Mark Gastineau confronts Brett Favre over Michael Strahan’s firing record: ‘You fell in love with him’

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre went

The clip was released Tuesday by ESPN ahead of the Friday premiere of its 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange” about the Jets’ famed early 1980s defensive line that included Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.

The footage, taken at a 2023 memorial event in Chicago where Favre signed autographs, shows Gastineau accusing Favre of intentionally taking a sack in 2001 that allowed New York Giants star Michael Strahan to hit Gastineau breaking the long-standing sack record in a single season.

“I understand his frustration, but I am not his enemy,” Favre wrote of Gastineau. “A while ago he saw me at a card show and let out his frustration. This is not the kind of moment that should be filmed and released. It was a private moment of frustration between two old football warriors.”

At the convention, Gastineau was miked and filmed by a camera crew for the documentary. Favre didn’t seem to know what was going to happen at the start of their conversation.

Gastineau: “Finally met. …”

Favre: “I thought we met a long time ago. At least I saw you.”

Gastineau: “Yeah, right… when you fell in love with him. I’ll get my sack back. I’ll get my sack back, dude.

Read more: Favre says Strahan’s firing was legitimate

Favre: “You would probably hurt me.”

Gastineau: “Well, I don’t care. You hurt me. You hurt me. Do you hear me?”

Favre: “Yes, I understand you.”

Gastineau: “You really hurt me. You hurt me, Brett.”

At that point, one of Favre’s handlers came and led him back to the signing table. Favre appeared stunned but remained calm during the engagement.

According to ESPN, Gastineau didn’t know Favre would be at the event until he arrived. Lyons was also there and tried to dissuade Gastineau from confronting Favre, and that Gastineau’s wife, Jo Ann, later returned to Favre’s table and apologized for her husband, ESPN wrote.

“I wanted to let him know it was a trash bag,” Gastineau told ESPN in a phone interview that was not included in the video clip. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time – many, many years.”

He also indicated that he still wants to confront Strahan about the matter.

The Times could not reach Gastineau for comment. ESPN declined to comment for this article.

Gastineau, a colon cancer survivor, said in a 2017 interview that he had been diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Favre announced his own Parkinson’s diagnosis earlier this year.

Read more: Brett Favre testifies at a welfare fraud hearing that he has Parkinson’s disease

Gastineau played all ten of his NFL seasons with the Jets from 1979 to 1988 and led the league in sacks twice. He had 19 sacks in 1983 and 22 in 1984, the latter number standing as an NFL record for more than a decade.

In the penultimate game of the 2001 season, Strahan recorded 3½ sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles, increasing his total to 21½. The Giants’ last game was on January 6, 2002 against Favre and Green Bay. The Packers had the ball and were leading 34-24 with less than three minutes left when Favre dropped a pass back from his own 42 points.

Strahan got into the backfield and Favre went down – seemingly without a fight – giving the Giants defensive end a record 22.5 sacks. Twenty seasons later, TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers tied Strahan’s record.

“When Michael Strahan fired me in 2002 at the end of a game we were finishing, I did not mean to hurt Mark Gastineau in any way,” Favre wrote on X. “I was trying to finish a game and squeeze. “ the last bit of fun from a hard-fought game.

“I got out of a run because I thought it was wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked. The game was over. There was no reason for me to do anything spectacular. It probably wasn’t Michael’s best sack or tackle for loss.”

“In a different game or situation, I would have made greater efforts to avoid the sack or TFL. But at no point did I think about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it occurred to me to help Strahan. I didn’t think about it.” That wasn’t my strong point at the time. I just wanted to have fun and compete.

Read more: Michael Strahan says he didn’t protest during the national anthem. “I love the military”

Strahan and Favre were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Gastineau was never a semifinalist.

“Looking back, I understand how Gastineau feels,” Favre wrote. “We played a brutal game. Gastineau was set in a time when men did not achieve generational wealth. I now see how the role of Sack King would increase his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame and increase his demand as a public speaker.

“I couldn’t have imagined that at the time. Today I realize the potential financial impact because football is far more business-oriented than when I or Mark played. There was no ill intention on my part.”

Favre added: “I have great respect for Mark. I hope he joins me in the Hall of Fame one day. I hope this controversy brings attention to how great Mark Gastineau was. He belongs to Canton.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.