RIP Ken Stabler

Speaking of Stabler and the media, remember that time he had his Alabama cop buddies plant cocaine in a reporter's car? Failing in their attempt to get him charged with a felony, they escorted him out of state at gunpoint.

That was a hoot. Swell guy.

 

Though I grew up in an NFC market, the Raiders were my favorite AFC team as a kid. I still remember how close Stabler came to being the hero of what turned into the "Immaculate Reception" playoff game when he scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Steelers. That TD came on 30-yard run. Stabler was probably 27 at the time, and given his lifestyle, I'm not sure he could have run that far later in his career without keeling over.

Also re-read a terrific profile Sports Illustrated did on him in its NFL preview edition in '77, after the Raiders won the Super Bowl. The guys who lived in my floor in the college dorm loved the story because it portrayed Stabler (a) drinking like a fish, (b) smoking heavily, and (c) running around with a hot platinum-blonde girlfriend. That's the way most of the guys in dorm were, except for (c).

 

Those Dolphin teams didn't have to throw the ball much considering they had one of the best offensive lines ever. I just watched the Sea of Hands game and Griese threw for 101 yards. But they ran for over 200. Still can't believe Clarence Davis caught that ball.

 

Concur. The mythology of guys like Stabler astounds me today.

 

When you have an entire state of bootlickers behind you it becomes easy. See: Paterno, Joe.

 

What the hell?

Can you give us more of this story?

 

Bob Padecky, columnist for the Sacramento Bee. He wrote a guest column about it for the Tuscaloosa News a few years ago:

Stabler and me, 30 years later | TuscaloosaNews.com

And here's a story from the time I found on the Google News archive:

Rome News-Tribune - Google News Archive Search

 

And truth be told, that's probably a huge part of the reason Stabler is not in the Hall of Fame. (Also people claim Al Davis blackballed him).

 

Or he isn't hall worthy

 

Stabler is an interesting case for the Hall. He was amazing in 1976 and very good in 73 and 75. Then are some average seasons, and then are some really brutal seasons -- especially in the last five years of his career. I will add this ( and I hate writing stupid shit like this)...if he played today and was black he would be labeled a "thug." If still white, he would be more vilified then Ben Roethlisberger.

 

He's not the best QB who is not in the Hall of Fame, but he wouldn't be the worst in there if elected either.

EDIT: Is Roethlisberger really vilified anymore? I'd compare Stabler's off-field antics more to someone like Johnny Manziel.

 

Padecky.