Poll - Greatest Sports Scandal

[Digetydog]

Even a school as "enlightened" as Stanford seems to try and trivialize these crimes.

The response from the Stanford community was swift, appropriate and fair. First, two students saw what was happening and acted to stop it. Second, Stanford quickly "investigated" the incident and banned the rapist from campus. Finally, Stanford cooperated with the police investigation and the prosecution by the District Attorney.

Unfortunately, the Judge thought the rape didn't deserve a prison sentence?

[peruna81]

Then there was the night I snuck Betty Lou into my dorm room. She was a good sport in a scandalous type of way.

Clement has "__ _____", Mrydel has "The Betty Lou"

[Topper]

I didn't have time to look for the newspaper clippings from the early 70s but a scandal that was never given much scrutiny was the UT-Texas State Capitol printing shop scam. The Legislature paid some of the Longhorn football players to work in their print shop. Only one problem: There was no print shop. The newspaper accounts (don't remember if it was in the Statesman but I saw it in one of the Dallas papers) said "don't worry, NCAA not interested. " UTdid a self investigation and determined that it was all a big mistake and that the practice wouldn't continue.

You can add any number of UT athlete robberies of homeless street people, athlete sales of tickets to boosters, and creepy sexual assaults including second string quarterbacks who watched teammates cavorting with drunken women to the over-all list of smoke coming from the bonfire of violations in Austin.

[mrydel]

I used to hunt with some UT players. They told me about a couple of their better teammates, one an All American running back who were given summer jobs guarding a beach in Hawaii for $2500/month. Lots of money in around 1970. I asked what hours they had to work and if they had to be armed. I was told I did not understand. They were to guard the beach. Lay on it, walk in it, keep your eye on it and make sure no one stole the beach.

[No Quarter]

In no particular order the list should have included:

The CCNY point shaving, ca 1949,which was well known in its day.

The West Point cheating scandal in 1951 which included the dismissal of 37 football players.

The 1980 "no mas" fight with Sugar Ray Leonard where Roberto Duran quit and took the money and ran.

Really, you could make a list of boxing scandals alone, including several involving Ali, in and out of the ring, although he became an ionic figure.