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

by Greg Prato

“If you’re one of those fans who stepped on the Jets bandwagon for the Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez years, here’s the story of an earlier, wild and woolly era.” —New York Post (“Required Reading” selection)   Comprised of all-new, exclusive interviews with Jets players, head coaches, and those closest to the organization, Sack Exchange is not only an eye-opening account of the Jets from this time, but also of the National Football League as a whole.   The New York Sack Exchange was the nickname given to the New York Jets defensive line of the early 1980s, consisting of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam.   Examined are such topics as the beginning of the Jets-Dolphins rivalry, the controversial firing of head coach Walt Michaels and hiring of Joe Walton, the team’s relationships behind the scenes, the emergence of Joe Klecko, the rise and fall of Mark Gastineau, steroid use among the Jets and in the NFL, the legendary Shea Stadium as well as never-before-heard stories and insight into the legacy of Joe Namath.  “Greg paints a picture where you feel like you’re right in the locker room with these guys . . . or hanging out with them back in the day in the NYC clubs during the Koch era. There is not a single true Jets fan on the planet that shouldn't own this book.” —Keith Roth, The Electric Ballroom Radio Show  “A great read and info from those days and it sure was interesting to see what all everyone had to say . . . Your book really brought back some great and wonderful memories.” —Chuck Ramsey, Former New York Jets Punter

Genres: Sports, Football

440 pages, Kindle Edition

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.