Worst Scandal in Sports History?

[Shogun]

1. 1919 "Black Sox Scandal"

This baseball scandal, known now simply as the "Black Sox Scandal," took place during the 1919 World Series, where the White Sox were playing against the Cincinnati Reds.

It featured eight players banned for life from MLB for purposely losing games during the World Series with the benefit of large amounts of money.

Arnold "Chick" Gandil orchestrated the throwing of the games, and it was he who convinced his teammates to take the money as well.

This scandal is the story behind the fantastic movie Eight Men Out and is still a common topic when discussing the right of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (a player on the White Sox at the time whose involvement has been widely disputed) to be in the Hall of Fame.

2. Pete Rose

Pete Rose was undoubtedly one of baseball's best players of all time. Thus, he had made a lot of money. Yet he still felt the need to bet, which eventually led to his demise, and to the fact that he is permanently banned from MLB and the Hall of Fame ballot.

After years of saying the accusations were senseless and false, more and more evidence piled up until, in the '80s, commissioner Peter Ueberroth asked Rose to take a voluntary ban from MLB if he promised to cease investigations on how much Rose gambled.

What made Rose's gambling worse was the fact that was later revealed that stated he bet on Reds games while being their manager.

His legacy has not been completely tarnished (he still gets unauthorized write-ups for the Hall of Fame ballot every year), but his name will forever be synonymous with gambling.

3. Reggie Bush's boosters

After completely and utterly dominating the football world as the USC Trojans running back, Bush was drafted No. 2 overall in the NFL, and many thought he should have easily been picked No. 1. Many thought he would revolutionize the position of running back as we knew it.

Yet soon after the draft, allegations started coming out that Bush had received more than a bit of money from boosters.

It was a debate for several years before, last year, he "voluntarily" gave up his Heisman Trophy.

USC's championship trophy, and wins as a whole, were taken away by the NCAA for the 2004-2005 season.

Furthermore, Bush has never really enjoyed any success in the NFL, his stats slowly diminishing season after season.

4. Spygate

Bill Belichick and the Patriots seemingly have ways of always getting back to the Super Bowl. Sadly, some of those ways are highly illegal.

In 2007, the Jets sent a complaint to the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, that stated the Patriots had filmed their defensive coordinators' signals during a game. Goodell later spoke with the Patriots, and it was found out that, indeed, the Patriots had filmed their signals.

Belichick explained to Goodell, and to the public, how he had misinterpreted the rules, but he was still docked a pretty huge $500,000.

The situation's tenseness increased when it also found out they had taped a Rams practice in 2000. It went on for quite a while and in many ways was disastrous for the Patriots and the NFL, thus the name Spygate, yet both have evidently bounced back quite well.

5. The Steroid Era

Records were falling left and right—and left and right arms were getting bigger.

At first it wasn't obvious. Then it became obvious, but players, league managers and especially audience members were in denial. Then the Mitchell Report came out, and it was too obvious to miss.

Now, it's simply remembered (though some fear it isn't fully over) as the infamous Steroid Era.

6. Tim Donaghy

The culprit? Unless you've never followed the NBA you know that Tim Donaghy, now the most notorious ref in the history of sports, bet on many games in which he reffed, and undoubtedly calling the game according to where he had money to gain.

David Stern later showed just how serious the situation was, claiming, "We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again."

 

[MikelArteta]

how about the baylor scandal?

folks forgot this almost brought the end to baylor basketball


or smu death penalty

 

[Shogun]

how about the baylor scandal?

folks forgot this almost brought the end to baylor basketball

tried to keep it mainstream

 

[Tony D'Amato]

That Donaghy Scandal shouldve been bigger than it was. This dude was coppin to fixing playoff gms. Basically admitting everything that people thought refs were doing. Stern bullied espn into not really talking about that sh1t.

 

[L&HH]

How do you not include Pedo State?

 

[Shogun]

That Donaghy Scandel shouldve been bigger than it was. This dude was coppin to fixing playoff gms. Basically admitting everything that people thought refs were doing. Stern bullied espn into not really talking about that sh1t.

Agreed, crazy how quickly that went away

 

[ScoopNScore]

Def the steroid era. There were already a bunch of scandals in baseball, but this one put the final nail in the coffin for the sport's credibility. To go from

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/features/1998/magpreview/breakingrecords.html (very interesting read, hilarious in hindsight )

To wondering if your favorite slugger or pitcher is gonna get got by MLB for juicing is just a shame.

 

[Shogun]

How do you not include Pedo State?

Tried to keep it to shyt that actually effected the outcome of games

If I included that then I;d need to throw in raping Kobe, dog killing Vick, murdering OJ, straight pimping Tiger, etc. Would turn into a Kobe vs Lebron thread somehow

 

[RugbyCardigan]

Pennetration state?
SMU?

 

[Ziggiy]

How do you not include Pedo State?

This right here. This shyt trumps ANYTHING. Little boys were being ass fukked in the TEAM SHOWER ROOM brehs

 

[Shogun]

This right here. This shyt trumps ANYTHING. Little boys were being ass fukked in the TEAM SHOWER ROOM brehs

didn't effect the outcomes of any games though

 

[kash10003]

how is Kobe being not charged for rape or tiger fukking some random white women be automatically grouped in with sandusky raping an entire town full of little kids. that had the same effect more or less with the reggie bush shyt

 

[HookersandIceCream]

I don't care if Penn State won a million games

That shyt is by far the worst

 

[mastermind]

How can you not include the CCNY betting scandal in 1950? They were/still are the only team to win the preseason NIT and NCAA title, and then everyone found out they were betting. That shyt ended the dominance of NYC college basketball.

The Boston College scandal involving the real life characters in Goodfellas is in there too.

 

[Jesus]

didn't effect the outcomes of any games though