Sports have a long history, and many historic scandals have occurred throughout sports history as well. Some sports scandals have stood the test of time and remained in the public consciousness for decades. Below, you’ll learn about some of the biggest sports scandals that ever happened.
The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Scandal
This is the most infamous scandal in Olympic figure skating history. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were rival ice skaters who were both seriously talented. In 1994, Kerrigan was attacked by a man with a metal pole and had her leg seriously injured right before the United States Figure Skating Championships event. Kerrigan accused Harding, her ex-husband, and her bodyguard of a conspiracy that saw them hire a man to break her leg.
Harding wound up being banned from Olympic figure skating, but she was accepted back into the program after threatening legal action. The following Olympic games saw Harding place eighth while the recovered Kerrigan placed second and procured a silver medal. It’s a very memorable sports moment despite Kerrigan not winning the Gold. While the exact facts behind the attack on Kerrigan remain somewhat unclear, this is still one of the biggest sports scandal stories ever.
The Pete Rose Scandal
Pete Rose is an all-time great baseball player, but now his name is synonymous with scandal. He bet on games and had a severe gambling problem. Rose was even found to have bet on games while acting as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He has been permanently banned from the MLB and the Hall of Fame despite the obvious talent that he displayed during his playing days.
The Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics Bribery Scandal
Salt Lake City wanted to host the Winter Olympics for a very long time. This city had a great setup for the Winter Olympic Games but was being overlooked due to American cities having hosted the Olympics recently. City officials bribed the IOC members that were voting on the city that would host the 2002 games and won in a landslide. After some time passed, the bribery was revealed and it tainted the way that people looked at things moving forward.
Michael Vick
Michael Vick is a talented quarterback who has had many successful seasons in the NFL. He wound up spending time in jail due to operating a dog fighting ring. Vick’s arrest was shocking to the public and the NFL when it occurred. After serving time, Vick made a comeback as a starting quarterback in the league, but many wondered whether he deserved a second chance at all.