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“The Wait Will Be Over; 5 Reasons Why Ken Stabler Will Get Into the Hall of Fame in 2016”

“The Wait Will Be Over; 5 Reasons Why Ken Stabler Will Get Into the Hall of Fame in 2016”

Ken Stabler warming up pre-game.
Ken Stabler warming up pre-game.

Please sign Mike Yokum’s petition to get Ken Stabler into the NFL Hall of Fame

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/541/199/738/petition-to-induct-ken-stabler-into-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame/

My achilles heel in life has always been injustice. Unfortunately in my business life especially, I’ve seen a lot of it. Whenever I read the dozen or so news and sports publications every morning, it’s full of stories where some people walked over others to either hurt them, or made money off of them.   It eats at me like acid.

In the sports world most of the injustice is not life or death but it is still wrong. There are good people that don’t get their full justice in sports because of petty squabbles, ridiculous biases or pure old man stubbornness. Sports writers for the most part are one of the leaders in regards to injustice. Injustice is what has happened to Oakland Raider great Ken Stabler.

I still have not heard one person in the media say Ken Stabler is not a hall of famer.  That means something else is going on and that’s why I wrote this article to expose the truth on why the Snake isn’t in the Hall of Fame.

“Part CSI, Part Breaking Bad. The Real Reasons Why Ken Stabler is NOT in the Hall of Fame”

I’ll never forget one Sunday after the Raiders won a rare game with Jamarcus Russell at the helm. Russell had an ok game but the hype machine began. First the ESPN panel raved about all the talent Russell had. Chris Berman said Russell was the most talented QB the Raiders ever had. Raider fans were ripping me to shreds after I said what a bust Russell would be, saying, “see I told you he was going to be good”.

I read people pretty well and I remember watching Denver Broncos great Tom Jackson just listening to all this. His disgust was visible but he didn’t say a word. Finally in between cliches, Chris Berman noticed Jackson wasn’t happy. “You look like you have something to say Tom”.

“Let’s get this straight”, Jackson angrily said.  “Ken Stabler is the most talented Raider QB in their history. He’s their greatest QB and it’s not even close so let’s get that right. You guys are getting way too carried away”. The panel was kind of stunned at Tom being upset but he was right.   And this was from a very vocal rival of the Raiders.

Let me say for a second that writing about athletes and celebrities is hard and fun at the same time.  I have a large twitter and social media following so you know that celebrities, athletes and their families read my articles and they communicate with me often.  Most celebrities and their families and friends have told me they appreciate my honesty and sensitivity and that means a lot.  A few have said they didn’t like what I wrote but they understood.  They realize I’m not into the attention, and that I just want to inform my readers of the truth.

I agree some athletes have serious moral issues.  But some like Ken, are amazing, kind people.  Famous people’s families grieve and hurt just like everyone else and sometimes when we post online we forget that. It’s at night or the times when no one is around that grief captures our spirits like a heavy fog. Most of us know this feeling all too well.  Fan’s are still upset that Kenny is gone so just imagine how Ken Stabler’s family and friends feel.

(My article on the passing of Ken Stabler)

“The Passing Of Legendary Raider Ken Stabler Shocks a Nation”

I’m not a celebrity guy, but the last 2 years through my writing I’ve appreciated my interactions with celebrities, athletes and their families and even though the content wasn’t fun to read on occassion; (or write); I hope it reminds us all on how we should be mindful of what we post online and we are all in this thing called life together.

Getting back to the story, Ken Stabler and his family were too kind and private to complain publicly about the Hall of Fame’s actions. I respect that; but I will complain.

Part of me will always be bitter at the sports writers and the Hall of Fame for letting their petty biases stop Ken from enjoying the HOF while he was alive.   They were wrong and didn’t do the right thing and they should be ashamed at their closed minded arrogance. I wish that they would judge themselves with the same moral compass that some of them seem to use towards players that they don’t vote for.

The NFL and the government hounded Ken for years and they could not find anything on him. When they couldn’t find anything, they took justice into their own hands by not voting Ken into the Hall of Fame. Yes, I said it even though no one else will.  I’m a writer first but the Raider fan in me knows no other way.

I think Ken wasn’t angry about it, but I’m sure he just didn’t get it.   The hypocrisy of sports knows no bounds though. Major League baseball is getting very heavy into the fantasy baseball gambling sites that they support, but Pete Rose still can’t get into the hall of fame…..FOR GAMBLING.

Before I start getting too upset and rant, lets look at the facts which I’m always a big fan of. These are the 5 reasons why Ken Stabler will get into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2016.

  1. Outrage:

Not ONE media person, former player or former coach said Ken Stabler was NOT a HOF player. The HOF voters were not ready for the backlash that was seen through out the NFL family on Ken Stabler not being elected into the HOF. From basic news services to social media, fans and football alumni went crazy with negative publicity showing how wrong the voters were. None of the voters said a word.

  1. The Negative Reaction From Other Hall of Famers:

You have to remember that NFL Hall of Famer’s rarely if ever talk so vehemently about players that should be in the Hall of Fame. Rarely do you see some of the greats question the Hall of Fame to this level, but after Ken’s passing, dozens of them complained.

“In the sports world it’s a miscarriage of justice to not have Ken Stabler in the NFL Hall of Fame”.

ESPN analyst & Denver Broncos Great Tom Jackson

“Of course Ken Stabler is a Hall of Famer”

Viking great Fran Tarkenton

“For years the Cowboys and Raiders were the most watched teams in the NFL. Once when we played a practice game that didn’t count during training camp, 31,000 people showed up at our facility when we played the Raiders. Ken Stabler and the Raiders carved us up and beat us and we were a Super Bowl caliber team. It was amazing how good he was. From then on I was a fan and followed Ken’s career. Ken’s a Hall of Fame player for sure”.

Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys

“If Ken Stabler played in New York he would have been in the Hall of Fame 10 years ago.”

Tom Flores, Former Raider Coach and QB

“There are several Raiders that need to be in the Hall of Fame.   Ken Stabler, Cliff Branch and Lester Hayes”.

Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf

Add the fact that at the John Stallworth Foundation Golf tournament in Alabama this past June, ALL of the former Pittsburgh Steelers raved about Ken Stabler and the Raiders. All of them said he needs to be in the Hall of Fame. The Raiders and Steelers rivalry was the best in history.

  1. Ken Stabler May be the Best Quarterback In the Best Era (history of the all decade team):

Pretty much anyone associated with the NFL says the 1970’s was the greatest era in NFL history. The Steel Curtain, the Doomsday Defense, Purple People Eaters, Orange Crush, The No Name Defense; is just a part of NFL lore in the 1970’s. And those were just the defenses. In an era where defenders could do anything and everything, offenses had to be great to score. The NFL had a huge amount of good quarterbacks and ultra talented teams.   In this era, many feel Stabler was the best quarterback of the 1970’s.

The wars between the Raiders and the Steelers were must see television.   The hitting was like 2 rams banging on each other it was so violent. Amazingly in a Raiders v.s. Steelers game in 1974 (Raiders shut out the future Super Bowl champ Steelers 17-0 in Pittsburgh) there were 24; TWENTY FOUR; future Hall of Fame coaches, players and front office people who were a part of the game. There was no salary cap and teams were beyond talented.   There also wasn’t a 5 yard bump rule.

“They changed the 5 yard bump rule in 1979 because of Raider greats Jack Tatum and George Atkinson”, explained Fran Tarkenton.   “They were so physical and dominating that in 1979 the NFL made a rule that you couldn’t physically touch a receiver after 5 yards. Being a quarterback was so hard during the 1970’s and Ken did it better than anyone”.

NFL All Decade Teams: Quarterbacks

1950’s:

Otto Graham, Norm Van Brocklyn, Bobby Layne

1960’s:

Sonny Jurgensen, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas

1970’s:

Ken Stabler, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach

1980’s:

Joe Montana, Dan Fouts

1990’s:

John Elway, Brett Favre

2000’s:

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning

Stabler is the only eligible all decade quarterback that is NOT in the HOF.   Terry Bradshaw has recently stated that Ken Stabler was better than he was. Staubach said that the Snake was one of the great quarterbacks of all time.

  1. Stats:

I’m not going to give you stats that have been repeated a million times, but Ken’s stat’s rival any quarterback of the 1970’s that is in the HOF. Add the fact that in his first 69 games he was 53 and 16, and that the Raiders were 18-1-1 in the first 20 Monday Night games that they played in; many were lead by the Snake. The Raiders won more games than any other team in the 1970’s and this was considered the greatest era in history with some of the greatest defenses and teams in history. The rules made passing very difficult.

For decades the Raiders and the Cowboys were the most popular teams in the NFL. America’s team against the Outlaws.   They had the highest television ratings of any teams in the NFL for years. The Raiders helped make the NFL very popular by their personality, swagger, flair and success. Ken was the Captain of that ship.

  1. The History of HOF Voting by the Senior Selection Committee:

After 5 years of the Senior Selection Committee not nominating the Snake, they now have nominated him for the HOF. In the last 29 times they have nominated a selection, only 3 did not make the HOF. Most feel this is his year.   Kind of ridiculous that he couldn’t even be nominated for 5 years but eventually they did the right thing.

Hall of Fame Induction:

Yes I think in 2016 Ken Stabler will finally find his rightful place in Canton Ohio among the all time greats in the NFL. In Oakland, Alabama and around the country there will be huge smiles with some bitter sweet tears mixed in. Original Raider fans especially are not going away. They will continue to shout out the kindness, greatness, and amazing accomplishments of Raider greats from the past.  They won’t let people forget the great dynasty that was created, and those that were the foundation.   There is a bond that no other professional fan base can understand.  They will do it until they take their last breath. Raider fans passion will be their memory. And the loudest voices of all will be for the great Ken Stabler.

“The Passing Of Legendary Raider Ken Stabler Shocks a Nation”

Kendra: @JimJaxMedia this is an amazing article and tribute to my Dad. Thank you. He would have loved this. The love & support has amazed us all.

Marissa:  @JimJaxMedia  Thank you so much for honoring my dad with such beautiful words.
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“Some People need 8 Hours of sleep and some need 3 hours.  I didn’t need much sleep and sometimes studied my playbook by the light of the jukebox”

Ken Stabler

“He was the perfect quarterback and the perfect Raider.  If I had to pick one quarterback to win a game in the final drive, it would be Ken Stabler”

John Madden

“It’s a Travesty of sports justice that Ken Stabler is not in the Hall of Fame.  He was as good as any quarterback I ever saw”

Former Bronco Great, Tom Jackson

“Joe Namath was the greatest athlete at quarterback that I ever had, but Ken Stabler was the best quarterback that I ever coached.”

Paul “Bear” Bryant, legendary Alabama Coach

“He was such a gentleman.  He wanted to fight it quietly without bother.  That’s who he was”. 

Ted Hendricks, HOF Raider Linebacker

“I never saw anything like it.  He was like Madison Bumgarner the way he could throw fastballs or sliders with pinpoint accuracy.” 

Lester Hayes, Former Raider Cornerback

Kx0IymNp

“The Passing Of Legendary Raider Ken Stabler Shocks a Nation”

A leader and true Southern Gentleman to the end.

I’m the big brother people call when there is a tragedy or a problem. There isn’t a week that goes by where someone won’t call me between midnight and 3 am with either a problem or wanting to talk.  Call it the John Boy Walton in me.  For this I don’t cry much in front of people and I try to be strong. And to be honest I never cry over a celebrity or an athlete’s death. Famous people have never impressed me that much and when people drop their names I just kind of shrug.  Unfortunately after hearing the fiasco which is the internet tell me finally that the matriarch of the dynasty which was the Oakland Raiders was gone, I was filled with emotions that shocked me.

Kenny Stabler; Snake; passed away yesterday at the age of 69 due to complications of stage 4 colon cancer sending a shock wave of sadness throughout the NFL world. In death, as he did in life, Kenny took on the pressure himself and many of his teammates didn’t even know he was sick. Stabler, until the end; was the classy leader that took on the pressure while lifting the load off of others.  Later in life he did color commentary for Alabama games and the state is in mourning for their favorite son.

I slowly walked down my hiking trail and just wanted a minute alone with no sounds. I looked out over the water and for the first time in my life I cried over the loss of a professional athlete.

Ken Stabler; like many; was my favorite athlete. In fact I often either wanted #12 on my teams or the #21 for Roberto Clemente. As an adult I would often write both numbers on professional contracts at the bottom of pages. I remember my parents and coaches getting mad at me as a little boy for wanting to use my left hand like Kenny. I remember praying to God to make me have special powers so I could use my left arm like Stabler did.

For a young fan to even grasp in a small way what Stabler meant to the Raiders would take a lot of effort on their part. If you ever get the chance, read the book Snake. It’s the candid account of the lifestyle and crazy ways of the Raiders of that time. In the greatest era of the NFL in the 70’s, George Clooney and Clint Eastwood had nothing on the Snake.

In high school Stabler was 29-1 as a starter.  He averaged 29 points a game as a high school basketball player and was drafted by two major league baseball teams.  At Alabama he was 28-3-2.  For the Raiders he was 69-26-1.  126-30-4.  I’m speechless.

To see how dominating the Raiders and Ken Stabler were, look at this stat.   In Stabler’s first 69 games as a regular starter for the Raiders, the Raiders were 56-13. I actually had to check the numbers 5 times to make sure they were right. That is unreal. That’s greatness.

The Stabler Kindness:

Stabler’s generation is amazing. Many times under the darkest of circumstances, they are so selfless. This is seen especially in sickness and death.  When he was sick he didn’t want to be a burden and again, was as selfless and giving as a man can be. Kenny and his family have helped countless people through the XOXO Stabler Foundation. Kenny also was amazingly giving of his time and his efforts in many charities and causes. Like most of his generation he didn’t want much fanfare and didn’t call the presses every time he helped someone. He was a great person. He never turned down a fans request to sign something or talk to him.

I often feel bad for his daughters, grand kids & his long time Partner Kim who have shown great patience with some of us loving Ken so much. They have been as caring and kind as he was. In death they also showed the selfless Stabler spirit. The Stabler family announced that his brain and spinal cord will be donated to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to support research for degenerative brain disease in athletes. People forget that the Snake was involved in the concussion lawsuit against the NFL.

The Bond:

People often say why does it matter where the Raiders play? I always tell people outside the Oakland bay area that the Raiders are your team but they are our family.

The stories about the fans and players interactions during the glory days of the Raiders in the 70’s are of legend and will never be seen again.   The Santa Rosa area would be up all night during training camp, and many times Ken Stabler was up with them. My father actually got to drink with Mr. Stabler once in Santa Rosa when the Raiders were holding court in one of the watering holes.

People forget that during the 70’s the players weren’t getting rich off of the NFL. Many players had extra jobs and did other things to make money. Often times they would meet, work with, or become friends with the fans.   You can still see it with some of the Raiders kids and grandkids who are online still repping the silver and black.   With fans. the Raiders were not considered celebrities but literal family members.

The fans were close to the players but the most beloved player of them all was Ken Stabler. Mix part Clint Eastwood, Johnny Cash, Sammy Baugh and Part Johnny Unitas and you had Ken Stabler.

I laugh now when fans say the NFL and other teams hate the Raiders. They really have no idea what hate is. Back in the 70’s there was no internet, and there wasn’t even an ESPN. The only way to get national news on any team was to watch it on television and most news services were based on the east coast and they were extremely biased. There were times that you would get more coverage about the Jets and Yankees than you did on your local teams.  If they covered the Raiders, it usually wasn’t very positive.

The Raiders were flat out hated; by everyone; including some in the media. Since the merger Raider owner Al Davis felt screwed by the AFL and the NFL because he felt they had told him he would become their commissioner.   Al Davis from then on was a renegade and it was us against the world. The Raiders constantly had one of the best teams in the NFL and the loudest home crowd but because they never had won a Super Bowl, they were shredded in the media.

The media often said there was a reason for their apathy towards Oakland.  “The Raiders and Ken Stabler can’t win the big one; they choke in the big games; the road to the Super Bowl easily goes through Oakland; The Chokeland Raiders”; it was hard for fans at that time to take, and only a Super Bowl win would fix it.

The animosity for the Raiders was so bad that even after Stabler won the 1974 MVP trophy (and even opponents were shocked he didn’t win it in 1976); many times announcers would have to remind people during the game all the things that Stabler had accomplished. If you were west of the Mississippi in those days, you had to really fight for respect.

Stabler was Joe Montana before Montana. Montana often said Stabler was the guy he tried to be like and that was someone he looked up to. Stabler was a master at game management and his pinpoint passing accuracy was of legend.   Because the Raiders were so good he never got the credit for being as great as he was and that often bothered other players, but not Snake. Remember this was during the time where there are no HD high speed camera and videos on the sidelines, or radio transmitters in the helmets. Quarterbacks actually did call their own plays. From Stabler to John Madden, to Ron Wolf to Al Davis; they all told the media the same thing. We don’t care what the other team does; we are going to do what we do and they can’t stop us. Supreme confidence with results.

Players often have wondered how someone as great as Stabler could not be in the Hall of Fame. My friend Tim Casto who I really enjoy; founder of Raiders Homeport; reminded me of a nasty situation between Stabler and quality sports writer Bob Padecky.  There were rumors of a drug set up and most writers supported Bob and turned on Snake. Writers around the country helped ruin Stabler’s reputation and tried to keep him out of the hall of fame.  They said they did not want to be intimidated into writing fluff pieces on athletes.  Ken Stabler is still the only Super Bowl winning QB of the 1970’s not in the HOF.  He’s also the only all decade QB not to be elected into the hall.  Travesty.

I rarely get into twitter wars but I got into 2 of them yesterday. Two clueless east coast writers said Stabler wasn’t all that talented. Are you kidding me? Bear Bryant, the Alabama coaching Icon called Stabler the greatest quarterback he ever coached. John Madden said the same thing and said even today if he needed to have one quarterback for one drive, he’d pick Ken Stabler to run that drive.   Raider hater and Denver Bronco great Tom Jackson said Stabler was as good as any QB to ever play the game.

We fans are too young but what about the 1967 “Run in the Mud” Stabler did to beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl when he was at Alabama? His 53 yard run was the longest of the season and is a Crimson Tide legend. The Sea of Hands game; the Holy Roller; Ghost to the Post and the countless other games that he lead comebacks in. In fact if the call were reversed, Stabler would have won the game in the Immaculate Reception fiasco with his long run for a touchdown against the Steelers.

Some say Snake didn’t have the numbers but it was a different game then. The rules allowed defenders to do anything they wanted to quarterbacks and wide receivers and passing wasn’t a huge part of the game. It got so crazy with the violence that Chuck Knoll once called the Oakland Police Department to arrest Jack Tatum and George Atkinson for assault. It isn’t like today where Wide Receivers roam free skipping over the middle like school kids while QB’s can’t be touched. The numbers you see now are comical and the passing game is much easier.

Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton reiterated that yesterday on KNBR. “In fact a rule change changed the NFL.  After the 1979 Season, the NFL stopped allowing players to hit Wide Receivers after 5 yards down the field. This literally was directly attributed to George Atkinson and Jack Tatum.  This made the game much more wide open and easier for quarterbacks.”

The 70’s also was the most talented era of all time. The Steel Curtain; the Doomsday Defense; The Orange Crush; the Purple People Eaters; the No Name Defense; no era was dominated with so much talent in NFL history. There was no salary cap and teams were loaded. In one game in the 70’s between the Steelers and Raiders there were 21 future hall of fame players, owners and coaches on the field. Try naming 10 hall of famers in a game today.   I usually don’t hold grudges but I will always hold a grudge against the Hall of Fame Voting Committee for not voting the Snake in while he was still alive.

Someone close to my heart; my friend Mike Yokum; has lead a valiant effort to try and get Kenny Stabler into the Hall of Fame. Anyone reading this article hopefully will take one minute to sign his petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/541/199/738/petition-to-induct-ken-stabler-into-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame/?taf_id=12432385&cid=fb_na#

“It may sound corny”, Mike said, “but Kenny’s effect on my childhood was profound. Just this week I received some signed merchandise from him. He thought of me even though he was dying. I didn’t even know he was sick. He was so giving. A man’s man to the end.”

Tim Casto also gave light on what he thought would happen in regards to the hall of fame. “He was born to be a Raider. I think this finally will be the year that he gets into the Hall of Fame. People forget that Ken was the 3rd fastest to get to 100 wins taking only 150 games. If you look only at his statistics as a Raider, they are pretty amazing. People also overlook what a kind man he was. He was very giving and did a lot through his great foundation and many other charities that he helped. The Steelers and Rooney family; the Raiders hated rivals; are actually pushing for Ken to be in the hall of fame and they have a lot of pull”.

http://xoxostablerfoundation.com/

After I sat for a few hours and just kind of wondered about things I thought to myself, what would the Snake tell me now if he were here. I then imagined Ken Stabler’s voice; a cool guy with his smooth southern accent say,

“Jim I’ve had a wonderful life; I had 3 amazing daughters that are the light of my eye and the beat of my heart; I have grandkids that make me proud every minute of the day; I played for the greatest organization and college in sports in front of the greatest fans in the world.   I have loved and lived hard. I had fun every step of my life and now I’m with my maker with no more pain or worries. So get up and go live life to the fullest and don’t worry about me.   Live it with a wink in one eye and a twinkle in the other.  I’m fine.”

final stabler

All of a sudden I smiled broadly, quickly got up and I felt like a million bucks. I walked half way up the hill, stopped and then looked up into the sky into the lights across the water. For some reason I took a picture although it was pitch black, and said out loud, “Thanks Kenny. For everything.”

Like I said. A leader and true southern gentleman to the end.