Brett Favre says viral confrontation with Mark Gastineau about NFL sack record was a 'setup'

Gastineau met Favre at a memorabilia event last year, saying that Favre had "hurt" him and that he was going to "take my sack back" in a heated exchange.

The confrontation was featured in ESPN's 30 for 30, "New York Sack Exchange;" not coincidentally, Favre said he believes the meeting had been planned by "ESPN and/or NFL Films."

"There are athletes from all sports; generally, it's retired guys. So, you encounter a lot of different guys, but I had no clue, and I really think that was a setup by ESPN and/or NFL Films," Favre told Mihcele Tafoya on her podcast.

Favre said he had spotted a camera "hiding" above a "divider," and admitted he had been a bit worried.

"He actually came right to the table - he's still a big guy. . . .Honestly, I was thinking, the last thing I want to have to do is fight this guy right here," Favre said.

The Hall of Fame QB added that he felt Gastineau "wasn't all there" due to his history of concussions.

"I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down. The game was over. There was no need for me to do anything spectacular. It probably wasn't Michael's best sack or tackle for loss. 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," Favre pleaded.

Favre added that the incident was "not the kind of moment that should be filmed and released."