MVN: Most Valuable Network

Don't forget to vote in our poll on which Raider Thoughts from the Dark Side is going to unify behind to get into the Hall of Fame. L Dizzle has taken the time to lay out the cases for several of the candidates as to why they deserve our support in getting them enshrined in Canton.

The Hall of Fame Campaign Part 2: Making the cases.

By: L Dizzle

Special to Thoughts from the Dark Side

Here are some facts about the Raider Legends that are in discussion for the Hall of Fame along with reasons why they deserve to be in and reasons why they may not get in. Just to add some food for thought when voting on the campaign.

Ray Guy:

Tied for 3rd most all time with 3 seasons leading the league in punt yards. One of those seasons was when the Raiders won their first Superbowl. He also has 3 Superbowl rings with the Raiders. The Hall of Fame panel has had him on the short list for 20 years but have been reluctant to vote a punter into the Hall. Guy was the first player to punt as his primary job. He was the first and in his time he was the best. Since then every team has a punter. In fact in his time the only guy that had better punting numbers than Guy was Hall of Fame QB (and all-purpose amazing all around ridiculous athlete) "Slingin" Sammy Baugh. It is time to stop passing on putting the premiere pure primarily punting pioneer position player Ray Guy into the Hall of Fame.

On a side note the highest punt average ever is held by the Raiders own Shane Lechler with 46.1. Lechler also is 2nd all time in average yards per punt for a rookie with 45.91

Ken Stabler:

While "The Snake" is a true Raider Legend and one of the best all time, his stats don't quite stack up to other Hall of Famers. He finished his career with 1,486 completions and a 60% completion percentage for a total of 19,078 yds and 150 TD. He also won 1 SB in 1977. Granted it was the Raiders 1st SB so it had special meaning and even more so may have been beating the rival Steelers to get there. He is also the Raiders all-time leading passer.

The only Hall of Fame QB that closely compares is Roger Staubach who had 22,700 yds and 153 Tds despite having served his country in the Navy for 4 years prior to playing in the NFL. Staubach also led the Cowboys to 2 SB compared to Stabler with just one. Staubach also had the best ever QB rating of 83.4 when he retired.

Joe Namath would be the next closest Hall of Famer with 27,663 and 173 Tds over a 12 year career. Namath also won that famous "guaranteed" upset Superbowl over the Colts and was the first ever QB to pass over 4000 yards in a season. Not to mention glamour and glitz goes a long way. Just ask Lynn Swann.

Now compare Stabler's stats to someone like Dan Fouts who played during the same time period (Despite Fouts never winning a Superbowl) and it doesn't look good. Fouts had over twice as many yards passing and over 100 more Tds. Granted Fouts played 14 years to Stabler's 10 years.

These facts would make it somewhat difficult for Stabler to get voted into the Hall of Fame. He is also not in the top three in any statistical category except being tied for the 2nd most interceptions in one game (7). Not quite the statistic he would want to be known for I am sure.

As a side note: Rich Gannon's 2002 season was the best all-time for a Raider and he holds top three honors in nearly every category that year.

Jack Tatum:

Jack Tatum's stats didn't wow you. He had just 30 int in his career. Which, while being tied for 5th all-time for the Raiders, doesn't look great when put next to someone like Rod Woodson who had 71. But the stats won't show what Tatum accomplished. What he brought to the table was as intangible as it gets. He brought fear. Pure finite fear. It isn't measured in stats but in beads of sweat from the opponents brow, plays called to stay away from him and receivers giving disregard for the ball for the greater good of being able to play the next down.

The tragic paralysis of Darrel Stingley will forever haunt Jack and all of us but he cannot be held responsible for that incident. It was not an illegal hit. He was simply doing what he always did. He attacked players with wreckless abandon and played his position at a level that guys like Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson aspired to. He layed the groundwork for every Defensive Back that came after him. He played for just nine seasons but one of those seasons gave the Raiders their first Superbowl.

Unfortunately, he has been adamant about stating he would reject an invitation to the Hall of Fame and that may detract many in the committee from nominating him for the honor. It is a shame because he belongs there and I am sure Mr. Lott and Mr. Woodson would agree that they stood on his shoulders to become who they became.

Tom Flores:

He took over after legendary Hall of Fame coach John Madden retired which are some big shoes to fill (and pants and shirt etc.). He coached for 9 seasons and his resume includes 91 wins (which averages out to over 10 wins a season including a league best 8-1 record in the strike shortened season of 82), 3 division titles, 2 AFC championships and 2 Superbowl rings. One of those Superbowls was against HOF coach Joe Gibbs and the Heavily favored Washington Redskins.

Although many think he just towed the company line for Al Davis, no one can refute that whatever the arrangement, it was a damn successful one. Under Tom's watch the Raiders drafted such great players as Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Don Mosebar, Greg Townsend and Bo Jakcson to name a few.

Flores' numbers most closely compare to those of HOF Bill Walsh of whom coached during the same years as Flores only one year longer. Walsh averaged the exact same games won per season as Flores, and has the same amount of Division titles. While it took Walsh three years to win a Superbowl with San Francisco, Flores did it with the Raiders in just two years. Walsh has one more Superbowl to his credit however and that makes a big difference.

HOF George Allen compares closely as well. Allen's winning percentage is a little bit higher and although Allen never had a losing season, he also never won a Superbowl

All of this taken in account, Tom Flores certainly deserves some serious consideration.

Cliff Branch:

3rd all time Raiders history, 501 rec, 8,685 yds, 17.3 ypc (best in team history over 5000 yds), 67 tds, and the longest receiving TD in Raiders history with 99.

Compares closest to John Stallworth who had 8,723 yds on 537 catches, 63 tds, 16.2 ypc, and Paul Warfield who caught 427 passes for 8,565 yds and 85 tds including being part of the undefeated Dolphins in 72. Lynn Swann compares only with Superbowl wins. Swann only had 5,462 yards and 51 Tds receiving but he played 4 less years. He has the playoff wins and Superbowls which is what got him in. He also compares pretty closely to his teammate Fred Biletnikoff. Freddy has just about 300 more receiving yards and 9 more TDs and has been in the hall since the mid eighties.

So to show you how Branch stacks up against these four Hall of Famers it isn't difficult. He has a higher yards per catch average than Biletnikoff, Stallworth and Swann, more TD catches than Stallworth and Swann, the same amount of Superbowl wins as Swann (3), and more catches for more yards and 2 more superbowl rings than Paul Warfield.

So why exactly does he keep getting the shaft? Hard to say unless you truly believe in conspiracies. Because if the stats don't show it, the 3 Superbowl rings certainly should.

It will get even more difficult for Cliff to get in with players like Chris Carter, Jerry Rice, and Tim Brown becoming eligible. All of which are certainly more deserving than Branch.

Lester Hayes:

As Rob Calonge pointed out: "I'm putting in for Lester Hayes. Never before or since has anyone covered his man better. Haynes got all the interceptions he did because nobody threw to Hayes' side. Not taking anything away from Haynes, but it's a fact that the corner making the picks isn't always the best corner, just the best option for the opposing QB's"

And that being said Lester Hayes still ranks 2nd all time in Raider history with 39 interceptions. He is 2nd only to Willie Brown. And although he was drafted just after the Raiders first Superbowl, he was instrumental in the Raiders getting their 2nd two. He will always have his name coupled with Mike Haynes. Not just because their last names are one letter different but because together they locked down that secondary for the Raiders in the late 70's and early 80's. So, much like the players that were part of the Purple People Eaters, the Steel Curtain and Orange Crush, these two should be side by side in the Hall.

Dave Dalby:

Dave Dalby was the 2nd in the Raiders short line of steadfast centers. In fact, until 1994 the Raiders only had THREE centers in their 34 year history. Otto, Dalby, and Don Mosebar. And Dalby was the most successful of all of them. Jim Otto was an original Raider and the first to anchor that coveted center spot for the Raiders. Then Dalby stepped in and held it down for all three Raiders Superbowl teams.

We all know it is hard to give Olineman stats in this league. Especially back in the early days when they didn't keep as meticulous of stats such as sacks given up. Dalby hiked the ball to Raider Legends such as Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett and blocked for them while they worked the magic that put those three Superbowl trophies in the Raiders trophy case.

If the 2003 Superbowl taught us anything it was that we shouldn't play it against the man who built our team. But if it taught us anything else it was that the center is invaluable to the success of a team. He calls out the defenses and has a thousand things to do and think about in the few seconds between putting his hand on the ball until the whistle is blown. To not call the center position as skill position is an insult to Dalby and he should be in the hall with Jim Otto where he belongs.

L Dizzle is a regular contributer to Thoughts from the Dark Side. IF you would like to contribute a future segment of Thoughts from a Reader's Side, email me at mvnraider at yahoo.com.