Sapp takes his shots at Strahan

The Bucs tackle argues that the sack record shouldn't count.

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 7, 2002

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The Bucs haven't played a preseason game, but Warren Sapp continues to take aim at the NFL sack record of Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.

Sapp called Strahan's record-breaking sack of Packers quarterback Brett Favre last season "a travesty," because it came on a running play intended to set a new league mark of 22-1/2 sacks.

"It's supposed to be for the league, and the worst part about it is they dragged (former NFL sack record holder Mark) Gastineau to watch this travesty," Sapp said. "They made him walk onto the field and congratulate this man. That's the worst part about it, is that the league was into it. Come on. They make judgment calls all the time. The tuck and duck, the this and that or whatever it is. Come on. Call Mike Sherman. Mike Sherman called Belly-weak (the name of the play). It's not a sack."

Sapp drew Strahan's ire this week after he said an asterisk should be placed next to the sack record set Jan. 6 when the Giants Pro Bowl player fell on Favre after a naked (no blockers) bootleg with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter of a 35-24 victory by Green Bay.

Strahan responded by calling Sapp "a jackass" and saying Sapp quit in Tampa Bay's wildcard playoff loss at Philadelphia.

"The man ran four bootlegs to you naked," Sapp said. "Nobody blocking you, and you can't get him on the ground. But you're going to take the last one, and now you are going to call me a jackass? Thank you brother, thank you.

"This is not a debate. This is a man that wants something given to him, and they gave it to him. So have it. Run with it."

But Sapp took nothing from Strahan's season in 2001.

"Unbelievable. Unbelievable," Sapp said. "He played like a man, but he has to admit (the) last one doesn't count. That's the only thing. I'll give you the 21 1/2 because you went and got those. I mean, I've never said anything about the 21 1/2 (sacks). That's why I watched the game. I knew Favre would give him a chance to get it if he could get it.

"That's why it hurt so much. It was my boy (Favre) giving it up. The hardest quarterback to put on the ground."

When asked what would happen if Favre ran four naked bootlegs against the Bucs, Sapp said, "Oh, he's going down. Four-for-four, four-for-four, four-for-four."

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