Mark Gastineau Confronts Brett Favre Over Controversial Sack in Heated Exchange
It’s been over two decades since Mark Gastineau’s NFL single-season sack record was broken, but the former New York Jets star is still fuming. In a dramatic and uncomfortable confrontation caught on video, Gastineau accused Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre of deliberately taking a dive to help New York Giants legend Michael Strahan break his record. The tense moment is featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “The New York Sack Exchange,” which premieres Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
The confrontation took place last year at a memorabilia show in Chicago, where Gastineau and two of his former Jets teammates from the iconic “Sack Exchange” defensive line—Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons—were in attendance. The trio approached Favre, who was seated at a table signing autographs, and things quickly escalated. What started as a handshake turned into a heated exchange that left Favre visibly bewildered and Gastineau seething.
“I’m Going to Get My Sack Back”
As the two shook hands, Favre casually mentioned that they had met before. That’s when Gastineau dropped the bombshell. “Yeah, right—when you fell down for him,” Gastineau said, referring to Strahan’s record-breaking sack in the final game of the 2001 season. “I’m going to get my sack back. I’m going to get my sack back, dude.”
Favre, clearly caught off guard, responded, “You probably would hurt me.” But Gastineau wasn’t backing down. “Well, I don’t care,” he shot back, pointing at Favre. “You hurt me. You hurt me! You hear me?”
Favre, trying to defuse the situation, replied, “Yeah, I hear you.” But Gastineau doubled down. “You really hurt me,” he said. “You really hurt me, Brett.”
At that point, one of Favre’s handlers stepped in and escorted him away, leaving Gastineau standing alone, still fuming. The entire exchange was captured by a camera crew following Gastineau for the documentary, and the footage is as uncomfortable as it is compelling.
The Sack That Sparked Controversy
Gastineau’s anger stems from the final game of the 2001 season, when Strahan broke his single-season sack record. Gastineau had held the record since 1984 with 22 sacks, but Strahan surpassed it with 22.5. The problem? Many believe Favre intentionally went down to give Strahan the record. The play has been debated for years, with critics accusing Favre of taking a dive.
Gastineau was in attendance that day and initially congratulated Strahan. But in a 2020 interview with ESPN, he revealed his true feelings, calling the sack “a trash sack.” He reiterated that sentiment in the documentary, saying, “Anybody will tell you that Brett Favre took a dive.”
Why Gastineau Confronted Favre
In a phone interview, Gastineau explained why he decided to confront Favre after all these years. “I wanted to let him know it was a trash sack,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time—many, many years.”
Gastineau also hinted that he’s not done yet. “I’ve only got one more guy to go to,” he said, referring to Strahan, whom he believes conspired with Favre on the record-breaking play.
Lyons, who witnessed the confrontation, said he tried to talk Gastineau out of it. “I said, ‘Mark, let it go, just let it go. That happened years ago,’” Lyons recalled. “But he had this little crazed look in his eye.”
Later that day, Gastineau’s wife, Jo Ann, returned to Favre’s table to apologize on her husband’s behalf. She told Favre that Gastineau “didn’t mean anything by it.”
The Fallout for Strahan
Strahan, for his part, has also faced criticism over the record-breaking sack. In the 2013 NFL Network documentary “A Football Life,” he admitted that the controversy has tainted the achievement. “The sack record is great, absolutely phenomenal, but I almost feel like in a sense it was diminished because everyone goes, ‘Oh, Brett Favre gave you a sack,’” Strahan said. “I caught so much flak over it. … It’s not worth it, because everyone looks as if one sack that they question is the defining moment of my career.”
Strahan is no longer the sole holder of the record. In 2021, Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt tied the mark with 22.5 sacks, adding another layer to the record’s complicated history.
The Legacy of the Sack Exchange
The 30 for 30 documentary doesn’t just focus on the Favre confrontation. It also chronicles the rise and fall of the Jets’ “Sack Exchange” and the complex relationships between its members—Gastineau, Klecko, Lyons, and the late Abdul Salaam. Gastineau, who was one of the most polarizing players of his era, collected 54.5 sacks between 1983 and 1985, cementing his place in NFL history.
Whether you side with Gastineau, Strahan, or Favre, one thing is clear: the debate over the sack record isn’t going away anytime soon. And thanks to this documentary, it’s about to get a whole lot more attention.
Originally Written by: Rich Cimini
