The Most Infamous Professional Sports Cheating Scandals

By Kirsty 2 years ago

1. Cyclist Lance Armstrong: Using Illicit Substances

Image Source / WikipediaHe was seven-time winner of Tour de France, but his titles were stripped in the blink of an eye when it was discovered he had been using illicit substances the whole time. In 2012, the truth came out and Armstrong lost sponsorships with Nike and Anheuser-Busch as well as his titles.

2. The 2000 Spanish Paralympic Basketball Team: Some Players Didn't Qualify As Disabled

Image Source / Mamamia

At the 2000 Paralympics, Spain won the gold medal for basketball. However, it was then discovered that a shocking 10 out of 12 players actually didn't qualify as being disabled. They had purposefully failed an IQ test, allowing them to play. But were then, understandably, stripped of their title.

3. Runner Rosie Ruiz: Taking The Subway During A Marathon

Image Source / TIME

Rosie Ruiz was the winner of the 1980 Boston Marathon, but things weren't as they seemed. Apparently she left the race, took the subway, and jumped back into the race further along the course. She was stripped of her title, but she denied that she ever cheated.

4. Track And Field Star Marion Jones: Using Steroids

Image Source / Sportscasting

During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, athlete Marion Jones was found to have used steroids, and even lied to federal agents about it. She then had her titles stripped, as well as being sentenced to 6 months in prison for lying about the steroid use. She's now an active public speaker about the dangers of making the same mistake she did.

5. NBA Referee Tim Donaghy: Betting On His Own Games

Image Source / Forbes

Tim Donaghy officiated basketball games for the NBA, and during the years between 2003 to 2007, he actually bet on the games he was refereeing. The NBA discovered that their own man was betting on his own games' outcome. He was then sentenced to 15 months in prison.

6. Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan: Attacked By Rival

Image Source / Entertainment Weekly

Kerrigan was attacked in 1994 by a man with a baton, and her injuries meant she couldn't compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship. The man responsible was said to be sent by rival skater, Tonya Harding - he was actually Tonya's husband. Harding denied being involved, but was charged with obstructing justice, and later banned from the sport.

7. East German Women's Swim Team: Doping

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The East German Women's Swim Team managed to bag 32 gold medals during the years 1976 to 1988, and it terms out their medal-winning talent was actually down to doping. The truth came out following the reunification of Germany.

8. 5 Different Italian Soccer Teams: Colluding With Referees

Image Source / WWD

Not just one, but five different Italian soccer teams - namely, Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina - colluded with referees to gain favour during their games. All of the teams were caught, and Juventus forfeited two titles as well as being demoted a lower division.

9. Baseball's Houston Astros: Stealing Signs

Image Source / Call to the Pen

The Houston Astros were crowned winners of the 2017 World Series - and then two years later it was revealed they had actually stolen signs through technology to then signal their own players during games. The win was therefore forever tainted and Astros had no hope for future draft picks.

10. Baseball's The Boston Red Sox: Implicated In The Same Scandal

Image Source / Sports Illustrated

And it wasn't just the Houston Astros that were blamed in the travesty - their fellow baseball team The Boston Red Sox was also implicated in the same scandal in 2017. Not only that, but three managers, A.J. Hinch, Jeff Luhnow, and Carlos Beltran, lost their jobs as a result.

11. High Jumper Dora Ratjen: Male Participating As Female

Image Source / Reddit

Dora Ratjen was an athlete who competed in the women's high jump in the 1936 Olympics and came fourth. Nothing controversial in that, right? Well, it turns out Ratjen was actually male competing in the women's Olympics. Following this, Ratjen would then go on to live his life as Heinrich Ratjen.

12. Baseball's White Sox: Fixing The 1919 World Series

Image Source / The Crawfish Boxes

Eight players of the Chicago White Sox baseball team were alleged to have thrown the World Series on purpose to get money from the bookies. All eight players said to be involved received a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, and the scandal even inspired a movie: Eight Men Out.

13. Football's New Orleans Saints: Pay To Injure Scheme

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The New Orleans Saints came up with a scheme that would offer incentives for players to purposefully injure players of the competing team. This scandal occurred during 2009 to 2011, and the scheme's leader has been banned from football indefinitely, while the head coach was suspended.

14. Baseball's Sammy Sosa: Using Steroids

Image Source / People

Sammy Sosa was known for breaking incredible records - he was the second player to break the record for hitting 61 home runs during one season. But in 2009 it was discovered that he'd been using PEDs in 2003, and he wasn't the first or last player to use steroids.

15. English Rugby's Harlequins: Faking Injury

Image Source / The Times

The English rugby team the Harlequins decided to fake injuries during the 2009 Heineken Cup. They used blood tablets to fake them, in order to substitute out a player who would have otherwise stayed on if it wasn't for their 'injury'. The player was suspended and the team fined.

16. Football's New England Patriots: Filming The Other Team's Practice Signals

Image Source / PFF

The New England Patriots were found to be videotaping the New York Jets' defensive coach signals back in 2007. This is forbidden by the rules of the National Football League. The Patriots were then fined, with the head coach receiving a personal fine, too.

17. Baseball's Barry Bonds: Using Steroids

Image Source / AZ Snake Pit

Barry Bonds is a former legendary baseball player who held the record for most home runs in one season - as well as the most home runs of all time. However, turns out Bonds was using steroids, and was charged with perjury when he lied about it. Despite this, he didn't have his records stripped from him.

18. Olympic Sprinter Ben Johnson: Using Drugs

Image Source / Doping Wiki

At the 1998 Olympics, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson set a new world record for his time on the 100-meter dash. He only held the title for 24 hours before it was taken from him after he failed a drug test. The gold was then passed to the next sprinter who'd rightfully earned it: Carl Lewis.

19. Football's New England Patriots: Deflating Footballs

Image Source / From Pats Pulpit

The NFL has a standard for how much footballs need to be inflated, and the New England Patriots were caught deflating footballs so that they would be easier to throw and catch during the AFC playoffs. They were fined, made to forfeit draft picks and player Tom Brady was suspended.

20. Baseball's Mark McGwire: Using Steroids

Image Source / Baseball Prospectus

Back in 1998, Mark McGwire broke home run records by being the first person to reach over 61 home runs in one season. He broke Roger Maris's former record, but in 2010 McGwire owned up to using steroids, but he wasn't stripped of his title.

21. Baseball's Michael Pineda: Using Pine Tar

Image Source / Fish Stripes

Pine tar is a banned substance by the Major League Baseball, as it allows the ball to be gripped more easily by the pitcher. But baseball pitcher of the New York Yankees Michael Pineda was caught using pine tar in 2014 against the Boston Red Sox and was suspended for 10 games.

22. Football's Diego Maradona: Intentional Hand Ball

Image Source / Entertainment Weekly

Argentina beat England during the 1986 World Cup, where Diego Maradona had delivered a hand ball into the net, earning them a goal. The hand ball was missed at the time by the referee, and the controversy remains to this day whether it was straight up cheating or allowed if it's missed by the ref.

23. Race Car Driver Piquet: Crashing On Purpose

Image Source / The Guardian

Nelson Piquet Jr crashed into an opponent during a race in 2008. His opponent, Nelson, later pulled his team out of the competition, and allegations then arose that the crash was actually on purpose - and Nelson later admitted that his coach had indeed put him up to it.

24. Baseball's Danny Almonte: Claiming He Was 3 Years Younger Than He Was

Image Source / Sportscasting

Danny Almonte was at the top of his game as a baseball player, playing in the Little League World Series. But it was eventually revealed that he was 3 years older than he claimed to be, after he lied in order to meet the age group requirements for Little League.

25. Cyclist Floyd Landis: Doping

Image Source / SportsPro Media

American cyclist Floyd Landis took part in the Tour de France in 2006 and was coming in far behind. This all changed when he suddenly brought it back in the next round. Rumours of doping then arose, and his urine tests confirmed it. He also accused Lance Armstrong of doping, too - which we now know is true.

26. The NCAA's Southern Methodist University: Receiving Huge Sums Of Money

Image Source / TIME

The Southern Methodist University spent 16 years violating the NCAA official rules, the truth being discovered in 1986. The players had been given large amounts of money from the college itself as well as others - which coaches never admitted to. After this, they weren't allowed to play any games for one season.

27. Rugby's Tom Williams: Fakes An Injury

Image Source / Daily Mail

Rugby player Tom Williams appeared to suffer an injury to the mouth when he began bleeding during a game. There were sudden accusations that the blood was fake. Turns out, Williams had indeed used a blood capsule to fake the injury at the behest of his club manager, who'd promised him a pay increase if he did so.

28. Baseball's Pete Rose: Making Bets On The Team He Managed

Image Source / CNN

When it came to light that Peter Rose - labelled one of the best baseball players of all time - had a gambling problem, it only got worse when it was revealed he even placed bets on the team he managed: the Reds. Now retired, his name is still associated with gambling.

29. Football's Reggie Bush: Receiving Money From Boosters

Image Source / Bleacher Report

Reggie Bush was iconic in the world of football, but after he was drafted in the NFL, allegations began to surface that Bush had received large amounts of money from boosters to get where he is. The allegations lasted for years, before he then seemingly voluntarily gave up his Heisman Trophy.

30. Salt Lake City: Bribery In The Olympics

Image Source / U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum

Salt Lake City had been persistently trying to host the Olympics, to no avail. But then, for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City won by a landslide. And it turned out this was because the Salt Lake City team had bribed Olympics members into voting for them.