Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets

by Greg Prato

J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!
Comprised of exclusive interviews with Jets players, coaches, and other figures surrounding the organization,  Sack   The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets  is an   eye-opening account of a memorable era in one team's history, which also takes a step back and looks at the state of the National Football League as a whole during the 1980s.
From the events that shaped the 1980s Jets, such as the legacy of Joe Namath, to their multiple playoff appearances during the decade, each triumph and disappointment is chronicled and supplemented with insider information. Other highlights include examinations of the beginning of the Jets' rivalry with the Miami Dolphins; the controversial firing of head coach Walt Michaels; the defensive line, given the nickname "The New York Sack Exchange" and steroid use by certain players and throughout the NFL.
Featured are original interviews with Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Wesley Walker, Al Toon, Ken O'Brien, Richard Todd, Pat Leahy, Walt Michaels, and Joe Walton, among many others.

Genres: Sports, Football

438 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets,' 'Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets,' 'Dynasty: The Oral History of the New York Islanders, 1972-1984,' and 'The Faith No More & Mr. Bungle Companion.'

Reviews

[Jon Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching the ESPN doc on The Sack Exchange, I wanted more, so I got Prato's book. It didn't disappoint. It's chock full of great info and wonderful anecdotes on the 80s Jets. Highly recommend for Jets Nation and football fans in general.

[Scott Passner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book and finished looking for more information. I started watching the Jets in 1986 and was intrigued by this era in Jets history. There were some interesting tidbits but many were repeated by different sources. Average read but the topic had potential to be so much more.

[Ian Hardouin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some inaccuracies, but this provides a detailed account of the franchise from the mid 70s to the end of the 80s.

[Mark Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast fun must read for Jets fans of the late 70's and 80's teams. I really enjoyed it.