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Pro Football Hall of Fame explains why Ken Stabler doesn't get ring or gold jacket

frank schwab
Senior writer

Ken Stabler finally got a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. He was voted in about seven weeks after he died, but at least he and his family got the recognition.

What they didn’t get was a ring or a gold jacket, like all the other Hall of Famers.

The snub was publicized when Stabler’s daughter, Kendra Stabler Moyes, discussed it on Twitter.

Stabler Moyes’ tweets sparked outrage from people who couldn’t understand why the Hall of Fame wouldn’t present a ring to the family of a deceased player. Included in the outrage was current Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio.

It’s reminiscent of when the Pro Football Hall of Fame wouldn’t let the daughter of popular and deceased linebacker Junior Seau give a formal speech. The Hall of Fame’s response then, and about the Stabler controversy, was basically, “Rules are rules.”

“(E)very living Hall of Fame member receives a Hall of Fame Gold Jacket and a Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence to wear as symbols of his personal Hall of Fame achievement,” Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan said in an email. “The Hall of Fame has never presented either of these two personal items posthumously. The Hall of Fame does present to the family of a posthumously elected Hall of Famer, the Gold Hall of Fame Crest that is featured on the Hall of Fame Gold Jacket. This is done during Enshrinement Week at the Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner when the other Class members are presented their Gold Jackets.”

The argument that the Hall of Fame doesn’t want family members fighting over who gets a deceased player’s ring or gold jacket is valid, but it still seems like there could be a solution other than not giving any out. It’s tough enough emotionally for the family of a recently deceased player to go through Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend, they shouldn’t also feel like they’re being excluded from things like the traditional speech or the gold jacket the other inductees get. There should be some flexibility involved.

But if there’s a small consolation for Stabler Moyes and her family members, the outpouring of outrage over the ring snub proved one thing again: Stabler will forever be one of the NFL’s most popular all-time greats.

Ken Stabler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, but didn't get a ring or jacket (AP)
Ken Stabler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, but didn’t get a ring or jacket. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!