Mark Gastineau Confronts Brett Favre Over Decades-Old Grudge in New ESPN Documentary

A tense and dramatic confrontation between former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau and Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is set to be featured in the upcoming ESPN 30-for-30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange.” The documentary, which premieres on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+, captures a heated exchange between Gastineau and Favre at a memorabilia show in Chicago last year.

Gastineau, who has harbored a grudge against Favre for over two decades, accused Favre of deliberately taking a sack in the final game of the 2001 season. This sack allowed former New York Giants star Michael Strahan to break Gastineau’s single-season sack record, which had stood since 1984. Gastineau held the record with 22 sacks until Strahan broke it with 22.5 sacks, a feat many believe was facilitated by Favre’s intentional fall.

The confrontation was intense, with Gastineau approaching Favre at his autograph table and expressing his long-held anger. “You hurt me. You hurt me You hear me?” Gastineau said, to which Favre responded, “Yeah, I hear you.” The exchange ended with Favre being escorted away by one of his handlers, leaving Gastineau visibly upset and mic’d up by a camera crew.

Gastineau’s teammates from the Jets’ “Sack Exchange,” including Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons, were present at the event. Lyons attempted to dissuade Gastineau from confronting Favre, but Gastineau was resolute in his desire to address the issue. Later, Gastineau’s wife, Jo Ann, returned to Favre’s table to apologize and smooth over the situation.

The documentary also delves into the complex relationships within the “Sack Exchange” and the impact of this record on both Gastineau and Strahan. Strahan has previously expressed that the controversy surrounding the sack has diminished the value of his record, stating that many question whether Favre took a dive to allow him to break the record.