Press Democrat Sportswriter Bob Padecky Tells His Remarkable Kenny Stabler Story
Our speaker for Thursday, November 18, 2021, was the amazing Bob Padecky, sportswriter extraordinaire for the Press Democrat. Bob has been writing a sports column for the PD since 1987. He’s won a ton of national, state, and local awards. He moved to California from Florida in 1976, worked for the Sacramento Bee and others, and found his way to the PD. He’s been entertaining Bay Area sports fans ever since. Bob was asked to talk about his most memorable experience writing about an athlete. Bob did not disappoint!
Bob told about his interactions with former Raiders quarterback and renowned bad-boy, Kenny Stabler (aka "the Snake"), while attempting to interview Stabler for an article in 1979. Bob was at the Sugar Bowl in 1979 for the Super Bowl and made an appointment to meet with Stabler in nearby Gulf Shores, Alabama, near Stabler’s hometown. When Bob arrived at the airport in Gulf Shores, Stabler refused to be interviewed. Stabler, however, called Bob several weeks later and set up a new “exclusive” interview in Gulf Shores. That’s where the story gets weird! Bob and Stabler met in Stabler’s bar, Lefty’s, but Stabler refused to discuss anything of importance, and ultimately disappeared. Bob finally gave up and went to his car, where he was promptly surrounded by local police department cruisers. The police found cocaine in Bob’s rental car. He was arrested, handcuffed, taken to the jail, stripped searched, and interviewed. He was ultimately told his life was in danger and escorted to the airport. He was told that the “Sinkhole Gang”, a notorious cocaine smuggling crew, was looking for him. He laid low with friends in Florida. Sometime later when Bob was traveling to visit a friend in Phoenix, his friend was called by someone who told him to tell Bob that he should never come back to Alabama and that he’d “never leave.”
Bob did not change his attitude towards Stabler over the years. Despite many threats, including death threats and bricks thrown through his window, presumably from Stabler’s fans or friends, Bob continued to tell his story about Stabler to national sports publications. He was even offered the chance to sell the story to Michael Douglas Production Company. All Bob had to do was write the story and let the professionals make a film about it. John Belushi would play Bob! Bob ultimately declined because he believed the story would never be told in film the way it actually happened.
Bob also found ways to show Stabler that he would not be intimidated. At a press conference Stabler told Bob to “Duck you.” Bob got his “subtle revenge” at Stabler by showing up next to Stabler at press conferences all season long. He could see Stabler’s hands clenching but, of course, Stabler could do nothing while the cameras and a gaggle of sportswriters were focused on him.
Bob is an amazing storyteller and undoubtedly could regale us about sports figures for hours. One thing that struck me, however, was Bob’s take on the National Football League and its hold over American life. He said: “When you own a day of the week you can do whatever you want.” Well said, Bob! And thank you for taking the time to entertain and inform us!
