So here now are the choices for the Top Sports Scandals as chosen by me. I realize some of them may not be the same as what you'd choose but then again...it's my blog.
10. Rosie Ruiz Wins Boston Marathon
On April 21st 1980, Rosie Ruiz finished first among the female competitors in the Boston Marathon with a record time. However, race officials determined that she had not completed the entire 26.2 mile course, but instead registered for the race and then jumped in from the crowd and sprinted to the finish. When asked by a reporter why she didn't look fatigued after the grueling race, she replied "I got up with a lot of energy this morning." Eventually race officials decided to strip Ruiz of her title and named Jacqueline Gareau of Montreal the women's winner.9. Tocchet's Gambling Woes
Operaton Slap Shot ended recently with former NHL tough guy and rookie coach Rick Tocchet getting two years probation after he helped run a betting ring which took in an estimated 1.7 million dollars on football games (at least he only partially disgraced hockey). Much of the hype surrounding the case focused on some of the alleged bettors, notably Wayne Gretzky's wife. But while operating a bookmaking racket is illegal in New Jersey, simply placing bets with one is not. So it appears the Gretzky's are guilty only of bad judgment. For Tocchet the scandal was career suicide as the NHL will stay clear of him. Tocchet is now public relations poison and he won't get another shot because it would provoke too many nasty headlines. 8. Pine Tar Incident
While this is more humourous to me than a scandal it still made headlines and is worth noting. On July 24, 1983, the Kansas City Royals were playing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the ninth inning, Brett came up to bat against Goose Gossage, his old rival. Brett hit a two-run homer to put the Royals up 5-4. After Brett rounded the bases, Yankees manager Billy Martin calmly walked out of the dugout and used home plate to measure the amount of pine tar, a legal substance used by hitters to improve their grip, on Brett's bat. Martin cited an obscure rule that stated the pine tar on a bat could extend no further than 18 inches. Brett's pine tar extended about 24 inches. A few moments later, the home plate umpire, Tim McClelland, signaled Brett out. The normally mild-mannered Brett charged out of the dugout, enraged and being restrained, and was immediately ejected. The game was protested and in the end it all meant nothing as the Royals won the protest and the game. The Pine Tar Game has become part of baseball folklore, with Brett's famous bat on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.7. The Kerrigan Attack
Figure skater Tonya Harding won't be remembered for her smile or her skills on the blades but instead her legacy will be for involvement in the attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan.
On January 6, 1994 at a practice session during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Shane Stant, who was hired by Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, used a pipe to strike Kerrigan on the knee and send her into one of the most annoying hissy fits ever caught on camera. Harding won that event, while Kerrigan's injury forced her withdrawal. After Harding admitted to helping to cover up the attack, the USFSA and United States Olympic Committee initiated proceedings to remove her from the 1994 Olympic team, but Harding retained her place after threatening legal action. She finished eighth while Kerrigan, recovered from her injuries and finished second.6. The Paralympic Pretenders
The 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, which had already seen controversy with numerous positive drug tests, would be the venue for the most scandalous events in the sport's history. Spain, having defeated Russia in the intellectual disability basketball tournament with a score of 87-63, were stripped of their gold medals shortly after the Games closed. After investigations were completed it was confirmed that 10 of the 12 competitors on the winning team were not disabled. The controversy has been cited as one of the "most outrageous sporting moments" in history.5. 1992 Little League World Series
The 1992 Little League World Series took place between between August 24 and August 29 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Little League baseball team representing Zamboanga City of the Philippines won its way through national trials, the Far East series, and after brushing aside the competition at the Little League World Series, were crowned champions of the 46th Little League World Series. The team was stripped of its title after Filipino journalists revealed to the world that the team had used ineligible players who, variously, did not meet either age or residency requirements. The team from Long Beach, California, whom Zamboanga City had defeated in the final, had the title awarded to them.4. Pete Rose Betting Scandal
Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader and manager of the Cincinnati Reds since 1984, was reported as betting on Major League games, including Reds games while he was the manager. Rose, facing a very harsh punishment, along with his attorney and agent, Reuven Katz, decided to seek a compromise with Major League Baseball. On August 24, 1989, Rose agreed to a voluntary lifetime ban from baseball. The agreement had three key provisions:
1. Major League Baseball would make no finding of fact regarding gambling allegations and cease their investigation;
2. Pete Rose was neither admitting or denying the charges; and
3. Pete Rose could apply for reinstatement after one year.
To Rose's chagrin, however, Giamatti immediately stated publicly that he felt that Pete Rose bet on baseball games. Then, in a stunning follow-up event, Giamatti, a heavy smoker for many years, suffered a fatal heart attack just eight days later, on September 1. The general consensus among baseball experts is that the death of Giamatti and the ascension of Fay Vincent, a great admirer of Giamatti, was the worst thing that could happen to Pete Rose's hopes of reinstatement. On February 4, 1991, the twelve members of the board of directors of the Baseball Hall of Fame voted unanimously to bar Rose from the ballot. However, he still received 41 write-in votes on January 7, 1992. In 2004, after years of speculation and denial, Pete Rose admitted in his book My Prison Without Bars that the accusations that he had bet on Reds games were true, and that he had admitted it to Bud Selig personally some time before. Rose, however, stated that he always bet on the Reds — never against. Rose's ban is still intact today.3. 2002 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Scandal
In the pairs competition, the Russina Pair had won the short program over Jamie Salé and David Pelletier of Canada. In their long programs, Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze stumbled during their double axel, while Salé/Pelletier skated a flawless program, albeit one that experts considered to be of lesser difficulty than that of the Russians.
Despite the Canadians being the crowd favorite, the results were a 5-4 split in favor of the Russians. Judges from Russia, the People's Republic of China, Poland, Ukraine, and France had placed the Russians first; judges from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Japan chose the Canadians. There was obvious disagreement from the crowd and Salé/Pelletier accepted their silver medal with grace but open disappointment. The North American media was quick to take the side of the Canadian pair, and played up the controversy until it threatened to overwhelm the entire Games. When confronted after, the French judge had an emotional breakdown in which she confessed that she had been pressured by the head of the French skating organization to vote for the Russian pair. It was alleged that this was part of a deal to get an advantage for the French couple in the ice dance competition which was to follow a few days later. On February 15 the ISU and International Olympic Committee, in a joint press conference, announced that it would award a second gold medal to Salé and Pelletier, and that the French judge was guilty of "misconduct" and was suspended effective immediately. Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze were allowed to keep their gold medal as well.
2. The Chicago Black Socks
The 1919 World Series resulted in the most famous scandal in baseball history. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox (nicknamed the Black Sox) were accused of throwing the series against the Cincinnati Reds. Details of the scandal remain controversial, and the extent to which each man was involved varied. It was, however, front-page news when the story was uncovered late in the 1920 season, and despite being acquitted of criminal charges the eight players were banned from organized baseball for life.In an effort to clean-up gambling in baseball, one important step was the lifetime ban against the Black Sox Scandal participants. The "eight men out" were the great "natural hitter" "Shoeless" Joe Jackson; pitchers Eddie Cicotte and "Lefty" Williams; infielders "Buck" Weaver, "Chick" Gandil, Fred McMullin, and "Swede" Risberg; and outfielder "Happy" Felsch.
1. Ben Johnson
As a Canadian I can still remember vividly watching with my dad as Ben Johnson, while representing our country, ran an amazing race to win the 1988 100 metre final at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. We were laying on the floor in front of the TV and cheering out loud as he ran to victory...or so we thought.
On September 24, Johnson beat American Carl Lewis in the 100m final , lowering his own world record from 9.83 to 9.79 seconds. Johnson would later remark that he would have been even faster had he not raised his hand in the air just before he finished the race. However, Johnson's urine samples were found to contain steroids (namely Stanozolol), and he was disqualified three days later.He later admitted having used steroids when he ran his 1987 world record, which caused the IAAF to annul that record as well. But Johnson and hundreds of other athletes have long complained that they used doping in order to remain on an equal footing with the other top athletes on drugs they had to compete against.
His claim bears some weight in light of the revelations since 1988. Including Johnson, four of the top five finishers of the 100-meter race have all tested positive for banned drugs at some point in their careers: Carl Lewis, who was given the gold medal, Linford Christie who was moved up to the silver medal, and Dennis Mitchell. Of these, only Johnson was forced to give up his records and his medals, although he was the only one of the four who tested positive or admitted using drugs during a medal-winning performance.
So there you have my personal Top Ten Sports Scandals...subject to change of course. Do you agree or disagree. Leave a comment to let me know.
Just to finish, I still enjoy watching Johnson beat Lewis even though it was drug aided so here it is for you to view one more time.
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