I am quite biased when answering this poll. I thoroughly enjoyed Joe Kleckos' work ethic, offense lineman/ quarterbacks feared #73. While Gastineau was going after the QB every play, Klecko was the blood and guts of that line. Salaam and Lyons were no slouches either. While Gastineau brought exposure to the line, the other three were overshadowed powers. Klecko should be in HOF. I will answer favorable because I am a Jets fan, but not my type of player. I like the silent type that depict that they have been there before and do it all the time.
The Loss to the Brows is the most painful loss in my life as a sports fan. I can't forgive him for that.
Dominating the line while having one of the most flagrant mullets i've ever seen in my life. That thing is wild, how do you live that down.
I realize what you're syaing being the 70s and shi# but man does that sound queer... you know i have to tell you.. i would expect the same from my fellow brethren..
I voted favorable because to me the good far outweighed the bad. From 1979 until 1986 he was a vital part of a real good defense that lead the Jets to the playoffs four times in a six year span, seriously challenging for the Super Bowl twice. Maybe more, all of those teams were good. He brought energy and life to our defense and our home crowd and was a huge part of the Jets turning the corner from a bad team to a good team. After the late hit penalty in January 1987 it was all downhill. He crossed the picket line in 87 with his teammates egging his car, then quit in the middle of the season in 1988. He went out very badly, but again, overall if we had another Gastineau to come our way I would certainly take him. I think in recent years he's gotten his act together. I saw him outside a home game a year or two ago, he was signing autographs and having fun with Jet fans outside the stadium. When Favre and Strahan pulled that bullshit with the sack record, Gastineau was in the stadium and handled the whole thing with class--moreso than Favre or Strahan, actually.
He's in the bubble before home games all the time. Nice guy. I've taken pictures with him and he signed my kids stuff several times. Just because he was a bad guy when he was on coke I wouldn't close the book on him. Most people are bad guys when they do coke. I wouldn't discount his sacks as him being selfish either. Lots of guys have tried to get 20+ sacks in a season and not many have. The ones that have or came near that number are among the greatest players in NFL history.
Sorry. Unfavorable. Klecko really reamed him in his book...playing only for the sack no matter what the score of the game. Selfish player and a bad influence in the locker room. He did get 22 sacks in 1984, but it's kind of empty when the team as a whole goes 7-9. Selfish. Having said that, I can't deny his ability when he was in his prime, and I was glad he was on the Jets back then. But he turned invisible when he lost a step in 1986.
Gastineau was a great player. He had that one play that cost them the Cleveland game. Take that out of the equation and all the guy did was play hard and make Pro Bowls.
I love the revisionist history that happens when somebody doesn't like someone else's behavior. Just because Michael Jackson is a pedophile and crazy as a loon doesn't mean his music sucked. Similarly, Gastineau definitely had his issues, but on the field he was a ferocious pass rusher. That's what made that line so good - you had rushers and run-stoppers on it. They were a synergistic unit. But to diminish his skills now is silly.
He really could have been great, he had HOF potential..... I'll always remember him with the late hit on Kosar and then leaving imd season for Briggite Nielson regardless of what junc says.....
He and the Sack exchange brought us to the playoffs after a looooooong dry spell -- he brought respect and credibility to the franchise at the time -- he was one of my favorite Jets and my die hard status as a fan started in those days as well -- mucho favorable IMO
Can't forgive him for the late hit on Kosar in Cleveland in 86 or his abrupt retirement soon thereafter...Not to mention he's one of the first idiots to start that celebrating after a sack crap...Had his moments but not a huge fan of his at all.
