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Snake: The Legendary Life of Ken Stabler
The first in-depth biography of one of the most talented and infamous legends to play in the National Football League—the life and times of pro football’s first bad boy, famed Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler.
Ken "The Snake" Stabler was the embodiment of the original Men in Black—the freewheeling, hard-hitting Oakland Raiders. The league’s first swashbuckling pass thrower, the mythical southpaw Southerner famous for come-from-behind drives late in the game, Stabler led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl championship in 1977. In an era dominated by gentleman quarterbacks like Roger Staubach and Bob Griese, this 1974 NFL MVP, four-time Pro-bowler, and Super Bowl champion was an iconoclast who partied as hard as he played and lived life unapologetically on his own—not the NFL’s—terms.
Though Stabler’s legacy is larger-than-life, there has never before been an exclusive account of him, until now. Snake goes deep under the surface of Stabler’s persona to reveal a man who, despite his penchant for partying and debauchery, was committed to winning and being the best player he could be. From his college days playing for Bear Bryant at Alabama to his years with the Raiders under coach John Madden, his broadcasting career to his death in 2015 and the revelation that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as C.T.E., Snake probes the myriad facets of Stabler’s life on and off the field to tell his complete story, and explores how his legacy and the culture and times that pivotally shaped it, continues to impact football today.
Ken "The Snake" Stabler was the embodiment of the original Men in Black—the freewheeling, hard-hitting Oakland Raiders. The league’s first swashbuckling pass thrower, the mythical southpaw Southerner famous for come-from-behind drives late in the game, Stabler led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl championship in 1977. In an era dominated by gentleman quarterbacks like Roger Staubach and Bob Griese, this 1974 NFL MVP, four-time Pro-bowler, and Super Bowl champion was an iconoclast who partied as hard as he played and lived life unapologetically on his own—not the NFL’s—terms.
Though Stabler’s legacy is larger-than-life, there has never before been an exclusive account of him, until now. Snake goes deep under the surface of Stabler’s persona to reveal a man who, despite his penchant for partying and debauchery, was committed to winning and being the best player he could be. From his college days playing for Bear Bryant at Alabama to his years with the Raiders under coach John Madden, his broadcasting career to his death in 2015 and the revelation that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as C.T.E., Snake probes the myriad facets of Stabler’s life on and off the field to tell his complete story, and explores how his legacy and the culture and times that pivotally shaped it, continues to impact football today.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2016
123 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Mike Freeman
8 books3 followersMike Freeman is an NFL Insider for CBSSports.com. Before that, he was an NFL writer, investigative reporter, and columnist for the New York Times; a columnist for the Florida Times-Union; and a sports reporter, features writer, and investigative writer for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Dallas Morning News.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 9, 2023
Ken Stabler, aka Snake, was just a good ol' southern boy even though he was of German heritage.
As QB, he led his Alabama, Crimson Tide, team to the national championship in the late 60's, following in Joe Namath's footsteps.
Snake was drafted into the NFL upon graduation playing QB for the Oakland Raiders a band of misfits that immediately made him feel right at home.
The Raiders team also led the NFL in IQ scores although I'm not sure if this led to them having such quirky personalities or not. Snake opined that they all 'got' each other though and hated losing.
The Oakland Raiders were so much fun to watch back in the 1970's when Stabler was in his prime. After a lot of bad luck and failed attempts Stabler was finally able to lead the Raiders to victory in the Super Bowl.
Here's a couple of clips that show the great Kenny Stabler in his prime making 2 of the Top Ten best plays of all time.
Watch as #12 QB Stabler complete this pass to Dave Casper in the divisional playoffs - which is forever remembered as "Ghost to the Post" with Casper being the ghost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIGg...
Here's the link to his famous "Sea of Hands" play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJfri...
Watching Stabler in these clips it's hard to believe that he would stay up all night drinking and partying until dawn, sleep a few hours, and then play an almost perfect game of football in the afternoon. If you're a stats person Stabler led all the other QB's in accuracy.
Off the field Stabler led a wild life, earning him much censure by the talking heads of football.
This bio explained a few things about Stabler and his lifestyle.
Stabler's father fought in the WW2, Anzio campaign in Sicily, earning a bronze star for his bravery. This horrible, bloody battle had such high casualty rates, that the the Sr. Stabler would never be able to forget, haunting him to the end of his life.
While growing up in Alabama Stabler told of his father's alcoholism, which occasionally led to violence. A few times his father even drew a gun threatening to kill all of them. At a young age Stabler learned to be a quiet, calming presence while comforting his mother and younger sister.
This presence would serve his well later in his career. No matter how far behind the Raiders were in a game they all spoke of Stabler's leadership and ability to calm them down when hope seemed lost.
Later in life Stabler would say that his nonstop partying lifestyle was the outcome of his violent upbringing. He learned from his father that one day, something could happen to him that could potentially lead to a lifetime of suffering and pain.
Stabler decided he would live life to the fullest because he never knew when his "Anzio" might appear causing the good times to disappear forever.
Stabler was diagnosed with CTE in middle age and lead the way in bringing this disease to to the public's notice. Stabler donated his damaged brain to science which inspired many of his former Oakland teammates to do the same.
With so many former NFL players suffering with CTE I think professional football should become a game of the past.
Stabler led a fascinating life making this bio informative and entertaining.
As QB, he led his Alabama, Crimson Tide, team to the national championship in the late 60's, following in Joe Namath's footsteps.
Snake was drafted into the NFL upon graduation playing QB for the Oakland Raiders a band of misfits that immediately made him feel right at home.
The Raiders team also led the NFL in IQ scores although I'm not sure if this led to them having such quirky personalities or not. Snake opined that they all 'got' each other though and hated losing.
The Oakland Raiders were so much fun to watch back in the 1970's when Stabler was in his prime. After a lot of bad luck and failed attempts Stabler was finally able to lead the Raiders to victory in the Super Bowl.
Here's a couple of clips that show the great Kenny Stabler in his prime making 2 of the Top Ten best plays of all time.
Watch as #12 QB Stabler complete this pass to Dave Casper in the divisional playoffs - which is forever remembered as "Ghost to the Post" with Casper being the ghost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIGg...
Here's the link to his famous "Sea of Hands" play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJfri...
Watching Stabler in these clips it's hard to believe that he would stay up all night drinking and partying until dawn, sleep a few hours, and then play an almost perfect game of football in the afternoon. If you're a stats person Stabler led all the other QB's in accuracy.
Off the field Stabler led a wild life, earning him much censure by the talking heads of football.
This bio explained a few things about Stabler and his lifestyle.
Stabler's father fought in the WW2, Anzio campaign in Sicily, earning a bronze star for his bravery. This horrible, bloody battle had such high casualty rates, that the the Sr. Stabler would never be able to forget, haunting him to the end of his life.
While growing up in Alabama Stabler told of his father's alcoholism, which occasionally led to violence. A few times his father even drew a gun threatening to kill all of them. At a young age Stabler learned to be a quiet, calming presence while comforting his mother and younger sister.
This presence would serve his well later in his career. No matter how far behind the Raiders were in a game they all spoke of Stabler's leadership and ability to calm them down when hope seemed lost.
Later in life Stabler would say that his nonstop partying lifestyle was the outcome of his violent upbringing. He learned from his father that one day, something could happen to him that could potentially lead to a lifetime of suffering and pain.
Stabler decided he would live life to the fullest because he never knew when his "Anzio" might appear causing the good times to disappear forever.
Stabler was diagnosed with CTE in middle age and lead the way in bringing this disease to to the public's notice. Stabler donated his damaged brain to science which inspired many of his former Oakland teammates to do the same.
With so many former NFL players suffering with CTE I think professional football should become a game of the past.
Stabler led a fascinating life making this bio informative and entertaining.
March 3, 2018
This was, for me, a 2.5 star read but I rounded it up because I felt the first 1/3rd was better, 3.5 star.
Because I have been within that area for more than just a few weeks, (4 different times I think) and have great affection for the Gulf Shores / Orange Beach and Foley, AL areas- the earlier segments were super interesting for me. Especially upon the football being something Ken Stabler had to be bribed to participate within. Liking baseball (he was a pitcher) and other sports too, better than he liked football.
The background with his father and especially his little sister was intriguing. A look into sources of his personality and actions much later.
The writing itself was the problem I had with this book. And not so much the subject matter of the writing but the overall form. It jumps and the conductivity and connections jar time and time again. And always framed in author adoration or name drop associative side tale to distract. Which are not that bad in themselves if you take them with a grain of salt, but that absolutely (for me it did enough to sigh again and again) broke the "era" placement and other base form progression/ chronological tensions of the biography itself. It made it all pieces. While it seems that Snake was a whole piece same/same for so much of his life- that interpretation just doesn't seem to fit.
Having watched pro football as a huge fan from about 1975 onward (I have always been a baseball person) and having ALWAYS in those earlier days of my interest under Madden seen that team as the "dirty" team. Rough, injury caused on purpose with constant fouls on the sneak kind of team- I had ENTIRELY different "eyes" than most who read this book, IMHO.
And I also probably have the least empathy for those teams who have had great quarterbacks time and again too. And throughout 5 to 8 year lengths/ eras too. Something my Chicago Bears, even in the 1985-86 team of perfection, never equivocate for more than 5 straight games. So much of this adoration for the perfect pace and complete evenness under highest pressures, a lot of that goes right over my head.
But regardless, NFL and all forms of football are just about over. And this book just skirts the CTE issue, IMHO. Others I have read go into it far more and better in the science and photos, as well.
Now if Snake had exactly the same practices all around the lifestyle sports and play picture today or in the last 5 years as he did then? He would be demonized. Maybe not as much as a some network or Hollywood moguls but quite "not idolized" as he was in this book. Just sayin'- he lived the spirits of his time to the max. And this presently is not an era for joy or play or free expression to any extent- as it was then. Humor in fun and cavorting has even left the field. Not even by halves is there joy or kindness in "fun", not for any crux brand of star personality functional connections with their true fans in person either. Baseball is the same. You used to be able to talk during warm ups to a majority of the players with 2 sided conversations. Now they are all too rich and/or too body guard protected to have the ilk to want to, it seems, and they rarely bother with fans. With very few exceptions and less every year.
As I've traveled for football, for baseball, and for just plain fun in many decades (USA cities and Toronto). And also had grandsons play football (no longer, and 1 now pole vaults instead- very WELL too)- I understand that many people will miss the days of Friday frenzies of football in every small town in the Midwest and the South where all hilarity of neighbors bond. And I read this book primarily to further understand Foley and the Alabama Gulf Coast which has the most pleasant and friendly people and churches. And not so much to get "Snake".
Stabler was such a womanizer and had so many negative aspects outside of the game with substances like alcohol, that I wonder only about his energy level being sustained as it was. For those many decades after too- so he couldn't have been all that "sick". But I know that plaque in the brain will change lives. And that they pay a cost for those football god perks, especially with modern hard helmets that work like spears.
Because I have been within that area for more than just a few weeks, (4 different times I think) and have great affection for the Gulf Shores / Orange Beach and Foley, AL areas- the earlier segments were super interesting for me. Especially upon the football being something Ken Stabler had to be bribed to participate within. Liking baseball (he was a pitcher) and other sports too, better than he liked football.
The background with his father and especially his little sister was intriguing. A look into sources of his personality and actions much later.
The writing itself was the problem I had with this book. And not so much the subject matter of the writing but the overall form. It jumps and the conductivity and connections jar time and time again. And always framed in author adoration or name drop associative side tale to distract. Which are not that bad in themselves if you take them with a grain of salt, but that absolutely (for me it did enough to sigh again and again) broke the "era" placement and other base form progression/ chronological tensions of the biography itself. It made it all pieces. While it seems that Snake was a whole piece same/same for so much of his life- that interpretation just doesn't seem to fit.
Having watched pro football as a huge fan from about 1975 onward (I have always been a baseball person) and having ALWAYS in those earlier days of my interest under Madden seen that team as the "dirty" team. Rough, injury caused on purpose with constant fouls on the sneak kind of team- I had ENTIRELY different "eyes" than most who read this book, IMHO.
And I also probably have the least empathy for those teams who have had great quarterbacks time and again too. And throughout 5 to 8 year lengths/ eras too. Something my Chicago Bears, even in the 1985-86 team of perfection, never equivocate for more than 5 straight games. So much of this adoration for the perfect pace and complete evenness under highest pressures, a lot of that goes right over my head.
But regardless, NFL and all forms of football are just about over. And this book just skirts the CTE issue, IMHO. Others I have read go into it far more and better in the science and photos, as well.
Now if Snake had exactly the same practices all around the lifestyle sports and play picture today or in the last 5 years as he did then? He would be demonized. Maybe not as much as a some network or Hollywood moguls but quite "not idolized" as he was in this book. Just sayin'- he lived the spirits of his time to the max. And this presently is not an era for joy or play or free expression to any extent- as it was then. Humor in fun and cavorting has even left the field. Not even by halves is there joy or kindness in "fun", not for any crux brand of star personality functional connections with their true fans in person either. Baseball is the same. You used to be able to talk during warm ups to a majority of the players with 2 sided conversations. Now they are all too rich and/or too body guard protected to have the ilk to want to, it seems, and they rarely bother with fans. With very few exceptions and less every year.
As I've traveled for football, for baseball, and for just plain fun in many decades (USA cities and Toronto). And also had grandsons play football (no longer, and 1 now pole vaults instead- very WELL too)- I understand that many people will miss the days of Friday frenzies of football in every small town in the Midwest and the South where all hilarity of neighbors bond. And I read this book primarily to further understand Foley and the Alabama Gulf Coast which has the most pleasant and friendly people and churches. And not so much to get "Snake".
Stabler was such a womanizer and had so many negative aspects outside of the game with substances like alcohol, that I wonder only about his energy level being sustained as it was. For those many decades after too- so he couldn't have been all that "sick". But I know that plaque in the brain will change lives. And that they pay a cost for those football god perks, especially with modern hard helmets that work like spears.
November 1, 2016
Mental Prowess As Well As Superhuman Drinking Abilities
SNAKE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KEN STABLER is mostly about football, but also about Stabler's personal and home life. Mike Freeman does a good job at blending both the Snake's on-field successes, as well as his off-field exploits. As admitted in the Introduction, this book doesn’t shy away from Stabler’s "unflattering facets."
I was surprised to learn that Stabler had to actually be "bribed" by his father to get focused on football. In fact, Stabler actually disliked football at first: "The problem was, Stabler didn’t like playing it, and hadn’t played since he was eight years old. He hated the violence."
It's hard to believe that he didn't like the violence of football, but his dad, known as "Slim," had other plans for his son. He recognized his son's potential and took steps to encourage him: "When Stabler was just in tenth grade, Slim gave him a 1954 Ford. This was, in effect, a bribe to get Stabler to focus on football. Slim did this because he saw the football talent in his son." The young boy responded appropriately to these bribes, promising his dad, “I’m going to be a real good football player, Dad. "
And so began Stabler's journey into football stardom. Before reading this book, I didn't actually realize how great a player he was. Stabler was voted the Associated Press MVP in 1974 and "should have won the award in 1976 as well." That year, he led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown passes, yards per pass, and completion percentage. For 6 years, from 1973 to 1979, he ranked "in the top ten in passing yards, completion percentage, and touchdown passes." One year, Stabler had a passer rating of 103.4, when the league average passer rating was 63.6. In just his fourth game starting, he completed fourteen consecutive passes.
Stabler was not just a gifted athlete--he was smart: "Snake was a voracious and quick study who not only almost never forgot a play but also had a talent for keeping the play and all of its intricacies clean when under the duress of a pass rush." His coach, the legendary John Madden, soon saw his potential and "encouraged Blanda to teach young Stabler the ways of the NFL." Stabler soon became the starter when Madden realize who he had: "Snake was so startlingly efficient, Madden had no choice. He had to start Snake."
Naturally, the author could not ignore Stabler's well-publicized off-field liaisons. Stabler was married three times and "cheated on all of his wives." He admitted to teammate Gene Upshaw. “I screw women. I drink. I drink all the time. I don’t sleep much. I don’t need it. Football keeps me going. I love football more than anything. When it’s time to play, I’m ready. I won’t be drunk. I’ll be ready.”
This book also covers in great detail Stabler's college career--in football as well as baseball. I admit I had no idea the man who also so gifted in baseball. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the second round of the baseball draft Saturday as a left-handed pitcher.
All in all, I found SNAKE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KEN STABLER to be a fascinating read, full of fun (and sometimes, bizarre) stories. Ken Stabler led an amazing life. There's a lot to read about--both the good and the bad. Mike Freeman does a good job at describing both.
Advance Review Copy courtesy of Edelweiss Book Distributors.
SNAKE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KEN STABLER is mostly about football, but also about Stabler's personal and home life. Mike Freeman does a good job at blending both the Snake's on-field successes, as well as his off-field exploits. As admitted in the Introduction, this book doesn’t shy away from Stabler’s "unflattering facets."
I was surprised to learn that Stabler had to actually be "bribed" by his father to get focused on football. In fact, Stabler actually disliked football at first: "The problem was, Stabler didn’t like playing it, and hadn’t played since he was eight years old. He hated the violence."
It's hard to believe that he didn't like the violence of football, but his dad, known as "Slim," had other plans for his son. He recognized his son's potential and took steps to encourage him: "When Stabler was just in tenth grade, Slim gave him a 1954 Ford. This was, in effect, a bribe to get Stabler to focus on football. Slim did this because he saw the football talent in his son." The young boy responded appropriately to these bribes, promising his dad, “I’m going to be a real good football player, Dad. "
And so began Stabler's journey into football stardom. Before reading this book, I didn't actually realize how great a player he was. Stabler was voted the Associated Press MVP in 1974 and "should have won the award in 1976 as well." That year, he led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown passes, yards per pass, and completion percentage. For 6 years, from 1973 to 1979, he ranked "in the top ten in passing yards, completion percentage, and touchdown passes." One year, Stabler had a passer rating of 103.4, when the league average passer rating was 63.6. In just his fourth game starting, he completed fourteen consecutive passes.
Stabler was not just a gifted athlete--he was smart: "Snake was a voracious and quick study who not only almost never forgot a play but also had a talent for keeping the play and all of its intricacies clean when under the duress of a pass rush." His coach, the legendary John Madden, soon saw his potential and "encouraged Blanda to teach young Stabler the ways of the NFL." Stabler soon became the starter when Madden realize who he had: "Snake was so startlingly efficient, Madden had no choice. He had to start Snake."
Naturally, the author could not ignore Stabler's well-publicized off-field liaisons. Stabler was married three times and "cheated on all of his wives." He admitted to teammate Gene Upshaw. “I screw women. I drink. I drink all the time. I don’t sleep much. I don’t need it. Football keeps me going. I love football more than anything. When it’s time to play, I’m ready. I won’t be drunk. I’ll be ready.”
This book also covers in great detail Stabler's college career--in football as well as baseball. I admit I had no idea the man who also so gifted in baseball. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the second round of the baseball draft Saturday as a left-handed pitcher.
All in all, I found SNAKE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KEN STABLER to be a fascinating read, full of fun (and sometimes, bizarre) stories. Ken Stabler led an amazing life. There's a lot to read about--both the good and the bad. Mike Freeman does a good job at describing both.
Advance Review Copy courtesy of Edelweiss Book Distributors.
February 25, 2019
Ken Stabler is fascinating
Very good writing and easy to follow. Mike Freeman’s admiration of Stabler is apparent, but the journalism is thorough. I gained a new found respect for Stabler
Very good writing and easy to follow. Mike Freeman’s admiration of Stabler is apparent, but the journalism is thorough. I gained a new found respect for Stabler
October 30, 2019
Throughout most of this book I was just annoyed. The writing is somewhat terrible, the content is just pulled from his actual biography, and two other previously published books. The flow is so erratic that I wasn't sure at times what was happening without having to decipher when one thought was ending and another beginning. At times it felt like a conversation being transcribed into a book, and at other times it felt like a C+ high school term paper. At one point the author was quoting a writer from 1978 and used only the first set of quotation marks and continued to compare a situation to a Harry Potter movie which made it seem as though the beat writer from 1978 was somehow aware of the Harry Potter franchise 20 yrs before it's creation. Even with all of these flaws, I still enjoyed a few parts of this dreadful book. The anecdotes of Ken Stabler's life were amusing. And the the limited game recollections that were written about were nice. That's the only thing that saved it from being a 1star book.
October 25, 2024
Excellent read, written brilliantly by Mike Freeman. Everything about this pays such care and attention to the football player and the man behind it all ‘snake’ A life put on paper with admiration and respect. A worthy. read for American football fans ‘no’ sports fans in general… superb.
May 11, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: THE ONLY RAIDER WHOSE FACE COULD REPLACE THE RAIDER LOGO & HAVE EQUAL RESPECT ON & OFF THE FIELD!
*****************************************************************************
As a true Silver & Black Raider fan from their inception… and an original PSL season ticket holder upon their journey back to Oakland… I’ve seen and cheered them all on. But the one player… above… and…. beyond… them all… who I idolized on AND off the field… was the one… and only… the inimitable “Snake”! The coolest man on the field… even with seconds remaining… in game after game… and the outcome on the line… every Raider looked to… believed in… and followed… the now *LONG-OVER-DUE-HALL-OF-FAMER*… KEN “THE SNAKE” STABLER!... The Snake was also the coolest man in every bar in town… and I idolized him for that too!
Potential readers… who are reading this review… please believe me… that my feelings for “The Snake”… will not influence my review of the quality of the book. First let me point out that this is a short book… that if you take away the bibliography/sources pages is only 227 pages… and if you take away the three pages (two blank and one wasted with simply a small title) between each of the four “sub-book” dividers… and it’s even twelve pages less than that. There are about five pages (an estimate) telling about Stabler’s ancestry dating back to the 1600’s and 1700’s… that I thought would never end… and seemed like a hundred pages. Now that I got those two things out of the way… everything else is… UNBELIEVABLE!!
Being Kenny’s life and career is history… much of what is written… has been written before…. (and duly noted)… but interspersed… are many personal interviews and discussions directly with the author. The personal admiration for Stabler by the author… is not only informative… but to me highly admirable. In my opinion… it’s that very combination of history… and true heartbeat… that make *this-book-on-this-subject-at-this-time* even more impactful and enjoyable. Poor Kenny… and his lifelong fans… which include me AND the author. The author could be me or many other fans… that have stood at bars… at ballgames… in airports… at the Thanksgiving dinner table… and argued… and/or simply proclaimed… THAT KEN STABLER SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HALL OF FAME DECADES AGO!
The author covers all the bases including the saga of Stabler’s Father Slim… who did not come home from World War II… unscathed. In those days… there was no PTSD… you either had scars that you can see… missing appendages… or you didn’t get special care. Slim’s inner ticking time bomb… when mixed with alcohol.. affected the entire Stabler family for life. The author does a wonderful job extrapolating out… why “The Snake” became who he was… on and off the field. Kenny was a great high school baseball pitcher as well as a great football player. In fact Stabler was the only high school pitcher to ever beat future baseball Hall of Famer Don Sutton. “The Snake” struck out 16 batters in that game compared to Sutton’s 14. From there to the University of Alabama… and the special relationship… again… on and off the field… with the legendary Bear Bryant. There are some great heartfelt stories from that time period… and of course later on… there’s the special relationship with Hall of Fame Raider coach John Madden.
Of course no story of Stabler or the all-time classic Silver and Black teams that Stabler spearheaded… could leave out the literal all-time-all-time… classic… plays and games… such as THE HOLY ROLLER… THE GHOST TO THE POST… THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION… **OR AS MANY RAIDERS AND FANS CALL IT… “THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION”… but what true Raider… or simply true old-school football fans… will be impressed with… is among other things… that Stabler called his own plays… every player looked up to him… and would follow him to hell and back… that he was cooler and calmer than the coach with the game on the line. The utter respect that opposing players had for him is legendary… which has made it even more disdainful… that “The Snake” didn’t get into the Hall of Fame until after he died. After one game against the Bears in which… “he was picked up and tossed on his head. When he awoke, he was helped off the field, only to return in time to help the Raiders win. After the game, the Bears’ Walter Payton approached Snake as he was walking off the field, and then came one of those small but powerful moments that often go unnoticed. “YOU’RE SUCH A GREAT FIGHTER,” PAYTON TOLD SNAKE, “IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE ON THE SAME FIELD AS YOU.”
Perhaps the greatest accomplishment by the author Mike Freeman in this book is showing without a shadow of doubt… how much “The Snake” loved football. Whether he just got done studying his playbook by the light of a jukebox… whether he only had an hour of sleep… he was always ready to win on that football field. Two quotes from this book that I will highlight here… show the range of Stabler’s wit and true emotions…
One year the Raiders were in the Super Bowl that was played in Pasadena, California… during Super Bowl week… he (Stabler) paid a visit to the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and he said… “Just went to share a few thoughts about football with some of the librarians there!”
And… “A friend of Stabler’s once read him a quote from writer and social activist Jack London: “I would rather be a meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them, I shall use my time.”
“What does that mean to you?” Stabler was asked.
“He thought and contemplated. Seconds passed.”
………. “THROW DEEP,” He said.
To me… that says it all! Rest in peace… My Brother… thanks for all the Silver and Black memories.
Rick “SHAQ” Goldstein
*****************************************************************************
As a true Silver & Black Raider fan from their inception… and an original PSL season ticket holder upon their journey back to Oakland… I’ve seen and cheered them all on. But the one player… above… and…. beyond… them all… who I idolized on AND off the field… was the one… and only… the inimitable “Snake”! The coolest man on the field… even with seconds remaining… in game after game… and the outcome on the line… every Raider looked to… believed in… and followed… the now *LONG-OVER-DUE-HALL-OF-FAMER*… KEN “THE SNAKE” STABLER!... The Snake was also the coolest man in every bar in town… and I idolized him for that too!
Potential readers… who are reading this review… please believe me… that my feelings for “The Snake”… will not influence my review of the quality of the book. First let me point out that this is a short book… that if you take away the bibliography/sources pages is only 227 pages… and if you take away the three pages (two blank and one wasted with simply a small title) between each of the four “sub-book” dividers… and it’s even twelve pages less than that. There are about five pages (an estimate) telling about Stabler’s ancestry dating back to the 1600’s and 1700’s… that I thought would never end… and seemed like a hundred pages. Now that I got those two things out of the way… everything else is… UNBELIEVABLE!!
Being Kenny’s life and career is history… much of what is written… has been written before…. (and duly noted)… but interspersed… are many personal interviews and discussions directly with the author. The personal admiration for Stabler by the author… is not only informative… but to me highly admirable. In my opinion… it’s that very combination of history… and true heartbeat… that make *this-book-on-this-subject-at-this-time* even more impactful and enjoyable. Poor Kenny… and his lifelong fans… which include me AND the author. The author could be me or many other fans… that have stood at bars… at ballgames… in airports… at the Thanksgiving dinner table… and argued… and/or simply proclaimed… THAT KEN STABLER SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HALL OF FAME DECADES AGO!
The author covers all the bases including the saga of Stabler’s Father Slim… who did not come home from World War II… unscathed. In those days… there was no PTSD… you either had scars that you can see… missing appendages… or you didn’t get special care. Slim’s inner ticking time bomb… when mixed with alcohol.. affected the entire Stabler family for life. The author does a wonderful job extrapolating out… why “The Snake” became who he was… on and off the field. Kenny was a great high school baseball pitcher as well as a great football player. In fact Stabler was the only high school pitcher to ever beat future baseball Hall of Famer Don Sutton. “The Snake” struck out 16 batters in that game compared to Sutton’s 14. From there to the University of Alabama… and the special relationship… again… on and off the field… with the legendary Bear Bryant. There are some great heartfelt stories from that time period… and of course later on… there’s the special relationship with Hall of Fame Raider coach John Madden.
Of course no story of Stabler or the all-time classic Silver and Black teams that Stabler spearheaded… could leave out the literal all-time-all-time… classic… plays and games… such as THE HOLY ROLLER… THE GHOST TO THE POST… THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION… **OR AS MANY RAIDERS AND FANS CALL IT… “THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION”… but what true Raider… or simply true old-school football fans… will be impressed with… is among other things… that Stabler called his own plays… every player looked up to him… and would follow him to hell and back… that he was cooler and calmer than the coach with the game on the line. The utter respect that opposing players had for him is legendary… which has made it even more disdainful… that “The Snake” didn’t get into the Hall of Fame until after he died. After one game against the Bears in which… “he was picked up and tossed on his head. When he awoke, he was helped off the field, only to return in time to help the Raiders win. After the game, the Bears’ Walter Payton approached Snake as he was walking off the field, and then came one of those small but powerful moments that often go unnoticed. “YOU’RE SUCH A GREAT FIGHTER,” PAYTON TOLD SNAKE, “IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE ON THE SAME FIELD AS YOU.”
Perhaps the greatest accomplishment by the author Mike Freeman in this book is showing without a shadow of doubt… how much “The Snake” loved football. Whether he just got done studying his playbook by the light of a jukebox… whether he only had an hour of sleep… he was always ready to win on that football field. Two quotes from this book that I will highlight here… show the range of Stabler’s wit and true emotions…
One year the Raiders were in the Super Bowl that was played in Pasadena, California… during Super Bowl week… he (Stabler) paid a visit to the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and he said… “Just went to share a few thoughts about football with some of the librarians there!”
And… “A friend of Stabler’s once read him a quote from writer and social activist Jack London: “I would rather be a meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them, I shall use my time.”
“What does that mean to you?” Stabler was asked.
“He thought and contemplated. Seconds passed.”
………. “THROW DEEP,” He said.
To me… that says it all! Rest in peace… My Brother… thanks for all the Silver and Black memories.
Rick “SHAQ” Goldstein
November 17, 2016
The Story of The Most Infamous Outlaw in NFL History!
Great read, though honest, from an admirer of Kenny "the Snake" Stabler. As a Raiders fan thoroughly enjoyed this account of the most underrated superstar in NFL History! Highly recommend to understand not only those classic Raiders teams of the '70s, but also of football from a bygone era!
Great read, though honest, from an admirer of Kenny "the Snake" Stabler. As a Raiders fan thoroughly enjoyed this account of the most underrated superstar in NFL History! Highly recommend to understand not only those classic Raiders teams of the '70s, but also of football from a bygone era!
November 18, 2017
"Snake: The Legendary Life of Ken Stabler" by Mike Freeman is an interesting book that describes the exciting life of an NFL legend. This book shows the thrilling life of Ken Stabler who did many interesting things both on and off the field. He was unlike any quarterback of his time.
Ken Stabler is a famous quarter back who played for multiple teams in the NFL, with the Oakland Raiders being his team for the bulk of his career. He was known for his stellar performances on the field, and his ability to make big plays. Stabler was born on December 25, 1945 and grew up in Foley, Alabama. He played football in high school there, where he earned his nickname "The Snake" after he ran for a long, winding touchdown. He went to college at Alabama, where he was a back-up for his first two years. He was temporarily kicked off the team for partying and cutting class in his senior year, but he returned and finished his college career with a 28-3-2 record as a starter.
Ken Stabler was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 1968 Draft. He played the best games of his career here, where he led the Raiders to a Super Bowl win in 1977. Stabler was famous for his performance on the field, but he also was known for his risky life off the field chasing women. His exciting career ended when he retired in 1984. He threw for nearly 28,000 yards in his career.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football, and to anyone who likes sports in general. This book showed the unique life of a quarterback who showed his strength and determination throughout his entire career. This book was fairly easy to understand, and wasn't too long. I thought this book was good because it was exciting and it talked about a football player who was unique to all others.
Ken Stabler is a famous quarter back who played for multiple teams in the NFL, with the Oakland Raiders being his team for the bulk of his career. He was known for his stellar performances on the field, and his ability to make big plays. Stabler was born on December 25, 1945 and grew up in Foley, Alabama. He played football in high school there, where he earned his nickname "The Snake" after he ran for a long, winding touchdown. He went to college at Alabama, where he was a back-up for his first two years. He was temporarily kicked off the team for partying and cutting class in his senior year, but he returned and finished his college career with a 28-3-2 record as a starter.
Ken Stabler was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 1968 Draft. He played the best games of his career here, where he led the Raiders to a Super Bowl win in 1977. Stabler was famous for his performance on the field, but he also was known for his risky life off the field chasing women. His exciting career ended when he retired in 1984. He threw for nearly 28,000 yards in his career.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football, and to anyone who likes sports in general. This book showed the unique life of a quarterback who showed his strength and determination throughout his entire career. This book was fairly easy to understand, and wasn't too long. I thought this book was good because it was exciting and it talked about a football player who was unique to all others.
January 26, 2018
Another good book by Mike Freeman, this one on one of my favorite players of all time, Kenny "The Snake" Stabler, a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders in the 1970's. The portion of the book dedicated to Stabler's days as a Raider from 1972-1978 takes up a large portion of this 222 page book, which is what I wanted. The Immaculate Reception game, where he scored the go-ahead touchdown before Franco's td, the Sea of Hands game, the number of contests against the Steelers, the Ghost to the Post and of course, the Super Bowl win over the Vikings. My one problem with this book is it felt rushed. Maybe the author was trying to make sure he got the first book out of Stabler after he died? Anyways, the portion of the book on the 1977 Super Bowl is only about five pages. Really? Just five? Also in this book is info about his days growing up, days playing at Alabama and of course, his crazy adventures off the field. The author tries to make it clear that later in life Stabler was a very good father, so he dedicates a lot of the last quarter of the book to this, but even that felt a little incomplete. What was his thoughts about not making the NFL Hall of Fame (while he was still alive) and I remember him being an announcer for TNT Sunday Night Football games in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Did he enjoy it? What did he think of what the game had become? ONe case in which I wish the book was LONGER, maybe another 75 pages of info at least. That being said, Freeman is a very good writer and I've also enjoyed his books on Jim Brown and the undefeated Dolphins team. If you like the Raiders and Ken Stabler, you'll enjoy this quick read.
July 27, 2022
Before listening to this audio book I knew that Ken Stabler was on the Raiders and years ago I had seen him in car commercials on television and I knew he liked to have a good time in his playing days. Years ago I also read a biography of Bear Bryant and I am sure it talked about him though I don't remember what it said. I had forgotten that he played for Alabama.
I found the Snake audio book to be Fascinating. I learned that Ken in edition to football played baseball and basketball. He was even drafted by a professional baseball team. I also never knew that Ken did not like football when he was younger. But, when his dad offered him a car if he played football so he started playing football.
I also liked learning a little about Ken's parents. I had no idea Leroy Stabler died so young. He was only 47. And I also learned that Ken even in College liked to have a good time.
One thing that Surprised me was that he retired in I think 1968 from the Raiders and came back to them in 1969 or was it 1970. I had no idea he retired.
One thing that I admire about Ken is that he liked to get to know the players on the teams he played for. He seemed to care about people. And he seemed to be a great father.
Snake also talks a little about ken's marriages and problems with the IRS, and Al Davis. And there is plenty in the book about his football exploits and stores about partying. And it also talks about CTE. I did not know that ken had CTE.
I could go on and on about all the cool things I learned about Ken stabler from listening to Snake. I will sum up by saying listening to Snake was an entertaining way to spend a little over 6 and a half hours.
I found the Snake audio book to be Fascinating. I learned that Ken in edition to football played baseball and basketball. He was even drafted by a professional baseball team. I also never knew that Ken did not like football when he was younger. But, when his dad offered him a car if he played football so he started playing football.
I also liked learning a little about Ken's parents. I had no idea Leroy Stabler died so young. He was only 47. And I also learned that Ken even in College liked to have a good time.
One thing that Surprised me was that he retired in I think 1968 from the Raiders and came back to them in 1969 or was it 1970. I had no idea he retired.
One thing that I admire about Ken is that he liked to get to know the players on the teams he played for. He seemed to care about people. And he seemed to be a great father.
Snake also talks a little about ken's marriages and problems with the IRS, and Al Davis. And there is plenty in the book about his football exploits and stores about partying. And it also talks about CTE. I did not know that ken had CTE.
I could go on and on about all the cool things I learned about Ken stabler from listening to Snake. I will sum up by saying listening to Snake was an entertaining way to spend a little over 6 and a half hours.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
Maybe, as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I shouldn’t have picked up this book. But becoming a fan of that team during its heyday in the 70s means that I’m fascinated by many of the colourful characters of the NFL of that era. Kenny “Snake” Stabler is one of those characters. The reason for the two-star review is that this is basically a hagiography. Sure, Stabler was nowhere near a saint, but the praise Freeman heaps onto the Alabama native gets a little tiring at times. As does the way he jumps away from the linear narrative to tell a colourful story of some physical feat or arrest that marked Stabler’s life in another time period. I found that it was easy to lose track of exactly what part of Stabler’s life Freeman was writing about when he went off on these tangents. The page after page after page of sources listed prove that Freeman researched his subject thoroughly, but there was too much love and affection being heaped upon the QB and not enough professional distance. It makes me want to read Stabler’s own autobiography which, as Freeman repeatedly points out, Stabler regretted writing.
March 8, 2018
Ken “the snake” Stabler was a very good person on and off the field. After games he would sign everyone’s autographs even when his kids were there. Before games Ken would be drunk with little sleep but it didn’t matter because he was just so good. Whenever there was little time left Ken’s coaches knew he would lead them to victory. Ken grew up in Foley Alabama and stayed in home and went to Alabama University. Then he spent basically all of his career or the Raiders.
I really enjoyed this book I loved the 60’s,70’s, and 80’s Raiders, know everything about them and Ken was a very famous part of that in the 70’s. Learning more about one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time was awesome.
I recommend this book for people in High School up since there is a lot of language and inappropriate stuff. Still though it’s a great book to read and everyone who reads it will enjoy it!
I really enjoyed this book I loved the 60’s,70’s, and 80’s Raiders, know everything about them and Ken was a very famous part of that in the 70’s. Learning more about one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time was awesome.
I recommend this book for people in High School up since there is a lot of language and inappropriate stuff. Still though it’s a great book to read and everyone who reads it will enjoy it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2020
Ken Stabler has long been one of the more underappreciated quarterbacks in the history of football. Not just in suiting up for the Oakland Raiders but also for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Foley (Alabama) high school.
Stabler proved himself a high level competitor through his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team and later for those around himself. He entertained football through decisions made on and off of the field. In some cases, those decisions he would eventually regret for having created an image of himself that he did not feel was who he truly was.
Who he became, or really was, was a man who valued people, friends, family and strangers. He valued giving your best when it came to game time and he exemplified that with the relationship he forged both on and off of the field.
Stabler proved himself a high level competitor through his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team and later for those around himself. He entertained football through decisions made on and off of the field. In some cases, those decisions he would eventually regret for having created an image of himself that he did not feel was who he truly was.
Who he became, or really was, was a man who valued people, friends, family and strangers. He valued giving your best when it came to game time and he exemplified that with the relationship he forged both on and off of the field.
September 13, 2024
Well-documented biography of the Snake, from an established sport writer whose memoir here is a love-story over decades. It was a sad story and hard to read at points, but I appreciate the greatness of Kenny Stabler, probably the most underrated QB in NFL history. This book was a satisfactory telling of a complicated life story from Alabama to Oakland. I appreciate the constant comparison to the current NFL, when you think about the NFL of the 1970s, with its shady rules, lax protocol, and gruesome violence. It requires a conceptual acknowledgement, and this author complies accordingly. [I'm not trying to justify the 70s NFL culture] Stabler was a great guy and an awesome leader, and the lesson from the book is to not take oneself too seriously, but live the life you were meant to live; unfortunately, his drew up short, but flashed brightly. Football is famous in Foley. #throwitdeep
August 25, 2025
This is a solid bio of one of pro football's more interesting characters. The life of Ken Stabler was full of paradoxes, many of which are detailed here. The point of view is certainly friendly to the subject. Mr. Freeman maintains a solid pace, not bogging down in any particular period of time. If anything, it felt rushed in places. Snake's time in Houston and New Orleans didn't get a lot of attention, and even some of the season in the 1970s were covered in minimal detail. Though competently written, there were a few errors that I caught the first time through. However, most fans reading this book with know and not be tripped up by them. I found the last chapter, about CTE, both fascinating and troubling.
June 3, 2020
Snake, a very good read. A lot of author fan boy bias about how great he was, lets not forget, he cheated on his wives (a lot). But the book goes into detail about his youth and unimaginable fear he must have had under a father who brought the pain of war home with him and found that pain at the end of a bottle each night. At the end of the day, a snake will always do snakey things though and it was entertaining to read considering the professionalism of today's sporting icons. I would've loved to have watched him play though, I wonder how he'd go today?
I think well.
I think well.
December 10, 2022
Not your traditional athlete biography. Freeman concentrates on Ken Stabler himself and not so much what is around him. He describes the highlights of Stabler's life and his over-the-top lifestyle. After the read, Ken Stabler is more than Snake, he is a father, grandfather and philanthropist. He reviews the changes in his lifestyle as he got older and how he was taken from us just before being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He started out as the successor to The Mad Bomber and ended up an icon.
May 26, 2017
I am a fan of Ken Stabler and the Raiders. This book is disappointing because it is poorly written, very disjointed (jumping from time and stories in paragraphs), facts wrong, and lots of repeated information. Still it is a compelling story of a great quarterback and an era of NFL that has many good stories. The last part of the book on his life after football is interesting but seems very short on the time.
July 14, 2021
Good book but have to admit I knew so much about Kenny from following him since his days at Alabama that a lot was old news. I think the author went overboard trying to say good things to erase some of press Kenny has gotten. I really like Kenny as a player but don’t think he would be someone I would want my boys to emulate. You can’t always separate the good from the not so good. His problem from my view was that he never grew up.
February 13, 2024
First of all, I love football! I had heard of Kenny Stabler and was interested to read about him. I knew he played for the Raiders, and was awesome, which peaked my interest even more because these were the early Raiders. Rough and Ready!! This book was a look at the lifestyles of Kenny and other NFL players both on and off the field. It followed him thru his NFL years and after retirement. He lived the life. I'm glad I read it to be able to see the complete picture.
August 31, 2024
Putting my fandom of the Raiders aside, Snake is just an overall fascinating look into the mind of a man who takes life by the horns both on and off the field and how his greatest challenge actually comes after retiring from the game and becoming a family man. People talk about Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, but other than the fans Raider Nation it's very disappointing that many don't include Ken Stabler as among the greatest of all time both on and off the Gridiron.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2017
Ken Stabler's biography is an interesting book but needed more research. It did touch on his devotion to his family and life outside of football. There were some humorous stories and the book is worth reading. I did feel it was a little slow-moving in parts. I received a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways for a review.
November 24, 2016
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
My husband is an avid sports fan. When this book arrived, he grabbed it from my hands and sat right down to read it. Said it was a great story of a great football player ... high praise from a man who doesn't read much.
My husband is an avid sports fan. When this book arrived, he grabbed it from my hands and sat right down to read it. Said it was a great story of a great football player ... high praise from a man who doesn't read much.
February 18, 2017
I was a huge Raiders fan and Snake fan in the seventies as a kid. I was excited to read this but it seemed very disjointed. I feLt that it jumped around a lot. To bad because as athletes go Stabler's story should have been more compelling.
December 7, 2017
For such a colorful character, I thought Snake was more of a biography-by-the-numbers effort. There many amusing anecdotes, however. Wish the book was written with Dan Jenkins or Bud Shrake instead to liven Snake's story up a bit.
Read
December 3, 2021Amazingly good read of the true nature of Kenny and his family life. Not just football talk. Anyone who truly knows me knows, Kenny is my all time favorite QB and the last of his kind. A true leader on the field and off.
August 14, 2022
Read that after Ken Stabler passed and I got a got a great idea of who he was. Mike did a great job illustrating his strengths and faults, while also weaving in stories about the 1970s Raiders. A very fun read for any football fan.
May 19, 2024
I do find it fascinating that this is the fourth or fifth book I have read on the 1970s Raiders and each one has said something different about them. In terms of covering Kenny Stabler it's a good overview but there are better books out there if you want details.
January 22, 2019
A well written and well sourced biography. A quick read that's a good gift for your dad if he wants a book.
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