Gone Fishing

Before I hang out the “Gone Fishing” sign for the weekend (we’ll be grilling red meat the parking lot but seafood on the field), I am inspired to remember the greatest moment in Raiders-Dolphins history: The Sea of Hands.

With 4:54 left in this 1974 playoff game, with the Raiders down by five points, Ken Stabler threw a strike to Fred Biletnikoff, followed by a 72-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch. Alas, the Raiders allowed Bob Griese to march the fish down the field for their own score. Stabler then led the Raiders back down the field, to the eight yard line. With 24 seconds remaining, Stabler remained cool amid a ferocious pass rush. With a defender pulling him down, Stabler found his target. Clarence Davis outmuscled three Miami defenders for the winning score amid a “sea of hands.”

In the words of the Oakland Raiders: “The crowd went wild, completely raving wild. Couples kissed for the first time in years. People pounded on their Coliseum neighbors. It was a scene out of a movie script that would probably be rejected as ‘too far-fetched.’ But this was reality. This was pro football at its best. This was Raiders football -- great players, great coaches, great plays and great games.”