Jets legend Mark Gastineau is still fired up about Michael Strahan surpassing his sack record almost two decades ago.
Strahan currently holds the record for most sacks in a season with 22.5, just half a sack more than Gastineau's 22, which he set in 1984 with Gang Green.
The play that gave Strahan the sack record wasn't your typical sack on a quarterback. Then-Packers quarterback Brett Favre slid in front of a pursuing Strahan before he could be tackled, which gave Strahan a sack on the official stat sheet.
That's not a real sack, according to Gastinaeu.
"You wouldn't want your son getting a record like that," Gastineau said in an interview with ESPN. "I don't think it's good for the NFL. It was never good for the NFL, and I'm surprised the NFL didn't step in."
Gastineau, who ESPN's Rich Cimini reported also has been battling colon cancer, has been pondering his legacy and was inspired by Pete Rose's own battle for reinstatement.
Strahan has dealt with backlash for how he obtained the sack record, even though it wasn't his fault that Favre decided to slide on the play. In his episode of "A Football Life," Strahan said, "The sack record is great, absolutely phenomenal, but I almost feel like in a sense it was diminished because everyone goes, 'Oh, Brett Favre gave you a sack.' "
Jared Allen and Justin Houston matched Gastineau's mark of 22 sacks in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Hopefully someone eventually gets 23 sacks in a season so this issue can be put to rest.
