Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre is one of the greatest players at his position in the history of the NFL. There is, after all, a reason he is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, both his playing career and life in retirement have not been without controversy.
Of course, Favre’s alleged involvement in the Mississippi Welfare Scandal has dominated headlines for years now. While many fans have abandoned their admiration for the three-time NFL MVP because of these allegations, it is important to note that he has not been indicted, charged, or convicted of any crimes.
There is one person, though, who has a strong dislike for Favre for an entirely different reason.
Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Brett Favre Received a Tongue-Lashing from Mark Gastineau
In the final game of the 2001 season, Favre made a controversial move at the line of scrimmage and appeared to slide to the ground right in front of New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. The now Pro Football Hall of Fame pass rusher was credited for a sack on the play, giving him 22.5 for the season, which broke Mark Gastineau’s single-season record of 22.
In a recent viral video from an upcoming 30 for 30 documentary entitled “The New York Sack Exchange,” Gastineau is recorded heavily criticizing Favre to his face at a recent autograph signing event:
22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play.
Catch the latest @30for30, ‘The New York Sack Exchange,’ on ESPN and ESPN+ starting Dec. 13. pic.twitter.com/Oz5KRwVcy7
— ESPN (@espn) December 10, 2024
“I’m going to get my sack back. I’m going to get my sack back, dude,” Gastineau said to Favre.
In response, Favre said, “You’d probably hurt me.”
“Well I don’t care!” Gastineau snapped back. “You hurt me. You hurt me. You hear me? You really hurt me. You really hurt me, Brett.”
The documentary will be available for streaming on ESPN+ this Friday, December 13.
Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Brett Favre Responds to the Viral Video Clip
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Favre responded to the viral video with the following message:
“I want to clear the air on the footage released showing a small dustup between myself and Mark Gastineau, the former New York Jet.
“Back in 2002, when Michael Strahan sacked me at the end of a game that we had wrapped up, I was in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau. I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game.
“I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down. The game was over. There was no need 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 a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL. But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time. I just wanted to have fun and compete. In retrospect, I understand how Gastineau feels. We played a brutal game. Gastineau played during an era where guys didn’t make generational wealth.
“I see now how being the Sack King would elevate his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame, increase his demand as a public speaker. I had no way of knowing that then. I realize now the potential financial implications because football is far more business-oriented than when me or Mark played.
“There was no malice on my part. Mark was a great player. My understanding is he’s a great guy and a fun teammate, a guy who played with the kind of joy and passion I tried to mimic. I understand his frustration, but I’m not his enemy. A while back, he saw me at a card show and got his frustration off his chest. It’s not the kind of moment that should be filmed and released. It was a private moment of frustration between two old football warriors.
“I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame. He earned it. Look at his numbers. He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year!
“Mark definitely left an indelible mark on the game. I hope this controversy brings attention to just how great Mark Gastineau was. He belongs in Canton.”
It will be interesting what views are presented in the documentary because it does not seem like many people are buying Favre’s story that he was making a football play.
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