams on my suspension, the first from Coach Bryant for "breaking team rules." The other was from Joe Namath, a few days later. Namath simply said it all in three words--He means it."
A good player to be sure, but I've never heard or seen anyone present a case as to why Stabler's merely above average career deserves a place in the HOF.
If you take a look at Stabler's career stat wise, Ghengis makes a good point. Here's what I got on Stabler, who I actually met in the late 1980's! Will get to that later.
Stabler spent 5 seasons as Daryle Lamonica's backup with the Raiders, being drafted 2nd in the 1968 AFL/NFL draft. Ironically Al Davis's personnel decisions got a rise out of the press and NFL people even back then. Davis drafted Eldridge Dickey, an African American, #1. Dickey was a quarterback from a small black college and Dickey would eventually be noted as the first black quarterback to be drafted in NFL history. Lamonica took the Raiders to a 13-1 season in 1967, losing the Super Bowl to Green Bay 33-14. Eldridge Dickey washed out as a qb but stayed with the Raiders as a backup receiver and a special teams man.
George Blanda had been the Raiders backup qb after 7 seasons with the Houston Oilers. 1970 was the year Blanda stretched that 7 game unbeaten streak in the middle of the season for various qb appearances, saving the games for the Raiders. Lots of times Lamonica would struggle and Blanda would come in and rally the Raiders to a win, but to have Blanda as the starter was just not in the cards regarding John Madden and Al Davis. After all, Blanda was 43 years old at the time.
Fast forward to 1973. Halfway through the season Madden gave the starting qb job to Stabler. It was about this time Stabler and a host of other players were approached by some dudes with big pockets. Stabler, along with several other players, signed a future contract with the World Football League which was slated to start in 1975. A year later it was announced that the contract was voided. Still, a host of players played one year in the WFL. 3 noted Maimi Dolphins come to mind regarding that group--Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Paul Warfield. By 1975 Stabler was proving to be the right qb for the Raiders. He never played a game in the WFL and the league folded halfway through the 1975 season.
By 1973 around week 7 or 8 or so Stabler was named starter. By this time he was in his 6th year and was 28 years old. As his greatest years with the Raiders was 1973-1979 he didn't have that many years where he could stack up impressive qb stats. After all, his first several years with the Raiders he was a 3rd string quarterback.
In 1977 Denver put it all together and went to the Super Bowl, beating the Raiders 20-17 in the AFC Championship(I was at that game.) In 1978 Oakland slipped to a 9-7 record and Stabler did not have a good year at all. Davis spent a lot of time ranting about how Stabler cost the Raiders a chance to repeat a Super Bowl appearance in 1977 AND 1978 and the Oakland papers printed every word of Davis's rants, which turned Stabler off as a result. Finally in 1980 Stabler was traded to Houston straight up for Dan Pastorini. By this time Stabler was 34 but played well for Oiler coach Bum Philips, but not well enough. Stabler's qb numbers were ok, but keep in mind one thing--what is cranking Houston's offense? Answer>>Earl Campbell.
After that 1980 season Philips got fired and Ed Biles replaced him. Biles was pretty much clueless that season as the Oilers finished 7-9. Shortly after that Biles was out of football altogether. And Stabler couldn't wait to get out of there, following Bum Philips to New Orleans in 1982, Philips had been named head coach for the Saints the year before. By this time Stabler was 37, his 1982 qb numbers were pretty small for a pretty good reason, 1982 was the strike season as basically half the season was cancelled due to the players strike. By 1983 Stabler stayed on as a backup and retired in 1984 at the age of 39.
More on Stabler later tonight.
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 07-17-2015 at 08:18 PM..
Reason: spelling, addition
Heh, he also learned how to get in Coach Bryant's doghouse, just like Joe did. In 1963, Namath was suspended for the 1963 Orange Bowl for breaking team rules. The same thing happened to Stabler in 1967. In ESPN's "Sports Century" bio on Joe Namath on that little story was covered.
Namath: "I received a telegram from Coach Bryant saying that I was temporarily suspended from the team for breaking team rules."
Stabler: I got two telegrams on my suspension, the first from Coach Bryant for "breaking team rules." The other was from Joe Namath, a few days later. Namath simply said it all in three words--He means it."
What does Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, Len Dawson, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Namath, and Roger Staubuch have in common with Ken Stabler? Well, two things. (1)-All of them have won Super Bowls and (2)- played in seasons where they would finish the season with more interceptions than touchdowns. Here are the years for said quarterbacks.
John Unitas-1961, 1966, 1969, 1970
Bart Starr-1960, 1967, 1970
Roger Staubuch-1974
Terry Bradshaw-1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977
Joe Namath-1967
Len Dawson-1969, 1970
The selection committee these days are pretty strict regarding numbers. Pro football today is so much more refined than the years these quarterbacks I've listed here played. And these quarterbacks had so much more liberty to call their own plays than the quarterbacks of today do. It's a different game today, football is.
Stabler is swimming upstream somewhat with this situation, he finished his career with 194 touchdown throws and 222 interceptions. With a quarterback rating of 75.2.
The years Stabler played with the Raiders saw Ken surrounded with good running backs; in chronological order here--Hewritt Dixon, Charlie Smith, Marv Hubbard, Pete Banaszak, Clarence Davis, Carl Garrett, Mark Van Eegan and others. But no running backs in the class of Marcus Allen, who got into the league in 1982. Al Davis will forever be known as "Vertical Game." Cliff Branch was the deep threat, Fred Biletnikoff was the go to guy for first downs, and Dave Casper? Ghost to the post. he's in the HOF. So is Biletnikoff.
There are a few "what if's" here. What if Franco Harris didn't get ball that deflected off JackTatum. Stabler's 30 yard touchdown run would have put the Raiders in the AFC Championship game against Miami.
What if Stabler would have been grooved to be the starter instead of sitting on the bench for his first 6 years as a Raider?
What if Al Davis and Stabler could have sat down and aired out their differences instead of Davis erupting like Mount Vesuvius? By 1979 John Madden had enough of coaching, he was gone. And went to work for CBS as a commentary on the secondary regional games, then finally was paired with Pat Summerall when long time commentary man Tom Brookshier left.
He also ran up against a club that dominated the NFL with 4 Super Bowl wins in 6 years time-the Pittsburgh Steelers. And those 3 AFC Championship games against the Steelers from 1974 to 1976? Those were grudge matches and a half.
From 1974 to 1980 Stabler basically got in work for a 14 and a 16 game season. But 1982 had the strike season shrink everyone's stats. And at 38, Stabler saw the end coming and saw limited duty with the Saints, who didn't have much talent. It was only two years previous the Saints suffered the humiliation of fans wearing bags over their heads on that Monday Night Football game that saw their head coach, Dick Nolan, get his pink slip. And they hadn't won a game that whole season up to that point. Lacking talent? I'd say so.
Can Stabler get in to Canton through the veterans committee? We'll have to wait and see.
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 07-17-2015 at 10:07 PM..
Reason: addition-spelling
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
