Independent football history
Remember the game.
Understand the story.
Thirty original guides to Ken Stabler, football eras, positions, statistics and the archives that help us understand the game.
Start here · Career & context
Start with a career.
Follow the evidence.
Separate the draft, playing seasons and later recognition.
Read the guide
Football eras
Read a football rulebook as a historical source
Statistics & context
Understand what passer rating includes
Career & context
5 articlesCareer & context
Read Ken Stabler’s career as a timeline
Separate the draft, playing seasons and later recognition.
Read the articleCareer & context
The years between a draft pick and a starting job
A selection date does not explain an entire development period.
Read the articleCareer & context
Place the 1974 MVP award in its season
An award is a milestone, not a substitute for the whole year.
Read the articleCareer & context
Follow Stabler’s career beyond Oakland
A later chapter deserves its own context.
Read the articleCareer & context
Understand Hall of Fame recognition in 2016
Playing history and later commemoration have different dates.
Read the articleFootball eras
5 articlesFootball eras
Read a football rulebook as a historical source
A rule needs the edition that was in force.
Read the articleFootball eras
Why 1978 belongs in a passing-era comparison
Rule context can change the question a statistic answers.
Read the articleFootball eras
Keep postseason formats attached to their years
A playoff label may describe different paths.
Read the articleFootball eras
Separate season years from calendar dates
A championship can belong to one season and occur in another year.
Read the articlePositions & formations
5 articlesPositions & formations
Find the quarterback before interpreting the play
Alignment is a starting point for watching.
Read the articlePositions & formations
Read running-back and fullback alignments
A position label does not describe every assignment.
Read the articlePositions & formations
Recognise receivers and tight ends in context
Starting position is evidence, not the whole story.
Read the articlePositions & formations
Watch the offensive line as a unit
A wide view can reveal relationships a highlight misses.
Read the articlePositions & formations
Describe a defensive formation carefully
A familiar shape is not a confirmed coverage call.
Read the articleStatistics & context
5 articlesStatistics & context
Understand what passer rating includes
A defined formula still leaves questions outside its scope.
Read the articleStatistics & context
Check how a passing leader was defined
The label can outlive the method behind it.
Read the articleStatistics & context
Keep attempts beside passing percentages
A rate needs its opportunity count.
Read the articleStatistics & context
Separate a season table from career totals
The scope of a number belongs in its label.
Read the articleStatistics & context
Make an era comparison reproducible
Readers should be able to follow your choices.
Read the articleFilm & memory
5 articlesFilm & memory
Make a viewing note before a tactical judgment
Describe the clip so another reader can find it.
Read the articleFilm & memory
Watch beyond the highlight when context is available
A selected moment is part of a larger game.
Read the articleFilm & memory
Read a caption alongside the image
Archive text and visible evidence should be checked together.
Read the articleFilm & memory
Treat a coach’s recollection as an attributed source
A memory can be valuable without becoming a measurement.
Read the articleFilm & memory
Keep archive access separate from reuse permission
A public reference is not automatically a publishable asset.
Read the articleArchives & sources
5 articlesArchives & sources
Preserve the original in a football-photo collection
A display copy can protect a historical object from repeated handling.
Read the articleArchives & sources
Name digital files so the collection can be understood
A useful filename works alongside a description.
Read the articleArchives & sources
Keep copies in separate places and check them
A collection needs a practical continuity plan.
Read the articleArchives & sources
Document disagreement between biographies
An unresolved difference should remain visible.
Read the articleArchives & sources
Build a source inventory for a football article
A reader should be able to trace the important claims.
Read the articleA considered approach.
Independent football-history journal. Not affiliated with Ken Stabler’s estate, the NFL or its teams. Original generated editorial illustrations.