‘You hurt me!’ – Michael Strahan dragged into bitter 20-year-old controversy as Jets great accuses Brett Favre of faking NFL history
Michael Strahan set a new NFL record more than two decades ago. He’s still paying the price in 2024, despite now being the co-owner of the historic mark and 17 years having passed since Strahan played in his last football game. GettyMichael Strahan has found himself back in the middle of an old controversy[/caption] Footage from an upcoming ESPN documentary was teased showing Mark Gastineau angrily confronting Brett Favre at a memorabilia show. Favre, a Hall of Famer and Green Bay Packers legend, attempts to greet Gastineau. But the former New York Jets defensive end instead confronts Favre, accusing him of collaborating with Strahan to allow the then-New York Giants defender to break the NFL record for sacks in season. It quickly became a messy situation and was made even more complicated by the fact that Gastineau was “miked up by a camera crew, which was following him,” according to an ESPN story. “You hurt me,” Gastineau tells Favre. “You hurt me!” “I hear you,” Favre said. “You really hurt me,” Gastineau said. “You really hurt me, Brett.” Gastineau, who made five Pro Bowls while playing for the Jets from 1979-88, set the NFL sack record at 22 in 1984. Strahan established a new record of 22.5 at the end of the 2021 season. He had a clear shot at Favre when the Giant was on the verge of breaking Gastineau’s mark. x@espnBrett Favre was angrily confronted at a memorabilia signing by Mark Gastineau[/caption] x@espnStrahan was taking down Favre either way in 2021[/caption] x@espnThe sack gave him the new NFL record[/caption] x@espnGastineau initially was a big Strahan fan when the Giant broke the Jet’s record[/caption] But when the QB went down early, some believed that Favre helped Strahan set the record. Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt tied Strahan’s 22.5 mark in 2021. Fans alternated between sympathy and shock watching Gastineau confront Favre, with many saying it was time to “let it go.” “Strahan was about to eat Favre for lunch,” one fan tweeted. “He didn’t have time to throw.” “22 years is a long time to hold on to this,” a second fan posted. “What in life has Mark missed hyper focusing on this?” “This is the softest thing I’ve ever seen,” a third fan wrote. “Good lord, Mark, he would have sacked him regardless, hence why they count those,” a fourth fan said. Making the confrontation even odder, Favre played for the Jets in 2008. The Hall of Fame QB took to social media to explain his version of Strahan’s record. “I want to clear the air on the footage released showing a small dustup between myself and Mark Gastineau,” Favre tweeted. “Back in 2002, when Michael Strahan sacked me at the end of a game that we had wrapped up, I was in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau. “I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game. “In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL. “But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time. “I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame. “He earned it. Look at his numbers. “He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year!” talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
Michael Strahan set a new NFL record more than two decades ago.
He’s still paying the price in 2024, despite now being the co-owner of the historic mark and 17 years having passed since Strahan played in his last football game.
Footage from an upcoming ESPN documentary was teased showing Mark Gastineau angrily confronting Brett Favre at a memorabilia show.
Favre, a Hall of Famer and Green Bay Packers legend, attempts to greet Gastineau.
But the former New York Jets defensive end instead confronts Favre, accusing him of collaborating with Strahan to allow the then-New York Giants defender to break the NFL record for sacks in season.
It quickly became a messy situation and was made even more complicated by the fact that Gastineau was “miked up by a camera crew, which was following him,” according to an ESPN story.
“You hurt me,” Gastineau tells Favre. “You hurt me!”
“I hear you,” Favre said.
“You really hurt me,” Gastineau said. “You really hurt me, Brett.”
Gastineau, who made five Pro Bowls while playing for the Jets from 1979-88, set the NFL sack record at 22 in 1984.
Strahan established a new record of 22.5 at the end of the 2021 season.
He had a clear shot at Favre when the Giant was on the verge of breaking Gastineau’s mark.
But when the QB went down early, some believed that Favre helped Strahan set the record.
Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt tied Strahan’s 22.5 mark in 2021.
Fans alternated between sympathy and shock watching Gastineau confront Favre, with many saying it was time to “let it go.”
“Strahan was about to eat Favre for lunch,” one fan tweeted. “He didn’t have time to throw.”
“22 years is a long time to hold on to this,” a second fan posted. “What in life has Mark missed hyper focusing on this?”
“This is the softest thing I’ve ever seen,” a third fan wrote.
“Good lord, Mark, he would have sacked him regardless, hence why they count those,” a fourth fan said.
Making the confrontation even odder, Favre played for the Jets in 2008.
The Hall of Fame QB took to social media to explain his version of Strahan’s record.
“I want to clear the air on the footage released showing a small dustup between myself and Mark Gastineau,” Favre tweeted.
“Back in 2002, when Michael Strahan sacked me at the end of a game that we had wrapped up, I was in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau.
“I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game.
“In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL.
“But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time.
“I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame.
“He earned it. Look at his numbers.
“He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year!”
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
