George Lopez Says Flores and Plunkett Should Be in Hall of Fame

Comedian George Lopez recently gave his opinion on  Oakland Raiders Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett still not being members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One of the oldest debates that has plagued the Oakland Raiders an is the denial of quarterback Jim Plunkett and former head coach Tom Flores into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Recently, outspoken comedian George Lopez gave his two cents on why both of these Raiders legends deserve a nod at Canton, and presented a strong case in doing so.

"“Well, in the ‘70s I used to watch a lot of football on NBC, and they used to show the Steelers and the Raiders, a lot of Raiders games, from George Blanda, to Daryle Lamonica, and those guys, and they always were tough guys,” said Lopez. “You see the emblem, and whoever doesn’t love that emblem is crazy. Even though the Rams were here, the Rams to me were not – I never went to any Rams games. I liked them, but it wasn’t like seeing the Raiders play. They were bad dudes.”"

Lopez grew up during what many agree was the “Golden Age” of the Raiders; the 70’s and 80’s. In fact, the same appeal that hooked Lopez is the same mystique that defines Raider Nation; a “Nation” that believes Plunkett and Flores have been snubbed.

Making The Case

"“Aside from being Jim Plunkett and Tom Flores, the Hall of Fame is supposed to be for the best players, and those players who achieved the highest in the game – world championships,” Lopez explained.“You lose four Super Bowls and that means more than winning two Super Bowls,” Lopez posited. “What about Marv Levy? If you take Marv Levy, and you take Jim Kelly, and you put them up against Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett, and you put their credentials there, there might be more passing yards, but to me, and to everyone in sports, and everybody that’s ever played sports, it’s about winning. Both of those guys won, and those other guys lost, and they’re both in the Hall of Fame, so I hope it’s not as blatantly biased as it seems.”"

While it’s unfair to compare different era’s and organizations, it’s always been clear that Flores and Plunkett have the numbers on their side. Flores is the second most-winning coach in the Raiders organization behind John Madden, while Plunkett helped lead the team to two Super Bowl victories after being thrust into the starting role both times; a fighter who came up big, to say the least.

Flores’ case for enshrinement is even more convincing, as he coached the team to two Super Bowl victories. Additionally, he compiled an impressive record with the Raiders of 83 wins and whopping .610 winning percentage, according to PFR.com.

Cultural Impact

Aside from on-field results, Lopez commented on the cultural impact and significance that Flores and Plunkett had, particularly on the Latino communities.

"“Everybody has their team, they live and die with their team, but as much as you want to say whatever about football, and the team, to the growing population of Latinos, like myself, and my nephews, that watch these guys play, it would mean everything,” Lopez explained. “They should be in there, and kids that don’t know that are from other generations, would know, because when you study the history of the game of football, those names should be right there.”"

Plunkett was of Native American background and Flores was the first Hispanic quarterback and head coach in the NFL; both men breaking barriers for future generations and deserve recognition for doing so.

Raider Nation can only hope that both of these men will be enshrined while they’re alive and can enjoy their moment. unlike Ken Stabler, who unfortunately was posthumously added to the Hall of Fame.

The entire story can be found at the Raiders official website.