It was quite a Tuesday for Brett Favre and former New York Jet Mark Gastineau, with footage of the latter confronting the former from an upcoming ESPN 30 For 30 documentary over Favre letting Michael Strahan break Gastineau’s single-season sack record.
Favre then took to X (formerly Twitter) to “clear the air” with a thread responding to Gastineau and how Favre never meant to hurt the former pass-rusher.
And that’s when Terrell Owens stepped into the fray on X.
The legendary wide receiver had this to say: “While you’re clearing the air, clear the air on the misappropriation of funds you were pocketing.” That’s a reference to the welfare scandal in Mississippi, in which Favre allegedly misdirected funds meant for needy families to the University of Southern Mississippi volleyball team. He repaid $1.1 million in speaking fees, but there is additional money the state is trying to recoup.
Ouch.
While you’re clearing the air, clear the air on the misappropriation of funds you were pocketing https://t.co/u4V2a88Yz6
ESPN released video of former New York Jet defensive lineman Mark Gastineau confronting Brett Favre about the “dive” the Green Bay Packers QB took to allow Michael Strahan to set the sack record.
It’s tied into a “30 for 30” on the sack exchange.
Gastineau remains angry and emotional about it and let Favre have it … verbally.
22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play.
Brett Favre confronted for crappy thing he did. No, not that one. Or that one.
23 years ago, Michael Strahan broke the NFL’s single-season sack record with 22.5. It was not without controversy.
In the final minutes of the New York Giants’ season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre faked a handoff, rolled to his right and stared down a free-rushing Strahan without a blocker to help him out. Rather than take a big hit in what was effectively a meaningless game (the 12-4 Packers had no chance of catching the Chicago Bears for an NFC North title or playoff bye), Favre was resigned to his fate. He slid to the turf, allowing Strahan to set the record with the easiest sack of his season.
It was a play that fueled talk radio for a few weeks. But for New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau, the former single-season sack leader, it sparked a fire that has burned inside him for more than two decades.
22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play.
“I’m gonna get my sack back,” Gastineau told an uncomfortable Favre at a memorabilia expo.
“You probably would hurt me,” Favre sighed.
“I don’t care,” continued Gastineau. “You hurt me. You hurt me. You hear me? You really hurt me.”
Officials then whisked Favre away to another obligation, ending a short, awkward confrontation.
This footage came out as part of a new ESPN 30 For 30 documentary on the vaunted Jets defenses of the 1980s — namely the New York Sack Exchange for which Gastineau was a star. Gastineau also reflected on the fact he’s not in the NFL Hall of Fame despite averaging more than 13 sacks per season. His unofficial 107.5 (Gastineau played part of his career before sacks were an official statistic) ranks 44th in NFL history, ahead of enshrined defenders like Warren Sapp, Charles Haley, Howie Long and Steve McMichael.
Would holding the single-season sack record an extra 25 years have changed that? Gastineau’s peak came and went quickly, lasting six seasons from 1980 to 1985. He also failed to generate the postseason success many of his gold-jacketed peers did; the Jets had only two playoff wins over that six-year stretch.
Ultimately, the Strahan sack was one of Favre’s more benign controversies. He was going to get hit anyway and Gastineau had several chances for Hall of Fame election before his record fell anyway. In the end, Favre was lucky to get off with an awkward exchange about falling down rather than, say, a robust discussion over allegedly funneling money meant for Mississippi’s poorest families into a volleyball facility for his daughter.
Panthers QB Andy Dalton has defeated 29 of the NFL’s 32 teams over his 14-year career. He can make it 30 on Sunday.
There are only three NFL teams that haven’t felt the fiery wrath of the “Red Rifle.” But that very short list can be cut down to two on Sunday.
Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Andy Dalton spoke with reporters ahead of his team’s Week 5 visit to see the Chicago Bears. The 36-year-old veteran was asked about returning to the “Windy City,” where he spent one of his 14 pro seasons.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun to be back,” he said on Wednesday. “For me, I think the biggest thing is Chicago is one of the teams that I haven’t beat in my career. There’s only a couple of them, I think there’s three left—and unfortunately, one of them’s the Carolina Panthers, so I’m not gonna be able to do that. But, yeah, Chicago and Dallas, another team that I played for is another one that I haven’t beat.”
Dalton is currently 0-for-2 in his career against the Bears. He and the Cincinnati Bengals took a 24-21 loss to Chicago in 2013 and a 33-7 beatdown in 2017.
But if he keeps up the impressive play from his first two starts, then the third time could be a charm this weekend. And if it is, he can then set his sights on those Cowboys in Week 15.
When it comes to beating the Panthers, that may be another story for another year. Dalton is set to become a free agent at season’s end, so that prospect isn’t completely off the table.
As of now, however, there are only four quarterbacks who have defeated every team in their NFL careers—Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
Packers QB Jordan Love is officially active after arriving at Lambeau Field in a Brett Favre No. 4 uniform on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love arrived at Lambeau Field wearing a throwback No. 4 Brett Favre uniform and is now officially active for the first time since injuring his left knee on Sept. 6.
Favre, a Pro Football Hall of Famer following a decorated career in Green Bay, revealed a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease this week.
Love will make his second start of the season on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are 2-1 after getting back-to-back wins with backup quarterback Malik Willis under center, and now Love will return for the first game inside the NFC North this season and a big matchup against a talented Minnesota defense. The Vikings are undefeated after beating the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans over the last two weeks.
Can Love channel his inner Favre and produce a big win over the Vikings at Lambeau Field?
Favre, 54, responded on X by saying “Big respect to Jordan Love for wearing this old man’s jersey.” Favre played 16 seasons in Green Bay before retiring following the 2010 season.
The Packers and Vikings are scheduled for a noon kickoff from Lambeau Field on Sunday.
While Love is active, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine are inactive with injuries ahead of a matchup against Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes entering Week 4.
Good morning, Winners. Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. We appreciate you for giving us your time.
Four years ago, we learned that Brett Favre, Phil Bryant, the former governor of Mississippi, and some of their associates siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars meant to go to the neediest folks in the state directly into their own pockets and to their own causes.
Wolfe and Mississippi Today are under legal fire because of a defamation lawsuit filed by Bryant. The crux of the lawsuit isn’t the original reporting done by Wolfe and Mississippi Today.
Instead, it’s a statement made by the new outlet’s CEO, Mary Margaret White. She appeared on a panel at a national conference and spoke about the story.
She said: “We’re the newsroom that broke the story about $77 million in welfare funds, intended for the poorest people in the poorest state in the nation, being embezzled by a former governor and all his bureaucratic cronies and used on pet projects like a state-of-the-art volleyball stadium at Brett Favre’s alma mater.”
All of that sounds great. But here’s the problem: Wolfe’s reporting never suggested Bryant embezzled money. The former governor also denied any wrongdoing. So, technically, this was White levying charges against Bryant that were never filed. That’s where this lawsuit begins.
White issued an apology, but it didn’t matter. Now, Bryant is doing his best to rake Mississippi Today over the coals and completely nix the organization using Mississippi’s legal system.
And, unfortunately, it’s working.
A state court judge ordered Mississippi Today to turn over all of Wolfe’s notes, emails and sources used to produce the story on Bryant. Wolfe and her boss, Adam Ganucheau, have refused to give them. Now, Bryant is demanding they be held in contempt of court.
Bryant’s suit gives Wolfe and Mississippi Today an impossible choice to make. The first choice is to refuse to give up their sources — which is the route Wolfe is taking — and face potential jail time, at worse, or hefty fines at best. The second choice for Wolfe and Mississippi Today is to give up the sources and materials and never be trusted by a whistleblower again.
Either way, Bryant is getting what he wants, which is the destruction of Mississippi Today.
ESPN’s Fainaru-Wada reports the case has already taken a hefty financial toll on the publication. It’s used $500,000 of a $1 million insurance policy to cover legal fees, and there’s a chance this case will leak into 2025. The publication’s annual budget is only $2 million, most of which is used to pay reporters and editors.
This is a systematic dismantling of a local news outlet. There’s no other way to describe it.
What’s most appalling is that this is only happening because Wolfe and Mississippi Today were doing their jobs. They were holding the most powerful people in the community accountable for wrongdoings against their people. And, now, they’re the only ones facing any consequences.
It’s shameful, but it’s hardly surprising. Mississippi is historically one of the worst states when it comes to freedom of the press. It’s one of eight states with no shield law protecting reporters from revealing their sources in court. As Mississippi Today editor in chief Adam Ganacheau wrote in The New York Times in June, the state is writing the playbook to dismantle a free press.
Mississippi Today is appealing the judge’s decision with the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that the order is unconstitutional. But, Ganacheau writes, the appeal is “politically perilous,” with four of the court’s justices having been appointed by the former governor himself.
No decisions have been made yet, but the situation undoubtedly feels bleak. This is a crucial moment in American history, with potential precedents being set for future cases just like this one. The state would be making an example out of Mississippi Today.
Should Bryant prevail in this case, corruption would win the day. There’s no other way to put it. We should not let that happen.
Sweeps galore in the WNBA
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Pull the brooms out, folks. The first round is officially over after we were handed two more sweeps in the WNBA last night.
First, the Sun ground the Fever into dust. Collectively, Indiana shot a putrid 26.7 percent from deep (8 of 30) and turned the ball over 13 times against Connecticut, who were buoyed by Alyssa Thomas’ 19 points and 13 assists on the night.
Then, Naphessa Collier destroyed the Phoenix Mercury with a 42-point masterpiece. She scored well from every level of the floor. There was nothing Phoenix could do to stop her. They simply didn’t have anyone capable of guarding her. Now, their season is over.
With that, the WNBA semifinals are officially here. The top four teams in the league have advanced. On one side of the bracket, we get a WNBA Finals rematch between the Aces and Liberty. On the other side, two juggernauts in the Lynx and Sun will go head-to-head.
The real show starts now, folks. Buckle in.
It’s been quite the ride, DT
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
With the Mercury officially being eliminated from the playoffs, that might be the last time we see Diana Taurasi on a WNBA floor.
In all likelihood, Taurasi will probably retire. She’s 42 years old! She’s also very clearly not the player she once was, as incredible as she still can be at times. There’s no better time to walk away from the game than right now.
She’s the league’s all-time leader in points by quite a bit, with 10,646. She’s a three-time WNBA champion and a five-time (!!!) Olympic gold medalist. She has nothing left to prove to anyone. She’s accomplished everything.
Thanks for all the moments, DT. We’ll cherish them forever, whether this is truly it or not.
Sterger, as you may know, accused Favre of sending her vulgar text messages and photos. She spoke to For The Win all about the incident and her life in 2018, saying, ““I’m not the Brett Favre girl. I tell people that every chance I get. Including dumb drunks at a bar. People meet me say, ‘You’re a lot different than I thought you would be.'”
“PSA: Please don’t send me links to it. I’ve seen it. I can read. I don’t wish bad things on anyone, but I know Karma never forgets an address. Imagine being diagnosed with such a terrible disease and not having the resources to fight it bc some Hall-of-Fame quarterback stole it?”
Brett Favre spoke before a Congressional committee on Tuesday. The Hall of Fame quarterback revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Former professional football player Brett Favre revealed in a congressional hearing today that he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He is one of the 90,000 people in the U.S. who will be diagnosed with PD this year. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/sbw1jQe18g
Scientists believe that PD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Environmental factors may include head injuries, pesticide exposure, or area of residence.
If you or a loved one are looking for information regarding a Parkinson’s diagnosis, visit…
Speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee, Favre spoke about Prevacus, a company making a concussion drug that received $2 million of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Favre was the top investor in Prevacus, and text messages show he began asking state officials for help securing funds for the company in November 2018.
“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others,” Favre said during opening remarks. “And I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me, because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is also a cause dear to my heart.”
Favre is 54 years old. He believes he suffered more than 1,000 concussions playing in the NFL.
BREAKING: In 2018, the 54-year-old said he believes he could have had more than 1,000 concussions during his 20 seasons in the NFL, according to ESPN. https://t.co/scAVBmqcMPpic.twitter.com/OAomc6s6FG
The former QB brought it up in the context of his latest tax scandal.
Most people know Brett Favre as a legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback and one of the greatest players in NFL history.
Over the last few years, that part of his story has shifted out of the spotlight as he’s made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Today, in quite an unexpected turn of events, Brett Favre told the world that he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease while testifying before Congress about his misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars.
Here’s everything we know about Favre’s testimony and diagnosis so far.
Brett Favre revealed he has Parkinson’s disease
While testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee, Favre explained that he’d lost an investment in a concussion drug that he “thought would help others.”
He followed up by saying it was too late for him and that he’d been diagnosed with the disease.
Hall-of-Fame QB Brett Favre announced that he recently was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. pic.twitter.com/dU0RL0nmsH
“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others. And I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.
“Symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.”
Age is a significant factor in Parkinson’s. Most people with it first develop the disease after age 60, according to NIH, with only about five percent to 10 percent of people experiencing onset before the age of 50.
Favre is 54 years old.
Why did Brett Favre tell this to Congress?
Favre was reportedly paid for speaking engagements he’d never made and, specifically, used Mississippi’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding to develop the new volleyball facility for Southern Miss, where his daughter was a team member.
He was called to Congress to congress to explain how this all happened. That’s where his Parkinson’s diagnosis came up. Favre disclosed it within the context of being coaxed into this scheme he claims to have had no knowledge of.
The former QB hasn’t been charged criminally, but he is being made to pay the money back to the state.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers talks about Brett Favre.
For Aaron Rodgers, being behind Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre allowed him to develop and grow. The now New York Jets quarterback says that his time spent as the understudy to Favre helped him understand the game more fully.
In an interesting twist, Favre played the 2008 season with the Jets following a storied career with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers is now in his second year with the Jets, following his own storied career in Green Bay.
And it was Rodgers who replaced Favre in Green Bay.
Asked this week by reporters at training camp about setting the standard within the Jets organization, Rodgers pointed to his time as a young player and being able to watch Favre on a daily basis.
“There’s people that set the standard, I mean, I got to play behind Brett (Favre). He’s a first ballot Hall-of-Famer and I got to see what the standard of excellence looked like every day,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday.
“There was never a drop-off in his energy, his enthusiasm, the way he practiced, the way he came, and even on days where, now I know what he probably felt like at times where you’re in the third day in a row of pads, you’re a little bit tired, bodies aching, you just had some squats the day before, and you’re trying to get the body moving and going, but you still got to bring it. I had some great coaches along the way too, starting in high school and junior college, and at Cal with coach [Jeff] Tedford, and as a young player with Tom Clements and Mike McCarthy, and Joe Philbin. Those guys always kind of held me to a standard when I was the scout team guy, they would pull me aside and have conversations with me about the future, and about leadership, and about body language, and a lot of different things that helped me along the way.”
