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.
While King’s opinion might be meaningless to the majority of Raider fans, his presence on the 48-member Hall of Fame selection committee is particularly concerning. As for his reasoning behind the snub, King believes Plunkett’s 8-2 playoff record and two Super Bowls are tainted by his lackluster years with the 49ers and Patriots.
“That’s because victories in Super Bowls, while being major factors on a player’s résumé (and, to some, the most important factor), are not the only factor determining Hall of Fame status,” King wrote in his weekly FMIA column. “If we gave credit to players for being good players but going to the wrong place and getting abused and playing for a loser, then Archie Manning would be a great candidate, and so many others who were very good and toiled on bad teams. Plunkett did some exemplary things as an NFL player, obviously. But he would not get my vote. The two titles do not outweigh the 52.5 percent accuracy, or never throwing for 3,000 yards in a season, and throwing 34 more interceptions than touchdowns.”
“Many have brought up Joe Namath’s case relative to Plunkett’s,” King continued. “Because Namath’s percentage was lousy, and he threw 47 more interceptions than touchdowns. But Namath was the first man ever to throw for 4,000 yards in a season—he did it in 1967, in a 14-game season, and no quarterback did it again till after the league moved to a 16-game season 11 years later. He choreographed the biggest and most meaningful upset in pro football history, the 16-3 Super Bowl win over the powerful Colts, when the AFL proved it could be the equal of the NFL. It’s certainly arguable whether Namath deserves a spot in the Hall, but I’d vote for him 10 times out of 10 because of his significance to pro football history and for engineering the AFL’s biggest victory.”
As of now, the only Raiders in the Hall of Fame that contributed to both of the team’s Super Bowls in the 80’s are Ted Hendricks and Ray Guy. Among those on the list that are still waiting: Plunkett, Lester Hayes, Cliff Branch, and head coach Tom Flores.
twitter: @raidersbeat
As an old guy myself I hate to say this but…..Peter King is getting too old. Year of bias and listening to his own voice and applauding it. Plunkett deserves to be in the hall as well as Tom Flores. The “Old Guard” of NFL Hall voting needs some fresh perspective. “I’ll never” is not a trait I want in a voter.
Well put!
I’ve never liked Peter King, now I hate the idiot. Not only won 2 SB’s he was hiestman trophy winner.& MVP of 1 SB. Talking about Namath engineering biggest AFL victory. Plunkett was 16 point underdogs against the Redskins and won the game by the largest margin of victory at that time. Peter is a DICK who hates the Raiders I see it al the time in his columns. Jim Plunkett should have been in the hall 10 years ago. He almost got killed every Sunday in New England with no offensive line and fresh out of collage. He wasn’t a 1st round draft choice for nothing. Peter must be senile to have forgot the things above. I just don’t know how these guys keep their jobs year after year with such little knowledge. JIM BELONGS!!!! Raider fan for over 50 years Raider Phil
I never said that put it in you King lover
Peter King was one of the major reasons Kenny Stabler took so long to get in.
Joe Namath, was hyped after they beat the Raiders and he had a great run ..but what really followed..Plunkett was the first latino qb , to not only
win 2 superboowls but a first Wild Card team in 1980! Jim Plunkett was crafty , savy and clutch in 2min.drill..Joey boy rested on his laurels, and still does. Plunkett even blocked , and ran when he needed to and exemplified great character..its not all stats ! Its about winning and he went out a winner and continued to win until he got hurt in LA against the Niners . Plunkett, Branch and Flores are HOF worthy. Its sad that an experienced sports writer like yourself cant see past the numbers..all 3 of those guys were the foundation of Oakland’s winning tradition , Pride & Poise , the Commitment to Excellence! I watched them win all 3 of those championships and latter of 2 was becuse of Plunkett..if he didnt win those it would be a knock on him right? Marino got there and lost, but he is in HOF! And rightfully so , competitive grear laeder and had fantastic numbers , but the never had the defense..well the Raiders had it all and the Will to Win was our mantra!Revaluate your thought process about numbers , and yes A.manning was good but not great,.
Griese rode on the coat tails his back up Errol Moral and then came in and took over..Jimmy P . took over for Pastorini who broke his leg against the SD Chargers , who came in tied and we went overtime.
The Patriots, were awful with no offensive line and the niners werent much better..What was Young &Testaverde in Tampa ..
You have severely misjudged and are completely wrong..in your opinion ..Jim Plunkett was “the diamond in the ruff ” the Cinderella story of 1980..Don’t forget about Rod Martin either another forty whiner cast off..consistently good solid savy LB who always was around the ball creating turnovers..the 66th Mob is alive and kicking..Great Players know when to be great ” Jim Plunkett always delivered! Canton is waiting! Remember, the Raiders ran the ball alot they didnt need to be pass happy idiots, we beat up people with Van Eghan, Babasak, Kenny King , Frank Hawkins , Bo and Marcus..its about the scoreboard and championships….Cliff Branch 40 catches and 1000 yards , who does that today. Maybe you dont like us but you cant deny our tradition ,our graet players and our philosophy..we take what we want , we dictate on the field..I guess you can vote either way..but The Oakland Raiders are a part of AFL and NFL history and our Legacy will continue ..
JP. Should be on the HOF period.
King is a devout Raider hater and has been for decades. It gets him attention that he wouldn’t get trying to espouse a legitimate thought or opinion. True sports fans know that not only should Jim Plunkett be in the HOF by now for his football career, which is common knowledge to real sports fans, from the beating he took with the Patriots to the glory of a Super Bowl Champion MVP, to the human interest story behind Jim Plunkett, raised by parents of Yaqui Indian and Asian dissent, BOTH BLIND!! It seems the only illegitimate aspect of this story is “Peter King”.