Tatum took pride in being feared. Did Drew Brees Put A Target On Himself Ahead of Raiders Matchup? You had to know where Haley lined up on every snap. . (I’m being sarcastic here.) All of the list A guys have a Super Bowl ring. The one outlier is Jim Plunkett, who certainly doesn’t hold a … But, without any other options, Plunkett was called upon to start the remaining 11 games of the season, and the rest is Raiders history. Next, Flores is the only person to win a Super Bowl as a quarterback, an assistant coach and as a head coach. Opponents did too. Several Raiders greats got their start in the AFL, and were inducted into the Hall of Fame, it’s time Lamonica joined that list. Lamonica was the prototypical “Al Davis quarterback”, nicknamed the “Mad Bomber” for his affinity for throwing it deep, whenever. And, honestly, the numbers just aren’t there to ever truly see him as a Hall of Fame quarterback. I frequently see Eli Manning mentioned for Hall of Fame but never Jim Plunkett. Fuck them! Jim Kelly. Plunkett returned to the backup role until 1983, when Marc Wilson went down with an injury. He threw for 164 touchdowns and tallied 138 interceptions while eclipsing the 3,000-yard mark twice. Let’s say that Flores was not Mr. Flores, but Mr. Opponents did too. The Hall of Fame standard should require a player to be one of the best of his generation. But the truth is, he was a leader who willed his team to two titles. The only other person besides Flores to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach was Mike Ditka—but he got in as one of the greatest tight ends in history, not for his coaching career. But Flores is a lost cause, just like his quarterback, Jim Plunkett, another Mexican who isn’t going into the Hall of Fame despite two Super … Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Christensen forced teams to re-imagine what a tight end could bring to a team. Proponents usually focus upon the simple fact of his two Super Bowl victories should be sufficient on their own, but also refer to the personal challenges he needed to overcome. ... Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls as quarterback of the 1980s Raiders and he can’t even get into the room to be discussed as a finalist. For years, fans and Latino groups waged an organic campaign to get Super Bowl champion coach and player Tom Flores, who achieved firsts for Latinos in the NFL, into the Hall of Fame. The Oakland Raiders’ Jim Plunkett, with two Super Bowl rings and one Super Bowl MVP to his name. Christensen’s case could be muddled because of who played around him during his career. As of now, he is still the only player of Native American heritage to have won the award. Lamonica propelled the team to the 1967 AFL Championship title, the first in Raiders history. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1967, ironically, one of the players involved in the trade was Tom Flores. Plunkett’s first game for the Raiders coming off the bench and his first appearance ended in disaster, a 17-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is a countdown of the seven Raiders omissions from the Hall of Fame and the case for them getting in. Lamonica was the prototypical “Al Davis quarterback”, nicknamed the “Mad Bomber” for his affinity for throwing it deep, whenever. Probably not. Tell that to Peyton and Eli Manning. After his first Super Bowl triumph, he became the first minority head coach to ever win a Super Bowl. In what is considered one of the biggest hits in Super Bowl history. However, everything changed for him in 1980, when then-starter, Dan Pastorini, fractured his leg in Week 5. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It's an embarrassment that he'd be considered for the Hall of Fame. Plunkett won two Super Bowls and was MVP in one. However, the Hall of Fame is about having the best of the best, and players who change how a certain position is played. Here are some ideas: Let’s say that Flores was African-American, Asian or Caucasian. Storming through a 4-0 run in the playoffs, and becoming the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. Oh, by the way, he won the Super Bowl twice as a head coach. Flores also led the Raiders in two Super Bowl victories, 1980 and 1983. . . Jim Plunkett quarterbacked the Raiders to two Super Bowls in the early 1980’s, but according to NBC Sports’ Peter King, Plunkett is the only eligible two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback that isn’t worthy of the Hall of Fame. Dan Fouts. He came into the league as a Heisman Trophy winner, and the number one overall selection in 1971. he did it twice (Super Bowl XV and XVIII) -- Dominican Suh I could go on and on as to why Mr. Flores should be in the Hall of Fame, but I will provide you and your readers with only three incontrovertible facts. I’m looking forward to your response. He would lead the league in receptions in 1983 and 1986, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark three times in his career, 1983, 1984, 1986. I like the original line better, but I am aware of the times in which we live. Unfair? Considering that Plunkett threw more career picks than TDs -- he led the league in interceptions thrown with 22 in '74 and never threw more than 20 TD passes in a season -- and topped 2,500 passing yards in a season just twice in his career, the only way you should see "Plunkett" and "Hall of Fame" mentioned in the same sentence is "Jim Plunkett does not belong in the Hall of Fame." Unfair? Related: Did Drew Brees Put A Target On Himself Ahead of Raiders Matchup? [More Giants] Here’s why Saquon Barkley thinks Giants can be a … Go to main menu. . Plunkett is a two-time Super Bowl winner and was awarded the Super Bowl MVP in 1980, becoming the first minority to win the award. Plunkett filled in again and guided the Raiders to a victory in Super Bowl XVIII over the Washington Redskins. And it may never change. Fran Tarkenton. Not too many of you may know who Ken Riley is but he is one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history but isn't in the Hall of Fame. Joe Theisman. There isn’t a single valid reason to support Tom Flores not being in the Hall of Fame. Sure, he won two Super Bowls in nine seasons—but George Seifert won two in six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, and he’s not going in. Sonny Jurgensen. Tatum, the enforcer of the “Soul Patrol” was a three-time Pro-Bowler, he snatched 37 interceptions, recovered 10 fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. Over the next 3-1/2 years, Oakland went 29-11 with Plunkett starting and won two Super Bowls. Tom Flores: Hall of Fame or Walk of Shame? There hasn’t been a big recent push for Plunkett to get into the Hall of Fame. Christensen, a five-time Pro-Bowler, between 1983 and 1987, essentially paved the way for players like Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle, Travis Kelce and so many others. But Flores is a lost cause, just like his quarterback, Jim Plunkett, another Mexican who isn’t going into the Hall of Fame despite two Super Bowl victories. During the strike-shortened seasons of 1982 and 1987, he caught 42 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns and 47 catches for 663 yards and two touchdowns, respectively. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano and Instagram @gustavo_arellano! Over his 15-year career, his record was 72-72, going 8-2 in the playoffs, 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions with a career passer rating of 67.5. Your idiocies aside, it’s not racism that keeps Flores out of the Hall of Fame; it’s his lack of bona fides. Plunkett led the Raiders to a 9-2 record over those games earning a wild card berth. Why Tony Romo isn't even close to Hall of Fame-worthy. But why Eli Manning and not Jim Plunkett? You May Also Like: Raiders Twitter Shows Support For Black Lives Matter. Dan Marino. Warren Moon. Jim Plunkett. hit Vikings receiver Sammy White so hard it knocked his helmet off. His best season was 1983 where he posted a league-leading 92 catches for 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns. He never had any alcohol, drug or womanizing problems. I have heard through the grapevine that there is occasionally a bias against Latino excellence. Raiders Twitter Shows Support For Black Lives Matter, One Potential Falcons Cap Casualty Raiders Should Consider, Raiders History: Best 2nd-Round Picks Of All Time, Potential Saints Cap Casualties Raiders Should Evaluate, Raiders 3 Most Disappointing Free Agents of 2020. Don’t get me wrong—it would be awesome to have Flores in the Hall, as he’d be just the third Latino in there after the half-Mexi Tom Fears and full Chicano (with bad rodillas) Anthony Muñoz. Plunkett started his career in New England, in five years there he never produced a winning season. It seemed like 2020 may be the year a couple of Raider legends get into Hall of Fame, but they were denied once again. Plunkett is the subject of periodic debate about whether he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There’s quite the debate about whether or not Plunkett should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. During that game, he hit Vikings receiver Sammy White so hard it knocked his helmet off. He had a career rating of 72.9 but only completed 49.5 percent of his throws. There’s quite the debate about whether or not Plunkett should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Flowers. Lamonica propelled the team to the 1967 AFL Championship title, the first in Raiders history. Your email address will not be published. I realize that the Tío Tomás/Uncle Tom line may be a bit controversial, even for you—feel free to change this as you wish. While the list is quite extensive, there are some names in Raiders’ history that are missing from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Originally drafted in the second round of the 1978 draft, as a fullback, by the Dallas Cowboys. First thing’s first, people need to realize that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a bit flawed. Tatum was the prototype of physical safeties, and a constant source of fear for receivers. First, Flores coached the Raiders for nine seasons and won two Super Bowls. The lowest completion percentage in the NFL in 2019 was Josh Allen at 58.8. Interested in writing about your Raiders? In his career, he amassed a (66-16-6) record in the regular season, and was 6-7 in the playoffs.