I thought he was a jerk and an embarrassment to the team. It's not good to have a player like that if you don't win.
He was an 80's version of Conseco or even worse TO. It makes me want to puke when he is mentioned in the same breath as Klecko. Klecko is the epitome of professional while Gastineau is the polar opposite. F-him!:smile:
The was a nutter, but was also a great player and my personal favourite from the time I first started supporting the Jets in the early 80's Having some personality is better than having none at all at least it gives the puplic and press something to talk about. Go back to the early mid nineties when we didnt really have any personalities at all on the roster to talk about. At least everyone has heard of Mark Gastineau that are into NFL. Its the same in soccer over here I support Liverpool who at present have no real personalities in their team, most famous player is Steven Gerrard who is as boring as they come (great player just no personality) I'd prefer to have people to love or hate not just be there to give me no opinion of them.
I am definitely unfavorable. True, the guy was quite good on the field, but at times the show boating did get us in trouble and cost us dearly. I generally do not favor prima donnas, and Gastineau was one, hands down. The guy was a locker room A hole. He was a "It's all about me" type of player. There was never any team in Gastineeau. He also was not too bright in the cranial department. He left football for a blonde dyke. Stopping anything you are doing for a woman is just stupid because they seldom ever appreciate it; I mean like never appreciate it. He later got into drugs and blew all his money and has been seen on public TV a mere shadow of his former self. What goes around comes around. If this poll were about Klecko or Lyons I would be much more in support.
Yeah and Strahan doing a gay ass Subway commercial is much more respectable.... MORE MEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, this totally sums it all up. With you 100%. On the Namath incident. Namath would not be Namath if he didn't do that. That is just his way. He has a style. That is the style that epitomized him as Broadway Joe. Look at the SB last year. Everyone comes out stiff and Namath has a lining in his coat with The New York Jets on it that I will never forget in terms of the memory. Susie Kobler is just another example of a woman jerk broadcaster. If she had any class, brains, and understanding she would have been able to play off of Joe's candor and made the moment pretty cool. Instead she has to make this sexual harassment bullshit out of it. Namath was just having fun; she is a dick.
As a kid I loved him but growing up and hearing what his teammates had to say about him and finding out what really happened in 1988 I have an unfavorable opinion of him.
Ah my sons NYJ most exciting player. While he was not a team player he was valuable when teamed with JK but his goal in life was sacks so it was so easy to push him to the outside then run inside of him. Cause he was a some what dominant player even though he would not defend the run I guess he gets a luke warm favorable rating. MY son would vote MOST FAVORABLE BTW.
I, too, became a fan of the JETS because of the Sack Exchange! I had a huge poster of Mark on my wall, and enjoyed his on field play. The four of them rocked! I will have to go and read that book of Klecko's, in hindsite I can see how the others may have not appreciated his selfishness, but they still made a heck of a line. I saw Klecko recently on a pre game broadcast, looked good and I am hoping to see him in the HOF soon!
Gastineau, despite his dancantics, was on track for the Hall of Fame, with over a hundred sacks and the single season sack record (22) until GapTooth and Past Due conspired to break the record. Unfortunately, immaturity cost Mark and us, this honor. Still an exciting presence. And, he did not lose the game vs. the Browns...Joe Walton went conservative and Pat "Overrated" Leahy choked it away.
I also look at him favorable, I won't go into all the points because many have already been covered here. Just a note on the Brigitte Nielson "retirement". Mark had been busted for steroids just a few days before that happened. It was going to break in the newspapers in a day or two and he was going to be suspended. Instead of putting up with that aggravation he decided to retire. Her supposed illness was just an excuse for him. Doesn't make it right/wrong just pointing out some facts for others to make up their own minds...
This sums up my feelings exactly. I voted favorable, but it's probably 55/45. I have no trouble believing that his teammates hated him, and in large part for good reason (although Klecko and Lyons have both acknowledged that they resented all the attention he got, and that's jealousy and their problem, not his), and he was far from a complete player, but there have been very few Jets through the years who were dominant in any aspect of the game, and he was. I kind of assumed that the point of this thread was that there were such good reasons with Gastineau to vote either way. I would hope that a similar poll for Klecko or Lyons or Salaam would be pointless - anyone who did not have a favorable opinion of any of them is IMO clueless.
Dominating player who cheated, didn't defend the run and had a totally phony record that has more to do with when they started keeping the stat than who really holds the record. He ain't Deacon Jones. Thumbs down.
I was, and am, a big fan. He could change a game and he could get the crowd fired up. I'm sure its true his teammates hated him. I think he crossed the line during one of the strikes.
favorable BECAUSE of that...his daughter is pretty hot...and he was a great player...sack dance like a mothaaaa
I never got to see him play. I wasn't a thought in my parents mind at the time :lol: I do know he was apart of the Sack Exchange, and we all know that was history. If I remember correctly, my dad got his autograph when we went to TC a few years back at Hofstra. (I may be wrong though) Either way, he was there. I remember seeing him, and the guy is big. This guy next to me, who had to be drunk, was yelling "Mark! Mark! Remember me!" and just started rambling on and on, asking security if he could get on the field. Of course they said no. Whole point is, I wish I was able to see him and the rest of the Sack Exchange play.
tough topic for me folks cause i have knowm him for years on a personal level..... he was definitely a very misunderstood chap while playing, getting mixed up in certain social issues that i will leave up for speculation.....none of which would harm anyone xcept maybe himself. a good guy, thru and thru, and its an absolute shame his career wasn't more productive. He definitely would have been up there with the bruce smiths, michael strahan, etc etc. havn't talked to him in a few months but in case you all were wondering he was a darksider and is now presently coming around, much like myself. jil
NEGATIVE he`s a friggen quitter, up and left us in the middle of the season for that ho of a girl friend Brigette (sp.?) He was having a hell of a season something like 7 sacks in 7 or 8 games,then decided the ho`s fake cancer scare was more important then the team.It was always about him not the team!
