Sports Scandals Read online

  SPORTS SCANDALS

  Peter Finley, Laura Finley, and Jeffrey Fountain

  Scandals in American History

  GREENWOOD PRESS

  Westport, Connecticut London

  Published in 2008

  CONTENTS

  Series Foreword

  Preface

  Timeline: Significant Scandals in U.S. Sports

  Violence: Fights, Bites, Murder, and Mayhem

  Drugs: Cocaine, Steroids, and an Asterisk

  Gambling, Game-Fixing, and Shaving Points

  Sex: Assault, Harassment, Cover-ups, and Accusations

  Cheating, Academic Fraud, and Boosters Run Amok

  Racist and Other Regrettable Commentary

  Politics, Collusion, Stolen Victories, and Other Odds and Ends

  Notes

  Bibliography

  SERIES FOREWORD

  Scandal is a part of daily life in America. The evidence is everywhere, from the business world, with its Enrons, Ponzi schemes, and insider trades, to the political arena, where scandals are so pervasive that, for shorthand purposes, we simply add ''-gate'' to each new one (Watergate, Travelgate, Spitzergate, and so on). Cultural phenomena that are designed to entertain, inform, and distract us-television, film, popular music, sports, media-have also been touched by the fickle finger of scandal. Even religion, the one area of life that is intended to uplift and guide Americans, has not been immune to the taint of scandal.

  Scandal, which can be defined as something that offends propriety or established moral codes and brings disgrace on anyone or any organization associated with it, is not a modern invention. It has been with us since the days of the Salem witch trials and Boss Tweed, and it resurfaces in many of today's breaking news events. To bring this subject into the open and to offer a wider historical view of such a major and often overlooked aspect of U.S. history-one that is of abiding interest to students-Greenwood developed this series of reference works. These volumes examine the causes and impacts of scandal within key areas of American life-politics, sports, media, business, popular music, television, film, religion, and more. Prepared by field experts and professionals, the volumes are written to inform and educate high school and undergraduate college students as well as to engage and entertain students and general readers alike. As reference tools, they place scandals within a wider social and cultural context. But as general histories, they are fun to read from cover to cover.

  The volumes have been carefully written and edited to ensure that a diversity of viewpoints surrounding each scandal is included. Because many of the issues that touched off scandals have never been resolved, the books in this series can be used to spark classroom debate as well as to examine the ethical issues that come into play. Each volume is enhanced with a timeline, illustrations, and a bibliography so that students can read further and in more detail about subjects that pique their interest, as well as to augment the reading and learning experience.

  PREFACE

  It could be argued that the history of the United States is rife with scandals.

  From the genocide committed by Christopher Columbus to Watergate to the current debate over CIA-perpetrated torture of prisoners, one can learn a lot about the values and structures prevailing in the country by better understanding its various scandals. Understanding what happened, who was involved, and the fallout from a scandal allows us to examine our cultural beliefs as well as critically look at our systems and institutions.

  But why sports scandals? Surely those are not nearly so important. ''It's just sport,'' some might say, ''intended to amuse and entertain, and not worthy of this type of serious examination.'' We disagree. The sport industry is one of the biggest industries in the United States. At worst, it is the eleventh largest industry in the United States, and one estimate put it sixth. Second, sports receive a tremendous amount of media coverage. USA Today, the most widely read newspaper in the country, devotes one quarter of its coverage to sports.

  Third, there are few places where children are more likely to look for role models than the world of sports. Surely more high school students can tell you about their favorite sports stars than about a Supreme Court justice Indeed, sports scandals are instructive for all the same reasons as other scandals.

  For instance, the current discussions about steroid abuse highlight the broader concerns about drugs in the last forty to fifty years. Although sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence have occurred throughout all of history, they were not problems that were discussed openly until the 1970s-thus the more recent coverage of cases involving athletes and coaches accused of rape, assault, or harassment. Learning about sports scandals also helps highlight social inequalities. For instance, the debate about whether shock jock Don Imus should have lost his job for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team ''nappy-headed hos'' is indicative of the competing attitudes about racially and sexually offensive commentary and the limits of free speech.

  Sports scandals can be used to teach history as well, in that they are many times in sync with other historical events. Learning about Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their gloved fists at the 1968 Olympics can help people understand the civil rights struggle and the various responses to it. Likewise, Muhammad Ali's struggle to attain conscientious-objector status during the Vietnam War demonstrates some of the competing perspectives about that war and about the struggle for rights at home. More recently, former NBA basketball player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 's decision not to stand for the playing of ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' paralleled the debate about what it truly means to be a patriot in this country and how much freedom, exactly, an athlete could have in expressing himself and his religious faith.

  Like other scandals, sports scandals can prompt needed dialogue about and examination of institutions. Most often, they push sport teams and organizations to examine their own policies, as in the case of penalties for steroid use or recruiting violations. Sometimes scandals even usher in discussion of public policy and law, like the Duke lacrosse case did with the judicial system when three players were falsely accused of rape in 2006.

  Sports scandals are certainly not unique to America. Although there are sports scandals in other countries, the focus here is on scandals involving American athletes, coaches, and teams, as well as leagues and events that are based here, such as the National Hockey League, Boston Marathon, and Little League World Series.

  Certainly there is no dearth of scandals that could be examined. In fact, each chapter of this text could be expanded into a book, and many of the individual entries could as well. However, the objective of this text was to present the essential facts of many scandals, with attention to including the ''rest of the story.'' We endeavored to present the impact of the scandals, including what happened to the people involved years after the story fell away from the front pages of the popular press.

  Deciding which scandals to include was no simple task. We examined the literature on sports scandals in order to discern logical categories. Then, using that literature, we selected the entries that received considerable attention in sources including USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and the Associated Press. We selected some of the most important scandals in several categories.

  A total of eighty-six entries is included. We then selected between five and sixteen scandals in each area, emphasizing the diversity of cases and varying responses to similar situations. While undoubtedly there were plenty of scandals in previous centuries, the vast majority of entries in this book occurred in the twentieth century. Part of that decision was tied to coverage, since media has certainly paid more attention to scandals in the world of sports in more recent times.

  The boo
k is divided into seven sections, examining sports scandals related to gambling, sex, drugs, cheating, violence, outrageous commentary, and odds and ends, for a total of eighty-six entries. It is our hope that readers not only learn about sports scandals, but enjoy the reading. We have tried to write in a user-friendly and engaging style and provide ample coverage of the scandal, its immediate fallout, and its legacy.

  The authors all have a long history of involvement in sport, both personally as well as professionally. Jeffrey Fountain holds two degrees in sport administration and has helped run a large summer camp for several years. He is a professor of sport administration at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida. Peter Finley is also a professor of sport administration at NSU and the coauthor of two previous works on current issues in sport. In addition, he was a collegiate athlete on a national championship-winning cross country team, and a highly successful high school track coach. Laura Finley holds a Ph.D. in sociology and is director of the Center for Living and Teaching Peace in Florida. She has coauthored two books on current issues in sport, as well as numerous other publications. Like Peter, she was on a national championship winning cross country team and was also a scholarship athlete on a Division I team.

  Readers, including high school and college students as well as those in the general public, should find Sports Scandals a useful and intriguing examination of a very interesting topic. The references cited provide readers with an important tool for conducting additional research as well.

  TIMELINE : SIGNIFICANT SCANDALS IN U.S. SPORTS

  1866

  Cyclist collapses during race in Europe after taking a combination of cocaine and heroin to enhance his speed and endurance.

  1877

  Louisville Grays expel players for selling games.

  1919

  Chicago White Sox fix the World Series.

  1951

  Point-shaving scandal at City College of New York (CCNY).

  New York Giants steal signs to win pennant race.

  1961

  Ninety cadets resign from West Point, thirty-seven on the football team, for cheating.

  Thirty-seven basketball players from twenty-two colleges, including Columbia, St. John's, New York University, North Carolina State, and the University of Connecticut, are arrested for point shaving.

  1967

  International Olympic Committee (IOC) develops list of banned substances.

  Boxer Muhammad Ali's (Cassius Clay) title is revoked when he refuses to be inducted into the U.S. military.

  1968

  First doping tests at the Mexico City Olympics.

  U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists in Black Power salute on the podium at the Mexico City Olympics.

  1971

  U.S. Supreme Court reverses Muhammad Ali's conviction of draft evasion.

  1972

  U.S. Olympic basketball team is denied gold medal in questionable call.

  1975

  International Olympic Committee bans anabolic steroids.

  1977

  Los Angeles Laker Kermit Washington punches Houston Rocket Rudy Tomjanovich during game, referred to as ''The Punch.''

  1978-79

  Point-shaving scandal at Boston College involving Mafioso Henry Hill.

  1980

  Rose Ruiz rides subway to win Boston Marathon.

  1983

  Kansas City player George Brett tars his bat in game against the Yankees.

  1985

  Tulane University drops men's basketball after point-shaving scandal involving star John ''Hot Rod'' Williams.

  1986

  NCAA initiates drug testing program.

  Beginning of collusion allegations in Major League Baseball.

  Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces suspension of eleven players because of cocaine.

  Boston Celtics draft pick Len Bias dies from cocaine overdose.

  1987

  Southern Methodist University is given NCAA death penalty for recruiting violations.

  Executive president of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Al Kampanis, comments on Nightline that blacks are incapable of holding management positions.

  1988

  Margo Adams files suit, claiming four-time American League batting champion Wade Boggs breached a contract with her when he failed to leave his wife.

  Announcer Jimmy ''the Greek'' Snyder is fired from CBS for making racist remarks.

  Carl Lewis is awarded the 100-meter medal after Canadian Ben Johnson tests positive for stanozolol.

  Boxer Roy Jones Jr. is robbed of gold medal.

  1989

  A group of high school athletes sexually assault a mentally retarded girl in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

  Pete Rose becomes fifteenth person banned from baseball due to gambling.

  1990

  Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent bans legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner from involvement with the team.

  Reporter Lisa Olson faces sexual harassment in the locker room of the New England Patriots.

  1991

  Mississippi State football coach Jackie Sherrill has a bull castrated on the practice field to 'motivate'' his team.

  Magic Johnson announces he is HIV positive.

  1992

  Zamboanga City, Philippines, wins Little League World Series with ineligible players.

  Figure-skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked while preparing for the Olympic trials.

  Mike Tyson is convicted of raping beauty contestant Desiree Washington.

  1993

  Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, is suspended for making racist comments.

  NBA investigates Michael Jordan on allegations of gambling.

  Gambling scandal at Arizona State ends in seven men jailed.

  1994

  Point-shaving scandals involving both men's basketball and football teams at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

  1995

  O. J. Simpson acquitted of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

  1996

  Marge Schott again suspended for racist and insensitive remarks.

  Denver Nugget Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf causes stir when he refuses to stand for national anthem.

  Security guard Richard Jewell is wrongly accused of setting off bomb in Atlanta's Olympic Park.

  1997

  Sportscaster Marv Albert is charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after attacking his date in a hotel room.

  Professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller makes racist comments regarding golfer Tiger Woods.

  Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson bites opponent Evander Holyfield's ear during match

  University of Michigan fires coach Steve Fischer due to scandal involving payments to Fab Five players.

  Golden State Warrior Latrell Sprewell chokes coach P. J. Carlesimo during practice.

  1998

  Former football player Reggie White makes degrading and homophobic speech.

  Atlanta Falcon Eugene Robinson is arrested for soliciting a prostitute.

  Former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth is accused of drive-by murder of his pregnant girlfriend.

  1999

  Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker spews racist and homophobic insults.

  2000

  University of Vermont president Judith Ramaley imposes the death penalty on her own university's hockey team due to horrific hazing.

  Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis is accused of murder in a post-Super Bowl melee.

  2001

  Three female students at the University of Colorado claim they were raped by players at a party.

  George O'Leary resigns before ever coaching for Notre Dame when inaccuracies on his resume are made public.

  2002

  Salt Lake City bribes the International Olympic Committee to host the Winter Olympic Games.

  Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams shoots limousine driver and covers it up.

  Federa
l agents investigate performance-enhancing substances being distributed from Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO).

  Three former fraternity brothers attempt to fix the Breeder's Cup Pick Six.

  2003

  New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey announces he will not ''stand'' for having a gay teammate, while Detroit Lions president Matt Millen calls Kansas City wide receiver Johnnie Morton ''a faggot.''

  Real Olympic Park bomber, Eric Rudolph, is captured.

  Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy is fired for partying with rivals' students after team loses.

  Mike Price is fired before he even coaches a game at Alabama due to indiscretions with drinking and strippers.

  Katelyn Faber accuses LA Laker star Kobe Bryant of rape.

  Baylor basketball player Carlton Dotson shoots and kills teammate Patrick Dennehy, leading to widespread cover-up at the school implicating the team's coach.

  Former University of Michigan star Chris Webber pleads guilty to contempt charges for lying to a grand jury about taking money as a college player.

  University of Washington coach Rick Neuheisel is fired for partaking in neighborhood betting pool.

  Rush Limbaugh comments that black quarterback Donovan McNabb is over-rated, prompting public outcry and his resignation from ESPN