Jets great Mark Gastineau is suing ESPN over its promotion and airing of a clip of the famed “Sack Exchange” member confronting Brett Favre in 2023 at the Chicago Sports Spectacular as part of the “30 For 30: The New York Sack Exchange” documentary.
The now-viral moment showed Gastineau angrily confronting the ex-QB for “taking a dive” back in 2002, when Giants great Michael Strahan broke Gastineau’s single-season sack record.
Gastineau, who is seeking $25 million in damages in the suit, contends he was portrayed “maliciously false” in the clip.?
Gastineau claimed in the lawsuit, viewed by The Post, that the encounter with Favre had been included by ESPN “without his consent or permission” and because of his inaccurate portrayal he “has been attacked on social media with ridicule, scorn and contempt.”
Gastineau’s lawyer, Christopher J. Cassar, reiterated that point to The Post.
“They will be held accountable for their malicious conduct and pay for misrepresentation of Mark. The Defendant intentionally damaged Mark’s reputation for ratings for ESPN and we intend to hold them accountable,” Cassar wrote in an email.
The former Jet, who was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor in 2012, said in the suit that ESPN “intentionally and maliciously did not publish” a key part of the encounter with Favre.
“During this private encounter November 18, 2023 between Mark Gastineau and Brett Favre, Gastineau was visibly upset and emotional with Favre; however both Mark Gastineau and Brett Favre shook hands at the commencement of this conversation,” the lawsuit states.
The edited clip that was featured in both the promotion of the “30 For 30: The New York Sack Exchange” and the actual documentary, showed the particularly icy encounter with Favre attempting to shake Gastineau’s hand when he first approached him.?
A visibly upset Gastineau told Favre “you hurt me” repeatedly while confronting him and the scene ends with a handler trying to redirect the Packers great away from the situation.
ESPN had no comment when reached by The Post.
According to Cassar, Gastineau had not been aware that the encounter had been filmed or used in any promotion or the final cut of the film.
Gastineau also claimed that he signed onto the doc in January 2024 and as part of the agreement he had approval for any changes that were to be made.?
Favre defended Gastineau following the release of the clip and on a post on X understood where the Jets great had been coming from.
Favre described the confrontation as “not the kind of moment that should be filmed and released” and labeled it a “private moment of frustration.”
