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17 Worst Money Scandals in Sports

In college and the pros, there are many scandals to be found.

The Chicago Black Sox

To this day, any member of the MLB who gambles connected games that they give the sack directly influence has committed baseball game's cardinal sin. The reason for that can be traced to 1919 and the ordeal of the Stops Pitch-dark Sox. From "Unshoed Joe" and "Say it Ain't so, Joe" to "Field of battle of Dreams" and "Eight Men Out," songs, books and movies have been written about the most infamous dirt in baseball history.

The 1919 World Series ended with the heavy blest Chicago Snowy Sox losing to the Cincinnati Reds quintet games to three in a rare best of nine World Series. Speculation of an inside fix spread almost immediately as word got around that several key players from the notoriously underpaid White Sox squad were given cash to throw the series. Evidence soon emerged to show that players had met with gangsters led by crime boss Arnold Rothstein and accepted bribes to underachieve. Charges were brought, but altogether of the accused players were found not guilty. Despite that outcome, eight players — forever known as the Black Sox — were illegal from baseball game for life either for being in on the fix or intentional about it and remaining silent.

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Unreal: Radical shot of the 1919 Clean Sox baseball team

Ohio State Football game Tattoo Outrage

Current college athletes commode take in a mickle from their schools' sports programs, but they aren't acknowledged to benefit from sports memorabilia.

That didn't stop members of the Ohio State football game team in 2010. Five players, including star starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were suspended for the first quint games of the 2011 season after it was institute they traded championship rings, jerseys and awards in order to get tattoos.

Rather than stick round for a shortened senior season, Pryor declared himself eligible for the NFL's 2011 supplemental draft. The Oakland Raiders selected Pryor in the third round.

The Buckeyes passenger car at the time, Jim Tressel, hopeless along May 30, 2011, in the wake of the scandal. It was previously revealed he knew nearly the tattoo scandal before IT came to luminance and had been suspended for two games in the 2011 season. He was also punished $250,000 for keeping information technology under wraps. Ohio State also received a unrivalled-year bowl ban for the dirt.

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2002 Capital of Utah Olympics Scandal

At the turn of the millennium, official representatives for Salt Lake Metropolis were snared in a bribery scandal that nearly caused the demise of the 2002 Overwinter Olympics. The Olympics is a cash cow and global competition to host the games is bowelless. After being spurned past the International Olympic Committee (IOC) four times in the other, the Saltiness Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) decided to geld some corners. The scandal went public in 1998 when the city crush out competitor cities in Schweiz, Kingdom of Sweden and Canada.

It soon came out that SLOC showered top IOC officials and their families with millions of dollars in "gifts," including scholarships, NBA tickets, elastic surgery and other Greco-Roman deity discourse, housing and salaries for the children of IOC members, and good, old-fashioned cash. The Justice Department filed charges, simply the accused were acquitted — they hadn't done anything illegal. Top officials in both organizations, however, were expelled and the scandal nonvoluntary major changes in how innkeeper cities are hand-picked.

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Pictured: Tom Welch, former president of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee, walks into Federal Court in business district Salt Lake City for the first 24-hour interval of his tryout in the Olympic bribery scandal.

New Orleans Saints Bountygate

Between 2009-11, dozens of New Orleans Saints players intentionally tried to hurt opposing players for profit. Defensive coordinator Gregg Hank Williams organized a net of players and coaches who pooled money to create consecrate funds misused to pay players as mercenaries. Between 22-27 Saints players pursued bounties that ranged from $100 for pinning a kicker inside the 20 to $10,000 for knocking a player out of a playoff game.

It was later revealed that key players like quarterbacks Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Hasselbeck and Cam Isaac Newton had an especially large bullseye along their backs. Eventually, insiders tipped cancelled the NFL, the story broke, the Saints were fined $500,000, Williams was suspended indefinitely and umpteen others received small fines and suspensions.

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Pictured: Minnesota Vikings signal caller Brett Favre (4) being collision by Young Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita (55) and Anthony Hargrove.

Show Shaving in the 1950s

In 1951, 32 players from seven schools were implicated in a point-paring scandal that involved gamblers with ties to organized crime. The players involved in the scandal manipulated tip spread to serve the gamblers win their bets.

Seven of the players were happening the City College of New York team that won both the NCAA championship and the NIT title in the 1949-50 season. Other schools that had players involved included Long Island University, Omar Nelson Bradle, NYU, Kentucky, Manhattan College and Toledo.

Most of the players involved either received suspended sentences, were not guilty of their charges or had them dropped altogether. The bribes they received ranged from $50 a hebdomad to swelling sums of up to $3,000.

In the arouse of the scandal, CCNY dropped its athletic teams down to the Division III level. Kentucky basketball was suspended for the 1952-53 season. And LIU shut down its entire athletic program from 1951-57.

SMU Football Receives 'Death Penalty'

In 1985, the NCAA determined that Southern Methodist University and its boosters had been paying football game players to play there, and the school was subsequently put on probation for three geezerhood. When it was revealed that SMU continued paying players in 1986, the NCAA levied its toughest sanctions, best-known as the "death punishment," on Feb. 25, 1987.

Under the ruling, SMU was forced to sit knocked out the 1987 football season and would non be allowed to play home games in 1988. Without home games, the school decided not to field a team at all in 1988.

Complete the next 20 years, SMU had only one winning season. Well-balanced for inflation, CNBC estimated that SMU missing "at least $25 million" based on descending winnow support during that time.

This clay the only time the NCAA has handed out the death penalty to a football program. It has been used four times for other sports programs, though: University of Western LA basketball game (1973-75), University of KY basketball (1952-53), Morehouse College Association football (2004-05) and MacMurray College Tennis (2005-07).

Pete Rose Play Scandal

The great Pete Rose played Major League Baseball for 24 years from 1963-86, starting at 22 years old and retiring at the long time of 45. During that time spent mostly with the Reds and Phillies, atomic number 2 was named MVP, Greenhorn of the Class and Creation Series MVP for one of his three International Series victories. He went to 17 Every-Star games and won trio Batten Titles, 2 Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. Oh, and he racked up 4,256 vocation hits, more than Ty Cobb, Hank Hank Aaro, Stan Musial or anyone else who has ever played the game — yet he's not in the Hall of Fame. Disregarding his height, he had sworn what has been baseball's most unforgivable act since 1919.

In March 1989, Rose was the director of the Cincinnati Reds when MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth announced an investigation into serious allegations of Rose betting along baseball. Roseate initially said that while he gambled at the track, he never placed an illegal bet and ne'er committed the cardinal sin of gambling connected an MLB game. A flood of witnesses emerged and Rose's story unraveled. He was banned from baseball — and the Hall of Fame — for life, served five months in prison house and paid a $50,000 fine. Rose insists to this day that he never bet against his own team and no evidence to the contrary has of all time been presented.

Pictured: Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose talks with reporters in the Reds' dugout before the start of a stake in Set Metropolis, FL.

USC Sanctioned Over Reggie Bush, O.J. Mayo

Running back Reggie Bush led USC to the 2005 and 2006 championship games. Quaternion years later, the NCAA came down pat hard happening the Trojans for improper gifts and benefits stipendiary by agents to Bush and former USC cager O.J. Mayo.

The NCAA ruled USC had to vacate 14 wins from the 2004 and 2005 football seasons in which Bush played, including the 2005 Orange Bowl in which the Trojans won the national championship. The school was banned from the postseason for cardinal years and had to surrender 30 scholarships ended a three-year span.

USC issued self-imposed sanctions for the basketball curriculum, including vacated wins from games Mayo played in the 2007-08 season and a one-year postseason ban, which the NCAA accepted as all the punishment needed.

The scandals rocked the USC athletic department, preeminent to a complete overhaul of the top spots at the school. Bush announced in September 2010 that atomic number 2 would return the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.

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Boston College Point Shave

When it comes to gambling, everybody is always trying to find an edge. Being able to touch on the upshot of a game is usually a surefire way to gain that edge over an opponent.

In the 1978-79 season, mob-affiliated gamblers — some of whom were the basis for the 1990 Martin Scorcese film "Goodfellas" — paid trine members of the Boston College men's basketball team to suffer them purposely affect how the Eagles would perform against the taper off spread in several games.

After becoming a government source, Henry Hill told prosecutors BC forward Rick Kuhn, shooting guard Ernie Cobb and point sentry duty Jim Sweeney accepted money to purposely keep games closer than they may have other than been.

Cobb admitted to accepting $1,000 simply wasn't prosecuted. Sweeney fessed up to taking $500 under duress and escaped criminal prosecution. Kuhn acknowledged his role in the scandal and was the only one convicted. Finally, the mobsters ready-made money in at least four games but lost money in three.

Philadelphia Eagles Bounty Bowl

The rivalry between the City of Brotherly Love Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is one of the most ferocious in the NFL and all of sports in the main — and the hard feelings came to a boil on Thanksgiving Day, 1989. During one of the most-watched games of the year, Eagles linebacker Jessie Slender leveled Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas with a hit that now would be well-advised egregiously illegal.

Zendejas, who had newly been released by the Eagles in a way that left bad blood along some sides, staggered off the field. Information technology later came knocked out that Eagles head coach Pal Ryan had offered a $200 bounty to anyone who took the kicker out. Worried about the escalating situation, an Eagles staff member called Zendejas beforehand to warn him of the bounty.

Pictured: Head coach Buddy Ryan of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1989

Michigan Basketball 'Fab Five' Scandal

The Boodle basketball curriculum had one of the most celebrated recruiting classes of all clock in 1991, a group that became known as the "Fab Five." However, the group's legacy was stained by a outrage involving payments from a Michigan booster.

Ed Martin, a early autoworker WHO was eventually charged with running an illegal gambling business sector and laundering money, admitted to lending $616,000 to tetrad Boodle players in the 1980s and '90s. One of them was one of the almost celebrated members of the Pleasing Phoebe, Chris Webber.

The Fab V led Michigan to the Closing Little Jo in 1992 and 1993. But in response to Webber's involvement in the Martin scandal, Michigan self-imposed a punishment in November 2002, vacating the entire 1992 flavor, Webber's intermediate year. The NCAA added more sanctions in English hawthorn 2003, including having Webber disassociate from the program for 10 years.

Webber, who went on to NBA fame and portion, pleaded guilty in July 2003 to a thrill of malefactor contempt systematic to avoid jail time. He admitted to untruthful before a grand jury and to receiving $38,200 from Martin. Martin previously testified that he gave Webber $280,000, a claim denied by Webber and his attorney.

Formula One Race-Fixing Contention

Although Formula One Racing is moment to NASCAR in the United States, the circuit boasts oodles of American fans — and the pure order of magnitude of the 2008 race-fastener controversy earns the scandal a place on this list. That twelvemonth, on the 14th lap of the Singapore Grand Prix, Renault F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed into the paries to cause a condom car stoppage knowledgeable that his teammate, Fernando Alonso, had antimonopoly exited the pit ahead of the multitude. Alonso, having started in the 15th position, won the race.

Although he initially said the crash was the solvent of a acuminate mistake, Picket future so-called that his team up had told him to crash along determination, an allegation that triggered a massive race-fixing investigation. The Renault F1 team was officially charged, much of the team was disbanded, and eventually, information technology was disqualified from Formula Combined. It remains the darkest chapter in Formula One history.

Tulane Point Shaving

In April 1985, three Tulane basketball players (including the team's star John "Hot Rod" Williams), three students at the university and two others were indicted in a point-shaving scheme.

The players were accused of shaving points in two games in February 1985, with a third game mentioned in the bill of indictment. The bill of indictment aforesaid $13,500 was neck-deep in a convert Memphis State and $3,500 in a win finished Southern Mississippi.

The day the indictments came out, Tulane announced it was dropping its basketball program. Aside from the point-shave, IT was discovered the school's basketball coaching staff was making illegal payments to players.

Williams, who went on to have a nine-year NBA career, was proven twice for the manoeuver-shaving dirt. After his first case ended in a mistrial, he was acquitted in the second one.

Three years after the scandals broke, the Tulane basketball program was reinstated.

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Miami Booster Malicious gossip

The University of Miami athletic section has been atomic number 102 alien to money-related sports scandals.

In 1994, a Miami Foretel investigation discovered Hurricanes football players were paid bounties for puffy plays in football game games, with awards set by former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Joseph Campbell. In 1995, the NCAA set up Miami unrighteous of multiple rules violations that included excessive financial awards, Pell Grant fraud, pay up-for-play payouts and failure to follow its own drug-testing policy.

In 2002, Miami booster Nevin Shapiro upped the ante in a big mode. Between 2002 and 2011, Shapiro, who was sent to prison house for spurting a $930 million Ponzi scheme, said He gave improper gifts and benefits to 73 Hurricanes football players, as well as athletes on the five and other sports. Shapiro, who spelled come out his actions through jailhouse interviews with Yahoo Sports, allegedly dispensed money, prostitutes, cars and vacations (among many other gifts) to the players. Shapiro same at to the lowest degree seven coaches and university officials knew of his gifts.

Miami self-obligatory sanctions in November 2012, which included a postseason football game ban. The NCAA followed that up with more sanctions in October 2022, locution that Miami was to fall behind nine football scholarships and leash basketball game scholarships over three years. It also issued a five-game suspension for former basketball coach Weenie Haith, who had moved from Miami to Missouri by then, and three geezerhood' probation for Miami and former penalties.

Pictured: Nevin Shapiro, far outside, with Miami football game players

Cognitive operation Slapshot

Rick Tocchet was one of the best players in hockey during his 22-class NHL vocation. By 2006, he was the assistant coach to Wayne Gretzky for the Phoenix Coyotes, only then Tocchet's calling came crumbling down. That class, authorities unveiled a sweeping investigation dubbed "Operation Slapshot," which had uncovered a gambling round led by Rick Tocchet and a corrupt N trooper.

The details were lurid — the ring was directly fastened to organized law-breaking and Wayne Gretzky's own married woman was accused of placing bets. She was ne'er supercharged, but Tocchet, the trooper and various others were. Tocchet received probation and the trooper acceptable significant prison time. There's atomic number 102 evidence that any bets active hockey games.

Pictured: Hockey coach Rick Tocchet

NBA Ref Tim Donaghy

Longtime NBA reader Tim Donaghy was the exchange figure in the biggest money scandal in NBA history. A former classmate of Donaghy's named Jimmy Battista conspired with the official to rig games to stay within the point spread, with Donaghy earning capable $2,000 in illicit funds for all game that he directly influenced with on purpose evil calls.

In 2007, an witnesser squealed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that underworld figures had an NBA referee in their pockets. Donaghy resigned in 2007 — it later came out that he'd been gambling on NBA games since 2003. He pled guilty to federal charges and served time in prison. Information technology was the biggest scandal in professional sports since the 1919 Black Sox incident.

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