Sunday, October 23, 2011
Ken Stabler Belongs in Hall of Fame
During the 1970s, some of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time played in the National Football League.
Without a doubt, franchise-type quarterbacks such as Terry Bradshaw, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, and Fran Tarkenton are today enshrined forever in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Each one of these quarterbacks did amazing things during their careers and rightfully deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Each one of them contributed greatly to the meteoric rise of the NFL during their era and are a large part as to why pro football in America remains so popular throughout the world.
What remains puzzling is why a certain quarterback named Ken Stabler remains on the outside of the Hall of Fame, waiting patiently to get in.
For a number of years, Ken "The Snake" Stabler and the Silver and Black of the Oakland Raiders were a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. The 1976 Raiders reached the mountain top by winning Super Bowl XI after going a miraculous 13-1 in the regular season.
One of the main reasons I truly believe that Stabler belongs in the Hall of Fame is because he guided his team to a Super Bowl victory. Although Stabler threw only one touchdown pass in Super Bowl XI, the Raiders crushed the mighty Minnesota Vikings, 32-14.
While I'm not trying to compare Stabler to Bradshaw, "The Snake" passed for only 61 yards less than Bradshaw during his career. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Bradshaw is 46th in all-time passing yards, while Stabler is 47th. Shouldn't that account for something?
Another thing to consider when comparing Stabler's career passing yards to other quarterbacks of his caliber who are in the Hall of Fame is this: Namath is in the Hall of Fame, but didn't throw as many yards in his career as Stabler. The same can be said for other Hall of Fame quarterbacks that didn't throw as many yards as Stabler (George Blanda, Bobby Layne and Bob Griese). Even the great Bart Starr didn't throw for as many yards as Stabler, but is in the Hall of Fame.
Although several columnists throughout the years have written that Stabler isn't deserving because he threw too many interceptions, instead of touchdowns is a silly comparison. Namath is in the Hall of Fame, but also threw more interceptions in his career, too. When comparing Stabler and Namath for career passing touchdowns, guess who threw more? You got it, Stabler by 194 to 173.
As I previously wrote earlier this month when Al Davis passed away, Stabler was an icon for legions of kids playing sandlot football during the 1970s. Even though Stabler and the Raiders never had the squeaky clean image of Staubach and the Dallas Cowboys during the 1970s, it doesn't mean that Stabler didn't contribute greatly to the game.
Another interesting statistic about Stabler to consider for why he should be in the Hall of Fame is he was the fastest quarterback to win 100 games (in 150 games), even faster than Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas.
If you look up Stabler's career statistics at Pro-Football-Reference.com, you'll also notice a section entitled "similar players." Several Hall of Fame quarterbacks had similar careers, yet Stabler isn't in the Hall of Fame.
I could list other accomplishments of Stabler's, as well. Stabler was selected to play in four Pro Bowls and was selected first-team All-Pro in 1974.
Stabler had grit, poise, and that tremendous "just win, baby" attitude that shouldn't be ignored any longer. This man belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Period.