Gastineau Faces Off with Favre Over Infamous ‘Dive’ in Record-Breaking Sack Scandal!
Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted NFL legend Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show, accusing the Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately falling during a controversial play in 2002. The intense exchange is featured in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary The New York Sack Exchange, which chronicles the Jets’ dominant defensive […]
Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted NFL legend Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show, accusing the Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately falling during a controversial play in 2002. The intense exchange is featured in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary The New York Sack Exchange, which chronicles the Jets’ dominant defensive line of the 1980s.
The Record-Breaking Play
Gastineau set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984. However, Michael Strahan surpassed that mark in 2002 when he recorded 22.5 sacks during a game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. The record-setting play has long been criticized, with many alleging that Favre purposely went down, allowing Strahan to break the record.
The documentary reveals Gastineau’s lingering resentment. At a memorabilia event in Chicago, Gastineau approached Favre, initiating what started as a polite encounter but quickly escalated.
“Yeah, right, when you fell down for him,” Gastineau said to Favre. “I’m going to get my sack back, dude.”
Favre attempted to defuse the situation, joking, “You probably would hurt me.”
Gastineau, visibly emotional, responded, “Well, I don’t care. You hurt me! You really hurt me, Brett.”
The tense encounter ended when Favre was escorted away from the area.
Favre’s Response
After clips of the exchange went viral on social media, Favre took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain the infamous play and clear up misconceptions.
“I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there, and ducked down,” Favre posted. “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.”
Favre clarified that helping Strahan set the record wasn’t premeditated. “In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL (tackle for loss),” he wrote.
He acknowledged that while the play looked suspicious, there was no malice involved. “Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time.”
Financial and Legacy Implications
Gastineau has long contended that the play hurt his legacy, possibly affecting his chances of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his social media post, Favre expressed newfound sympathy for Gastineau’s perspective.
“I see now how being the Sack King would elevate his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame, and increase his demand as a public speaker,” Favre reflected. “I had no way of knowing that then.”
He emphasized that he holds no ill will toward Gastineau. “It was a private moment of frustration between two old football warriors,” Favre said. “I have a great deal of respect for Mark and hope he joins me in Canton someday.”
Looking Ahead
Favre concluded his statement with praise for Gastineau’s contributions to football. “Mark definitely left an indelible mark on the game. He belongs in Canton.”
The documentary The New York Sack Exchange premieres Friday on ESPN, promising deeper insights into the iconic defensive line and the legacy-defining controversies surrounding one of the NFL’s most hotly debated records.
