Mark Gastineau, the infamous New York Jets defensive end, still has a chip on his shoulder against Brett Favre and Michael Strahan. As part of the Jets’ so-called “New York Sack Exchange,” Gastineau previously held the single-season record of 22 sacks, but that was overcome by Strahan in the last game of the 2001 season when he sacked Favre in what some believe to be a very suspicious play. While Gastineau congratulated Strahan after the game, he has remained bitter at what happened.
Why is Mark Gastineau angry at Brett Favre and Michael Strahan?
Gastineau remains angry at Brett Favre and Michael Strahan over what he calls “a trash sack” in a statement to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
This response comes after a tense confrontation between Gastineau and Favre that appears in the ESPN documentary aptly called “The New York Sack Exchange” that will air on Friday, December 13, at 8 PM ET.
In the clip, Gastineau attends a 2023 memorabilia show in Chicago and accuses the Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer, saying “you fell down for him” and that he will “get my sack back.” He blames Favre for hurting him personally multiple times. Taking it a step further in another part of the documentary, he says that “anybody will tell you that Brett Favre took a dive.”
As to why Gastineau confronted Favre in the first place, he tells Crimini, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time — many, many years.” He then adds another person to his list, saying that he’s “only got one more guy to go to,” pointing his ire at Strahan.
That said, Strahan has shared the record of 22.5 sacks in a single season since Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt accomplished the feat in 2021.
Gastineau’s frustration at his lost record has been seen as a potential reason for why the two-time NFL sack leader has not yet entered the Hall of Fame, according to Yahoo’s Sean Leahy.
