Stabler was also a part of a heated rivalry between the Steelers and the Raiders in the 1970s. About three weeks ago, Stabler told LaMarre he had cancer but wanted to complete the book. His coach in Oakland, John Madden, said Thursday that Stabler was a “perfect quarterback, and a flawless raider”… I knew Kenny on a lot of different levels. And is “Snake” the best nickname ever in the world of sports? We had such great respect for him. Stabler had to earn the starting job from fifth string in the fall, but he did. That type of sacrifice is not as common in today’s pro sports, and Oakland could use that type of “team first” mentality if they want to see the franchise return to greatness again.
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Stabler died at age 69 Wednesday, and he was the greatest player in Raiders history. Please elaborate on your answer.
“The Raiders are deeply saddened by the passing of the great Ken Stabler”, Raiders owner Mark Davis said upon hearing the news of his death.
Griese won a lot (92-63-2), but if the NFL Network were to spend a day showing his greatest games, as it is doing for Stabler, which games would it show?
Ted Hendricks, a ex- teammate, told ESPN that he had no idea Stabler was even sick.
The play was classic Stabler: Time ticking down.
He was drafted in the second round of the 1968 National Football League draft by the Oakland Raiders. “He was always charming and he was a great football player”. The amount of consistently good play, plus the Super Bowl, plus the league MVP…Check, Check, Check.
Stat boys and armchair GMs argue that the Stabler-led Raiders “only” won one Super Bowl. “I mean, he would get taller”, Madden said Friday. “And, I guess we couldn’t”. For now, he’ll forever live within Raider Nation. The two greats actually talked about a restaurant together before Stabler’s condition started to get worse. We had season tickets to old Met Stadium. Stabler led the Raiders to the 1977 Super Bowl title and was a four-time NFL Pro Bowler. That season, his 66.7 percent completion rate, 27 passing touchdowns, 103.4 passer rating and 9.41 yards per attempts all led the NFL.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t that much left for Stabler in Oakland after that. He was also involved in scoring the go-ahead touchdown in Pittsburgh in the 1975 AFC Championship game, until Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” changed the course of history. “There are some guys who tend to make themselves smaller in the pocket”. Line judge Ed Marion incorrectly ruled the play was dead before Lytle lost the ball. Winning is fine. Losing? “If there had been instant replay, it’s their ball”.
Stabler’s calm reached preposterous levels the following season, Madden recalled. Those close to Madden know that he sensed Davis would get rid of Stabler and Madden did not relish the idea of coaching a Raider team without Stabler as the quarterback.
There were conflicting reports earlier in the day, but Stabler’s family confirmed reports of his death Thursday evening.
Stabler’s family released a statement saying that he died “surrounded by the people he loved most, including his three daughters and longtime partner, as some of his favorite songs played in the background, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and Van Morrison’s ‘Leaves Falling Down.'”. “It was a pleasure to know him and wear his number!”
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Casper, his tight end for eight seasons – with the Raiders and the Oilers – reflected on Stabler’s persona. The Raiders were trailing the Chargers with 10 seconds left, and the San Diego defense converged on Stabler for what appeared to be a game-ending sack. Stabler suffered with several knee injuries and wound up becoming a more traditional style QB instead of a scrambling type.
