Brett Favre took the high road after his relationship with former Jets great Mark Gastineau was featured in the trailer for the upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “New York Sack Exchange.”
The video posted Tuesday shows the former Packers criticizing him for not being inducted into the Hall of Fame, facing off against Favre in 2023, and claiming the QB made a “dive” that allowed Giants star Michael Strahan to break his 2002 sack record. Gastineau appeared. , which Gastineau once held.
Favre responded to a series of posts on X Tuesday night sympathizing with Gastineau’s frustration and arguing that the former Jets sack master should be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
In a camera showdown filmed at the Chicago Sports Spectacular, Gastineau told Favre about the sack that allowed Strahan to surpass Gastineau’s record of 22 sacks, which he set in 1984: “You hurt me.” “I put it on,” he said.
“In a different game or situation, I would have done more to avoid getting fired. [tackle for loss]. But I never intended to hurt Gastineau,” Favre wrote. “It occurred to me that maybe I wanted to help Strahan. I didn’t think much about it. That wasn’t my strong suit at the time. I just wanted to have fun and compete. Looking back, I understand how Gastineau felt. We played a cruel game. Gastineau played in an era when men did not earn generational wealth.”
In another post, Favre said he understood where Gastineau’s frustration came from, explaining that being the sack king would have given Gastineau more monetary value in card shows, speeches and Hall of Fame inductions.
“I have great respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame. He got it. Look at his numbers. He surpassed 20 sacks twice and had 19 the next year!” Favre later wrote to X to support Gastineau’s claims. “Mark has certainly left an indelible mark on the game. I hope this controversy brings attention to how great Mark Gastineau is. He belongs to Canton.”
“It’s not a moment that should be filmed and released,” Fabre said of the footage included in the upcoming documentary, adding, “It’s a private moment of frustration.”
“My understanding is that he is a great person, a fun teammate and someone who played with the same joy and passion that I tried to emulate. “I understand his frustration, but I am not his enemy,” Favre said.
30 for 30 premieres Friday at 8 PM ET.
