One-time CFL player Mark Gastineau is back in the headlines, suing ESPN for $25 million over a now-viral clip that he says subjected him to “ridicule, scorn and contempt.”
The 68-year-old former pass rusher was one of the subjects of the network’s latest 30 for 30 documentary, The New York Sack Exchange, which dove into the story of the famed New York Jets’ defensive line from the 1990s. Included in the final cut was footage of an interaction between Gastineau and Brett Favre at the Chicago Sports Spectacular in 2023, in which he appears to angrily berate the Hall of Fame quarterback for taking a dive on the play that allowed Michael Strachan to break his single-season sack record in 2001.
22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play.
Catch the latest @30for30, ‘The New York Sack Exchange,’ on ESPN and ESPN+ starting Dec. 13. pic.twitter.com/Oz5KRwVcy7
— ESPN (@espn) December 10, 2024
The lawsuit alleges that the clip, which was used heavily in promotion of the documentary and was widely discussed online, was included without Gastineau’s “consent or permission.” It also claims that a section of the video where the five-time Pro Bowler eventually shakes Favre’s hand was “intentionally and maliciously” omitted to make the interaction more contentious.
“They will be held accountable for their malicious conduct and pay for misrepresentation of Mark,” Gastineau’s lawyer, Christopher J. Cassar, said in a statement to the New York Post. “The Defendant intentionally damaged Mark’s reputation for ratings for ESPN and we intend to hold them accountable.”
Gastineau is best remembered for 10 seasons with the New York Jets, compiling 107.5 career sacks and winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1982. However, after retiring as the NFL’s all-time sacks leader in 1988, he staged a brief comeback with the B.C. Lions in 1990 alongside fellow high-profile signee Doug Flutie. He appeared in just four games and made six tackles before suffering a rib injury and was released a month later after missing a mandatory meeting with head coach Larry Kuharich without explanation.
Following his time in the CFL, Gastineau dabbled in professional boxing but struggled with personal issues, receiving convictions for domestic violence and drug possession. He has since openly admitted to utilizing steroids during his time in the NFL. In 2016, Gastineau revealed he’d been diagnosed with dementia, Alzeheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease, which he has attributed to his football career.
