Mark Gastineau sues ESPN for $25 million over Brett Favre clip

ESPN's latest 30 for 30 has sparked a $25 million lawsuit.

The documentary focusing on The New York Sack Exchange included a clip of a 2023 interaction between former Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau and former Packers (and Jets and Vikings) quarterback Brett Favre. Gastineau blames Favre for giving the single-season sack record to former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan by going rogue with a rollout and a dive late in the 2001 season.

Via Christian Arnold of the New York Post, Gastineau has sued ESPN for an allegedly malicious and false portrayal. He seeks $25 million in damages.

“They will be held accountable for their malicious conduct and pay for misrepresentation of Mark," his lawyer, Christopher J. Cassar, told the Post. "The Defendant intentionally damaged Mark’s reputation for ratings for ESPN and we intend to hold them accountable."

The lawsuit alleges that ESPN “intentionally and maliciously did not publish” a key part of the meeting between Gastineau and Favre. The clip shows Favre extending his hand to Gastineau, but it never shows Gastineau shaking it. The lawsuit contends that they did shake hands.

Gastineau also claims that the clip of his interaction with Favre was used "without his consent or permission,“ and that Gastineau "has been attacked on social media with ridicule, scorn and contempt" because of the inaccurate portrayal.

ESPN declined to comment on the matter, when contacted by the Post.

We'll see how this one plays out. It's hard to imagine, for now, that ESPN made some key strategic edit or omission that alters the overriding message of the clip — that Gastineau remains upset and emotional about the perception (reality) that Favre took a dive for Strahan, allowing him to beat Gastineau's record.

And, in our view, Gastineau has every right to be missed. It looked like a dive then, and it looks like a dive now.