Some of the sports writers in the Bay Area in California have said that if the NFL celebrates your career on TV, and we all know they celebrate Stabler's career with the Raiders, then you should be in the HOF.It's almost criminal that his bust ain't in Canton, the irony that it may have been a criminal bust (link) that's "abetted" keeping him out.
Never forget what an exciting athlete the Snake was, on two fields of play - the Yankees, Mets and Astros (as a first-rounder) all drafted him in successive years as a southpaw. Always wondered, when he left the Raiders and was out of football for a season, whether he gave any serious thought to going back to the mound. But, no, he came back to the Silver and Black and stardom - and sent Daryle Lamonica on to the WFL and eventually pro bass fishing.
He deserves to be in Pro Football Hall of Fame and there's got to be some way, posthumously, to right this egregious wrong.
It's such a shame. I don't care what he's done, it's not nearly as bad as some of the characters that are enshrined there.Some of the sports writers in the Bay Area in California have said that if the NFL celebrates your career on TV, and we all know they celebrate Stabler's career with the Raiders, then you should be in the HOF.
What I believe he also would appreciate is a gesture in memoriam by the University of Alabama's football program. Gotta believe it's in the works now - a helmet sticker or jersey patch paying tribute to the Snake - but what will it be? Would love to see a decal of a football with a "Snakey" left-hand gripping it on the back of 'Bama's helmets this season with the "12" beneath it. Now do it - or do something else as distinctive to honor the most exciting quarterback ever to play in Tuscaloosa. H*ll, I remember as a kid who wrote left-handed, trying to teach myself to throw left-handed so as to emulate him. None since have rivaled him and only Joe Willie before him came close in my lifetime.It's such a shame. I don't care what he's done, it's not nearly as bad as some of the characters that are enshrined there.
In some ways, its like Derrick Thomas and the college football HOF. They should have been first ballot selections. But it didn't happen for Derrick until after he passed away, and now Stabler won't be here to enjoy it whenever the NFL corrects this wrong. And I really hope they do.
I know there is so much more to life than sports halls of fame. But this is something that is usually very special to these guys. I believe Kenny Stabler would have appreciated the honor.
Surely there will be something. I do like your suggestion of the helmet sticker.What I believe he also would appreciate is a gesture in memoriam by the University of Alabama's football program. Gotta believe it's in the works now - a helmet sticker or jersey patch paying tribute to the Snake - but what will it be? Would love to see a decal of a football with a "Snakey" left-hand gripping it on the back of 'Bama's helmets this season with the "12" beneath it. Now do it - or do something else as distinctive to honor the most exciting quarterback ever to play in Tuscaloosa. H*ll, I remember as a kid who wrote left-handed, trying to teach myself to throw left-handed so as to emulate him. None since have rivaled him and only Joe Willie before him came close in my lifetime.
Now that would be cool, but I don't think the ncaa will allow it. Wasn't Ole Miss going to do something similar in the past year or two where they were going to wear 38 on the side of their helmets in honor of Chucky Mullins? Seems like the ncaa wouldn't allow the same number to be on the side of the helmet.I'd love to see every Tide player wear #12 on the side of their helmet in his honor.
You may be right though I can't see a reason. Numbers aren't a requirement as other teams put a logo there. Either way, do it for one game and move on.Now that would be cool, but I don't think the ncaa will allow it. Wasn't Ole Miss going to do something similar in the past year or two where they were going to wear 38 on the side of their helmets in honor of Chucky Mullins? Seems like the ncaa wouldn't allow the same number to be on the side of the helmet.
More here:Recently the 1976 Raiders were voted as the Greatest Team of All Time on NFL.com. There is little doubt that team earned that distinction. It was jam packed with Hall of Fame players on both offense and defense. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of those Hall of Famers Thursday; Art Shell and I asked him about that team being named the Greatest of All Time.
"Yeah. Yeah, I read NFL.com and I was looking at that and I was excited to see that." Said Shell. "That was a great team. That was a great team. I've always felt that that team could have played with any team in football history and held their own."
But while Shell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989, there are still several worthy players on that legendary squad that have never gotten the call. So many that Shell couldn't narrow it down to just one.
"I can't go one player." He said. "There's a couple players. There's Ken Stabler, there's Cliff Branch... that's on the 76 team. Those two guys they come to the top of my head right away. I don't understand why they're not in but they deserve to be in there."