What Sport Makes The Most Money 2017

17 Worst Money Scandals in Sports

In college and the pros, there are many scandals to personify recovered.

The Chicago Black Sox

To this day, whatsoever member of the MLB who gambles on games that they can directly influence has committed baseball's five sin. The reason for that can be traced to 1919 and the ordeal of the Chicago Black Sox. From "Shoeless Joe" and "Suppose information technology Ain't thus, Joe" to "Field of Dreams" and "8 Hands Out," songs, books and movies have been written some the most infamous scandal in baseball game history.

The 1919 World Series ended with the heavily favored Windy City White Sox losing to the Cincinnati Reds five games to three in a rare best of 9 World Series. Surmisal of an inside specify spread almost immediately as word got roughly that several key players from the notoriously underpaid Pure Sox team were given immediate payment to throw the series. Evidence soon emerged to show that players had met with gangsters led past crime boss Arnold Rothstein and accepted bribes to underachieve. Charges were brought, but every of the accused players were found not guilty. Despite that outcome, eight players — forever known as the Black Sox — were banned from baseball game for animation either for being in on the fix or knowing about information technology and remaining silent.

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Pictured: Group shot of the 1919 White Sox baseball team

OH State Football Tattoo Scandal

Current college athletes can clear a lot from their schools' sports programs, just they aren't supposed to benefit from sports memorabilia.

That didn't stop members of the Ohio State football squad in 2010. Five players, including wi protrusive quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were suspended for the prime five games of the 2011 harden later on information technology was found they listed championship rings, jerseys and awards in regularize to get tattoos.

Rather than stand by for a shortened elder season, Pryor declared himself eligible for the NFL's 2011 subsidiary draft. The Oakland Raiders selected Pryor in the third base round.

The Buckeyes coach at the time, Jim Tressel, resigned on May 30, 2011, in the wake of the scandal. Information technology was antecedently disclosed he knew about the tattoo scandal before it came to light and had been suspended for two games in the 2011 season. He was also penalised $250,000 for keeping IT under wraps. Buckeye State State also received a annual bowl ban for the scandal.

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2002 Tasty Lake Urban center Olympics Scandal

At the turn of the millennium, constituted representatives for Salt Lake City were snared in a bribery scandal that nearly caused the demise of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Olympiad is a money-spinner and global competition to host the games is fierce. After existence spurned by the Foreign Olympic Committee (IOC) fourfold in the past, the Tasty Lake Organizing Citizens committee (SLOC) decided to write out several corners. The scandal went public in 1998 when the city beat out rival cities in Switzerland, Sweden and Canada.

It soon came out that SLOC showered tip IOC officials and their families with millions of dollars in "gifts," including scholarships, NBA tickets, plastic surgery and other medical treatment, housing and salaries for the children of IOC members, and good, old-fashioned cash. The Justice Department filed charges, but the accused were acquitted — they hadn't done anything illegal. Top officials in both organizations, however, were expelled and the scandal forced major changes in how Host cities are selected.

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Pictured: Tomcat Welch, sometime president of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee, walks into Federal Court in business district Salt Lake City for the start daytime of his trial in the Field bribery dirt.

Untested Orleans Saints Bountygate

Between 2009-11, dozens of New Orleans Saints players deliberately tried to injure opposing players for profit. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams unionized a network of players and coaches who pooled money to create consecrated funds used to pay players as mercenaries. Between 22-27 Saints players chased bounties that ranged from $100 for pinning a kicker inside the 20 to $10,000 for knocking a player unconscious of a playoff game.

IT was ulterior disclosed that key players like quarterbacks Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Hasselbeck and River Cam Sir Isaac Newton had an especially large bullseye on their backs. Eventually, insiders tipped off the NFL, the story stone-broke, the Saints were fined $500,000, Williams was delayed indefinitely and many others accepted lesser fines and suspensions.

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Pictured: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) being hit by New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita (55) and Anthony Hargrove.

Point Shaving in the 1950s

In 1951, 32 players from seven schools were involved in a point-shaving scandal that encumbered gamblers with ties to gangland. The players Byzantine in the scandal manipulated direct spread to help the gamblers win their bets.

Seven of the players were on the City College of Unexampled York team that South Korean won some the NCAA championship and the NIT title in the 1949-50 season. New schools that had players involved enclosed Perennial Island University, Bradley, NYU, Kentucky, Manhattan College and Toledo.

Most of the players involved either received supported sentences, were acquitted of their charges or had them dropped altogether. The bribes they received ranged from $50 a week to lump sums of up to $3,000.

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

SMU Football Receives 'Last Penalty'

In 1985, the NCAA discovered that Southern Methodist University and its boosters had been paying football players to turn there, and the school was subsequently put on probation for three years. When it was revealed that SMU continuing stipendiary players in 1986, the NCAA levied its toughest sanctions, known as the "executing," along Feb. 25, 1987.

Under the ruling, SMU was forced to sit kayoed the 1987 football time of year and would not be allowed to playact house games in 1988. Without menage games, the school definite non to field a squad at beat 1988.

Over the next 20 years, SMU had only one attractive season. Adjusted for inflation, CNBC estimated that SMU destroyed "at to the lowest degree $25 million" based on descending fan support during that time.

This remains the only time the NCAA has handed out the death penalty to a football plan. Information technology has been used quaternity times for other sports programs, though: University of Southwestern Pelican State basketball (1973-75), University of Bluegrass State basketball (1952-53), Morehouse College Soccer (2004-05) and MacMurray College Tennis (2005-07).

Pete Pink wine Gambling Outrage

The great Pete Rose played Majors Baseball for 24 years from 1963-86, start at 22 years old and retiring at the age of 45. During that time washed-out mostly with the Reds and Phillies, he was named MVP, Rookie of the Year and World Serial MVP for one of his three Public Series victories. He went to 17 All-Star games and won three Batting Titles, deuce Gold Gloves and a Flatware Slugger. Buckeye State, and he racked upwards 4,256 career hits, to a higher degree Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial operating theatre anyone else who has ever so played the game — yet he's not in the Hall of Fame. No matter his stature, He had bound up what has been baseball's well-nig unforgivable act since 1919.

In March 1989, Rose was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds when MLB commissioner St. Peter the Apostl Ueberroth announced an investigation into serious allegations of Rose betting on baseball. Roseate initially said that while atomic number 2 gambled at the track, He never placed an extrajudicial bet on and never bespoken the cardinal blunder of gambling on an MLB game. A flood tide of witnesses emerged and Rose's story unraveled. He was banned from baseball — and the Charles Martin Hall of Fame — for life, served fin months in prison and paying a $50,000 fine. Rose insists to this day that helium never stake against his possess team and no evidence to the contrary has ever so been presented.

Portrayed: Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose talks with reporters in the Reds' pirogue ahead the bug out of a game in Plant Urban center, Florida.

USC Canonic Over Reggie Bush, O.J. Mayo

Running back Reggie Bush led USC to the 2005 and 2006 backing games. Four years later, the NCAA came down hard on the Trojans for improper gifts and benefits paid by agents to Bush-league and former USC basketball player 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 South Korean won the national backing. The school was banned from the postseason for two days and had to deliver 30 scholarships over a three-year span.

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

The scandals rocked the USC mesomorphic department, leading to a complete renovation of the top spots at the school. Inferior announced in Sep 2010 that he would return the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.

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Boston College Power point Shaving

When it comes to gambling, everybody is always trying to find an edge. Being able to affect the termination 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 Dean Martin Scorcese cinema "Goodfellas" — paid three members of the Boston College men's basketball game team to have them purposely affect how the Eagles would perform against the point spread in several games.

After becoming a government source, Henry Hill told prosecutors Before Christ forward Rick Kuhn, shot guard Ernie Cobb and repoint sentry duty Jim Sweeney accepted money to purposely keep games closer than they whitethorn have otherwise been.

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

Philadelphia Eagles Bounty Arena

The rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is one of the most ferocious in the NFL and all of sports in general — and the hard feelings came to a seethe on Thanksgiving Day, 1989. During unity of the almost-watched games of the year, Eagles linebacker Jessie Small leveled Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas with a hit that today would be thoughtful egregiously illegal.

Zendejas, WHO had recently been released by the Eagles in a way that left bad rip along some sides, staggered off the subject. IT later came out that Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan had offered a $200 bounteousness to anyone who took the kicker kayoed. Worried about the escalating situation, an Eagles staff extremity titled Zendejas beforehand to warn him of the bounty.

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

Michigan Basketball 'Fab V' Scandal

The Michigan basketball program had one of the most celebrated recruiting classes of entirely time in 1991, a group that became titled the "Fab Five." All the same, the group's legacy was tarnished by a scandal involving payments from a Michigan booster dose.

ED Mary Martin, a erstwhile autoworker World Health Organization was eventually negatively charged with running an illegal gambling clientele and laundering money, admitted to lending $616,000 to four Michigan players in the 1980s and '90s. One of them was one of the most celebrated members of the Fab Five, Chris Webber.

The Fab Five light-emitting diode Michigan to the Unalterable Four in 1992 and 1993. But in reply to Webber's interest in the Martin scandal, Michigan self-imposed a penalization in November 2002, vacating the integral 1992 mollify, Webber's sophomore year. The NCAA added more sanctions in May 2003, including having Webber disassociate from the program for 10 years.

Webber, who went on to NBA celebrity and fortune, pleaded guilty in July 2003 to a charge of wrong contempt in rescript to avoid jail clock. He admitted to lying in front a grand jury and to receiving $38,200 from Steve Martin. Martin antecedently testified that He gave Webber $280,000, a claim denied by Webber and his lawyer.

Formula One Race-Fixing Controversy

Although Rule One Racing is second to NASCAR in the United States, the circuit boasts scores of North American country fans — and the sheer magnitude of the 2008 speed-mend controversy earns the scandal a plaza on this list. That year, on the 14th circuit of the Singapore Grand Prix, Renault F1 driver Nelson Picket Jr. deliberately crashed into the surround to stimulate a safety car stoppage lettered that his teammate, Fernando Alonso, had just exited the pit ahead of the pack. Alonso, having started in the 15th position, won the race.

Although he initially same the collapse was the result of a acerate mistake, Piquet later alleged that his team had told him to crash intentionally, an allegation that triggered a massive race-fixing investigating. The Renault F1 team was officially charged, much of the team was disbanded, and eventually, it was ineligible from Formula One. It remains the darkest chapter in Formula One account.

Tulane Full point Shaving

In Apr 1985, tierce Tulane basketball players (including the team up's superstar John "Baking hot Rod" Williams), three students at the university and two others were indicted in a point-shaving dodge.

The players were accused of shaving points in two games in February 1985, with a ordinal game mentioned in the indictment. The indictment said $13,500 was involved in a win concluded Memphis State and $3,500 in a convert Southern Mississippi.

The day the indictments came out, Tulane announced it was falling its basketball program. Aside from the point-skimming, it was disclosed the school's basketball coaching job faculty was making illegal payments to players.

Williams, who went connected to have a cardinal-year NBA life history, was tried twice for the point-shave malicious gossip. After his first case ended in a mistrial, he was acquitted in the second unmatchable.

Three years aft the scandals broke, the Tulane basketball course of study was reinstated.

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Miami Booster Scandal

The University of Miami muscular section has been zero stranger to money-related sports scandals.

In 1994, a Miami Herald investigation discovered Hurricanes football game players were paid bounties for bighearted plays in football games, with awards set by late 2 Live Crew rapper Martin Luther Campbell. In 1995, the NCAA found Miami guilty of multiple rules violations that included excessive financial awards, Pell Assignment impostor, pay-for-act as payouts and failure to follow its own drug-testing insurance.

In 2002, Miami booster Nevin Shapiro upped the ante with much to-do. Between 2002 and 2011, Shapiro, who was sent to prison for running a $930 million Ponzi scheme, said he gave improper gifts and benefits to 73 Hurricanes football game players, as well as athletes on the basketball team and other sports. Shapiro, who spelled dead his actions through jailhouse interviews with Yahoo Sports, allegedly dispensed money, prostitutes, cars and vacations (among many a other gifts) to the players. Shapiro said at least seven coaches and university officials knew of his gifts.

Miami voluntary sanctions in November 2012, which enclosed a postseason football Bachelor of Arts in Nursing. The NCAA followed that up with more sanctions in October 2022, saying that Miami was to lose nine football game scholarships and ternary basketball scholarships complete three geezerhood. It besides issued a fivesome-back suspension for former basketball game coach Frank Haith, who had moved from Miami to Missouri aside then, and three long time' probation for Miami and other penalties.

Pictured: Nevin Shapiro, far right, with Miami football players

Operation Slapshot

Crick Tocchet was unrivalled of the best players in hockey during his 22-year NHL career. By 2006, he was the adjunct bus to Wayne Gretzky for the Phoenix Coyotes, merely then Tocchet's career came crumbling down. That year, authorities unveiled a broad investigation dubbed "Operation Slapshot," which had exposed a gambling ring light-emitting diode by Rick Tocchet and a debauch New Jersey state trooper.

The inside information were lurid — the knell was straightaway tied to gangland and Wayne Gretzky's personal wife was accused of placing bets. She was ne'er charged, but Tocchet, the trooper and several others were. Tocchet acceptable probation and the trooper received significant prison prison term. There's zero evidence that any bets involved hockey games.

Delineated: Hockey coach Rick Tocchet

NBA Ref Tim Donaghy

Longtime NBA referee Tim Donaghy was the central figure in the biggest money scandal in NBA history. A former class fellow of Donaghy's named Lever Battista conspired with the formalized to rig games to stay within the betoken spread, with Donaghy earning adequate to $2,000 in illicit funds for each game that he directly influenced with intentionally badness calls.

In 2007, an informant squealed to the FBI that underworld figures had an NBA ref in their pockets. Donaghy resigned in 2007 — it later came out that he'd been gambling on NBA games since 2003. Atomic number 2 pled guilty to federal charges and served time in prison house. It was the biggest scandal in master sports since the 1919 Black Sox incident.

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