The New York Sack Exchange was a Glimmer of Hope in Jets’ Lore

The 1970s were a tough decade for the New York Jets. After winning the Super Bowl in 1969, they quickly became the laughing stock in the NFL, unable to post a single winning season throughout the decade.

But in 1981, four promising young defensive lineman changed everything. Mark Gastineau, Adbul Salaam, Marty Lyons and Joe Klecko became such a prolific force on the Jets defense that they earned the moniker ‘The New York Sack Exchange’.

These players are the subject of the newest ESPN 30 for 30 Film 'The New York Sack Exchange' which debuted last Friday, and is available right now on ESPN +.

Today Rich Cimini, a Jets beat reporter for ESPN, and a lifelong Long Islander, gives host David Dennis Jr. the inside scoop on the New York Sack Exchange. He describes the interpersonal tension that brewed alongside their incredible success on the field, and explores a legacy that persists to this day.

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