“I by no means might persuade anybody … that I used to be something greater than a loopy Jets fan caught within the Eighties wanting to do that movie.”
Some males dream of strolling on the moon, constructing a Fortune 500 firm, or starring in a Hollywood blockbuster.
James Weiner had a extra esoteric aspiration: He wished to direct a movie concerning the famed line of defense of the Eighties New York Jets — “The New York Sack Trade.”
Weiner is an award-winning senior producer for NFL Movies with “The Brady 6” and “SEC Storied: Saturday Evening Lights” amongst his credit, however rising up within the Eighties in Port Washington, New York, a 20-minute drive from Shea Stadium, his lifelong skilled ardour was to direct a movie concerning the formidable line of defense of the Eighties Jets that featured Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau.
“I’ve been attempting to do that movie for at the very least 20 years,” Weiner stated. “However I by no means might persuade anybody.”
The dream was deferred however not unrealized. Weiner and co-director Ken Rodgers (who has been profiled on this website earlier than and is the director of many terrific NFL documentaries, together with “Belichick & Saban: The Artwork of Teaching,” “The Two Payments” and “4 Falls of Buffalo”) have produced a breezy and charming have a look at probably the most talked-about defensive items within the historical past of the NFL.
“The New York Sack Trade” premieres on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and can be out there to stream on ESPN+ following its linear premiere. The movie is narrated by musician, actor and lifelong Jets fan Methodology Man.
Weiner stated he met with Gastineau and his household in 2013 to take the temperature of doing a movie remedy on the Sack Trade, however the assembly went nowhere. The venture seemed lifeless till the autumn of 2022, when Weiner took a motorbike experience to Rodgers’ dwelling, and the 2 mentioned initiatives that they all the time wished to do. Rodgers, in an encouraging mode, informed Weiner that no good concept by no means dies.
Then got here a information catalyst: Klecko getting into the Corridor of Fame in 2023. Lastly, an enormous break. Final 12 months, Rodgers was giving Marsha Cooke, the vice chairman and government producer of ESPN Movies and 30 for 30, a tour of NFL Movies, and the 2 bought to speaking about Joe Namath. Cooke, who began in her present function in 2021, stated she was a born-and-bred Jets fan from the Bronx. Rodgers pitched her through the tour a couple of documentary on the New York Sack Trade, and Cooke liked it. The filmmakers later made a extra formal pitch, and finally, ESPN Movies was in.
“Joe Klecko moving into the Corridor of Fame modified issues,” Rodgers stated. “Our first shoot with the collective group was on the Corridor of Fame. We adopted Joe behind the scenes and had all of them wired throughout his speech and backstage. I’m undecided any of the 4 of them would have essentially wished a movie made about simply them. They wished a movie concerning the Sack Trade. I believe Mark understood as soon as Joe bought into the Corridor of Fame that that was considerably of a validation for his personal profession, although as you see within the movie he wonders if he’ll ever get in.”
As soon as they bought the go-ahead from ESPN Movies, they wanted to interview Salaam due to his declining well being — he died in early October at age 71. The filmmakers knew they needed to shoot the quartet on the New York Inventory Trade, replicating the well-known picture of the foursome (seen atop this story) after they posed in uniform on the ground of the monetary hub. So, as a part of the making of the movie, they employed a personal automobile to drive Salaam 10 hours from his dwelling in Cincinnati to New York Metropolis in April 2024.
Gastineau is the central determine of the documentary and stays an exhausting determine, although compelling too. The filmmakers, to their credit score, don’t sugarcoat Gastineau’s profession, his choices and the way infuriating his conduct was for his teammates. You’ll not often see somebody on movie extra unsparing a couple of teammate as Lyons is about Gastineau. Additionally they spotlight the place Gastineau was forward of his time (his sack dance at the moment is quaint in comparison with some celebrations).
The New York Jets’ Mark Gastineau (99) was identified for his flamboyance after making defensive performs. (T.G. Higgins / Getty Photos)
“There’s empathy there for Mark’s arguments, if not for him,” Weiner stated. “His arguments have some actual benefit and allowed us to current them as he argued them.”
(The Athletic’s Dan Pompei wrote a terrific profile of Gastineau final June that’s price studying when you missed it.)
“I used to be all the time interested in this venture that James had such ardour for, due to the disagreements these 4 guys had collectively,” Rodgers stated. “Again within the day, it was Klecko and Gastineau disagreeing, and now it’s extra Lyons and Gastineau. I really feel just like the query the movie asks is: ‘Do you need to get together with others so as to be nice collectively?’ They have been nice collectively, there’s little question. However you’ll be able to ask the query: In the event that they bought alongside higher, might they’ve reached even higher heights? I don’t know the reply to that. However the theme of the movie finally ends up being about forgiveness and accepting.”
Probably the most exceptional second of the movie — and it’ll doubtless go viral when it comes out — was footage the producers procured of Gastineau final fall going as much as longtime NFL quarterback Brett Favre at a memorabilia present in Chicago and laying right into a bewildered-looking Favre about letting New York Giants defensive finish Michael Strahan break Gastineau’s 1984 single-season sack document of twenty-two (Strahan holds the present document with 22.5 on a gifted sack from Favre in 2001). The footage has by no means aired publicly.
“It’s the real-time second of the movie, and it has by no means been seen earlier than,” Rodgers stated. “We came upon that they have been going to be collectively at a card present in Chicago signing autographs, although Abdul ended up not making it. Our aim was to simply seize the three of them collectively. After we bought there, Mark was discussing with Klecko and Lyons the truth that Brett Favre was there and the way he’s lastly going to go speak to him as a result of he had by no means had an opportunity to confront him. We have been following Mark and when it occurred, and it’s as real because it appears. He was 100% expressing that damage. I believe Farve was 100% bewildered on the response and the vehemence of it.
“It bought severe in a short time,” Rodgers continued. “Everybody within the room realized it was severe. I don’t know that there was a thought that they might come to blows, however there was true emotion. It actually does nonetheless stick to Mark. He feels it’s an unfair breaking of his document. I believe if he have been in charge anyone, he would possibly blame the NFL for letting it occur second to Favre first. I don’t need to converse for him, however I believe he feels robbed by that second.”
GO DEEPER
Mark Gastineau does not want your consideration anymore
(Prime picture: Ronald C. Modra / Getty Photos)