I don't know if I would have been pissed, but I am a little surprised none of them have discussed the play over the years (if they haven't). If it was a laydown, they most likely would have been instructed to let Strahan through.
At the time, none of them had much to say publicly. Bubba Franks was the man Strahan beat on his way to Favre, and said that he just didn't know what happened- all he knew was that it was a called run, so he run-blocked his man, and next thing he knew Strahan was blowing past him like a freight train and Favre was rolling out. That's as far he'd go.
Post-game, Mark Tauscher was a little more blunt, sayimng, "I'm just going to say it's disappointing. I'm not going to get into anything else. It's disappointing." Tauscher, the right guard, did a tremendous job helping shut down Strahan until that point, and I think he was the man Strahan beat.
Most of the O-line kept their mouths shut about it for over 20 years, but Tauscher finally opened up a month ago in response to the video appearing in the ESPN show. His choice of words was still lukewarm, but he said that none of them liked it - he said they all worked really hard that day to keep Strahan out of the backfield, because they didn't want to be remembered as the line that gave up the record, and were very proud to have done their job. Said it was important to them; a matter of professional pride, and he said "there was some funny business going on there."
Favre looks a little fearful for his life for a minute there in that video.
No kidding. Gastineau looked like a ****ing crazy man there. I think Brett was just shocked; he smiled, tried to shake his hand, and said something friendly to break the ice, and this 6'5", 300-lb Gastineau just started shouting at him, threatening him, and pointing his finger at him. Brett was cllearly taken completely by surprise.
I think Favre was just shocked that a quarter century later, the guy was coming up to him and physically threatening him. That's just crazy-man behavior. At his age, his weight, and with his health history, he needs to manage his temper a little better, or he's going to stroke out.
Apparently Gastineau thinks losing the record kept him out of the HOF.
The only thing keeping Gastineau out of the Hall of Fame is Gastineau.
People can't stand that guy; even his teammates never liked him. He was a selfish, arrogant prima donna and a one-trick pony - even the other 3 guys on his D-line (the New York Sack Exchange) say that he was the most selfish player they ever played with, that the only thing he was there to do was sack quarterbacks and he couldn't care less about tackling running backs, that he was a stat ***** who put himself and his image ahead of the team at every opportunity. Even his linemate Marty Lyons said, "he was the best athlete I ever met, and the most selfish player."
Guys like that who are even close to borderline in numbers are the least likely to get voted into the HOF. In fact, off the top of my head, I would have a pretty hard time thinking of anyone more deeply disliked than Gastineau who has been voted into the HOF. I'm sure there must be some, but like I say, off the top of my head, I can't think of one.
That said, if I had a vore I'd vote for him. I think he has earned that, despite being a roidmonster *****. But the guys who knew him best, and actually have votes, feel otherwise. So be it.
**** Gastineau. The fact that he's still literally
raging over this 20+ years later is nothing short of pathetic. "I'm gonna get my sack back!!!" He probably rehearsed that line all night long the day before. Grow up, move on, and lose some ****ing weight for god's sake. You look like Porky the Pig after just getting shoved to the side at the feeding trough.
