Sad news for us 70s kids as Ken "the Snake" Stabler died yesterday. His death, at the fitting age of 69, makes me nostalgic for that golden era of the NFL when players had actual personalities and didn't worry so much about their agent-manufactured "brand."
He never put up the gaudy stats of Manning, Brady, Brees et al, and he isn't in the Hall of Fame (yet) but the dude was a winner. Also, if womanizing was an NFL stat, Stabler would have been a unanimous first ballot selection.
Here's how I remember 70s football: The Raiders are down by 4 late in the fourth quarter to some inferior team like the KC Chiefs or Cleveland Browns (whose fans think they are actually going to win this time). Wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff is chain smoking on the sideline and a hung over Stabler still reeks of booze and perfume from the night before. After stinking up the joint all day, they smile and head out to the field for their final drive. With time running out, Stabler connects to Biletnikoff in the end zone. Game over.
There'll never be another Snake. RIP.
