Michael Strahan may not admit it, but he probably hasn’t had many Saturdays better than this one.
First, he was elected into the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility, and hours later, he received an apology from Warren Sapp, his longtime nemesis, after a week of taking shots at one another through the media.
On Sunday on the NFL Network’s Super Bowl pre-game show, Sapp said he saw Strahan at the NFL Honors event at Radio City Music Hall Saturday night and asked him for forgiveness.
“I saw Michael Strahan last night on my way going to [see] Derrick Brooks,” Sapp said, referring to his former Buccaneers teammate who was also elected to the Hall of Fame on Saturday. “I walked up to him, I grabbed him and hugged him and wouldn’t let him go. I said please forgive me.
“I said, ‘Dumb Lex Luthor came to the city of Gotham and pulled Superman’s cape. How foolish could I have been, my man? Please forgive me.’ ”
Strahan didn’t meet with the media on Saturday because of a prior engagement, so it’s unclear whether he accepted Strahan’s apology.
Strahan and Brooks were joined in this year’s Hall of Fame class by Bills wide receiver Andre Reed, Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones, Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams and senior members, punter Ray Guy and defensive end Claude Humphrey.
The two former star defensive linemen made more noise than any of the Broncos or Seahawks this week, sniping at each other as they often did in their playing days. On Tuesday, the loud-mouthed Sapp told reporters Strahan didn’t deserve to make the Hall of Fame, echoing comments he made after he was elected into Canton over the summer.
“When you stack it up, he only has four straight Pro Bowls and a mythical sack record that y’all still walk around like it’s something to be praised,” Sapp said. “I mean y’all have got to get off your high horse in New York and speak about the real. And when you really measure him up, he comes up short.”
Strahan shot back, calling Sapp a “coward” and a “sheep,” and sarcastically saying Sapp was right.
“I am, I’m all hype,” Strahan said. “I lasted 15 years, all hype. I had 141½ career sacks, all hype. I was always a starter. I played left end, and that made me get sacks. My coaches kept putting me in the game because they felt it gave us the best chance to win, and that was all hype.”
Sapp then went on Jim Rome Show on CBS Sports Radio and challenged Strahan, saying: “Pick the spot and I’ll come see you and you can have a dose of it.”
Saturday night he backtracked, offering an apology. He also promised to be Canton this summer for Strahan’s induction.
“If he tells the story any different that, he’s lying to you, America, because I sure did apologize,” Sapp said Sunday. “I’m going to beg for forgiveness because there’s a party in Canton, and I promise you, I’m not going to miss it.”