Twenty-three years ago, Packers quarterback Brett Favre took a dive to give Giants defensive end Michael Strahan the single-season sack record. Everybody knows it.
Everybody including Mark Gastineau.
The former Jets pass rusher, who held the record before Favre handed it to Strahan, still holds a grudge about the moment. The proof appears in the upcoming 30 for 30 documentary on the New York Sack Exchange.
Last year, Gastineau and Favre interacted at a memorabilia show. It starts when Favre approaches Gastineau in a friendly, unsuspecting manner. Gastineau was not friendly.
Favre tells Gastineau he thinks they’ve met once before.
“Yeah, right -- [when you fell down for him](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/42893100/documentary-show-tense-mark-gastineau-brett-favre-rift-23),” Gastineau says, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I’m going to get my sack back. I’m going to get my sack back, dude.”
Favre thinks that means Gastineau is going to sack Favre.
“You probably would hurt me,” Favre says.
“Well, I don’t care,” Gastineau says. “You hurt me. You hurt me! You hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you,” Favre says.
“You really hurt me,” Gastineau says. “You really hurt me, Brett.”
Favre didn’t do it to hurt Gastineau. Favre was doing Strahan a favor. Gastineau is also upset with the man who benefited from the phony sack.
He thinks Strahan and Favre conspired. Gastineau plans to let Strahan hear about it, at some point.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time -- many, many years,” Gastineau told ESPN.com. “I’ve only got one more guy to go to.”
T.J. Watt has since tied the all-time record of 22.5. Which means that, as far as anyone should be concerned, Watt holds the record alone.