I’m not old enough to have been able to enjoy Kenny Stabler live. However, he is my favorite Raider of all time. His impact on the history and mystique of the Raiders will forever make him one of the most influential figures in the team’s history. I don’t believe that a player ever epitomized the word RAIDER more than Stabler.
The Raiders of the 1970’s were a dominant and intimidating football team. They were outlaws who would beat you up while beating you on the scoreboard. The Silver and Black had a roster loaded with future Hall of Famers. They were involved in the greatest games – Immaculate Reception, Sea of Hands, Ghost to the Post and the Holy Roller. Their players had the best nicknames – The Mad Stork, Ghost, Assassin, Dr. Death and of course…Snake.
Snake was the unquestioned leader of the greatest age of Raider Football. He led the Raiders to multiple AFC Championship games and their first Super Bowl Championship in 1976. Stabler was named the NFL MVP in 1974.
This Sunday night, the Raiders will honor Stabler and present his family with his Hall of Fame Ring. The ceremony will take place before the Raiders fittingly take on the Steelers…the organization in which Stabler had so many memorable battles.