The shakeout of Deflategate and the accusations that Tom Brady somehow orchestrated taking air out of footballs in an NFL Playoff game is on everyone’s mind.
Because of the recent run of exceptionally bad publicity the National Football League has endured over several years, it is difficult to imagine they will let one of their biggest stars skate. There are some people that believe that the NFL is actually the fourth branch of government in the United States right behind the President, US Congress and the Supreme Court.
Given the legal parameters here is what might happen in regards to Mr Brady. There seems to be a clear violation of the ‘integrity of the game of football’ issue. It is very possible that Brady might be suspended at least one game to start the season and possibly even four games.
While that seems severe it pales in comparison in terms to some of the worst cheaters in the history of sports in this country.
1. Boxer Luis Resto, trainer Panama Lewis and Billy Collins Jr
On June 16, 1983, the light-hitting Resto defeated welterweight Billy Collins at Madison Square Garden, in a ten-round unanimous decision. When Collins’ trainer, his father, shook hands with Resto after the fight, he realised that some of the padding had been removed from his gloves. An investigation revealed Resto’s trainer Panama Lewis had in fact removed padding from his fighter’s gloves.
Collins suffered a torn iris and permanently blurred vision, effectively ending his career. One month later, Collins died in a car accident while intoxicated. In 1986, Resto and Lewis were put on trial and found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon (Resto’s hands) and conspiracy. Resto served two-and-a-half years in prison and never fought again while Lewis was banned for life as a trainer in New York. Nevertheless, after 15 years, Lewis was allowed back in the corner and returned to training boxers.
2. Major League Baseball’s all-time hit leader Pete Rose
In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose, agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball because of accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing and managing the Reds. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban anyone on the “permanently ineligible” list from induction into the Hall.
3. Chicago White Sox Black Sox scandal.
The scandal took place during the 1919 World Series between the heavily favoured White Sox and the underdog Cincinnati Reds. Eight White Sox players were later accused of intentionally losing games in exchange for money from gamblers. The players were acquitted in court, but nevertheless, they were all banned for life from baseball.
4. Bike racing legend Lance Armstrong
The Texas star won seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, however he was stripped of his crowns in 2012 after he admitted his guilt in a protracted doping scandal over a number of years. In 2012, a investigation revealed Armstrong had used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of his career and named him as the ringleader of “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program,” that sport has ever seen.
5. Steroid scandal in Major League Baseball
The use of performance-enhancing drugs ‘PEDs’ has plagued baseball in recent years. Former American league MVP Jose Canseco admitted on camera to being “juiced”. In February 2009, Alex Rodriguez tested positive and eventually was suspended the entire 2014 season. The late Ken Caminiti and former 1996 National League MVP also admitted he won the award while on steroids. A number of other players were suspected of using PEDs and their reputations have been tarnished.
6. Tim Donaghy, NBA referee
Donaghy was a referee in the NBA for 13 seasons from 1994-2007. Donaghy resigned from the league in 2007 before reports of an investigation by the FBI for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated during his last two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.
In 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation and was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison in 2008. He served 11 months in a federal prison but was sent back to prison for violating his release terms. Donaghy was released on November 4, 2009 after serving out his sentence.
7. NFL New Orleans Saints’ bountygate
The Saints head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, defensive assistant Joe and four players were suspended to varying degrees for their roles in a bounty scandal, where Saints players were awarded for big hits and injuries of opposing players starting with their Super Bowl-winning season of 2009.
8. NFL football New England Patroits’ spygate
The Patriots first earned their reputation as cheaters when they were discovered illegally filming the New York Jets defensive coaches signals in September 2007. New England was fined $250,000, lost their 2008 first-round draft pick and head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000.
9. Southern Methodist University football scandal, also known as Ponygate
The NCAA investigation revealed massive violations of rules. The most serious violation was the maintenance of a slush fund used for ‘under-the-table’ payments to players from the mid 1970s through 1986. As a result the NCAA gave SMU the so-called ‘death penalty’ and cancelled the entire 1987 SMU football season. It would take 20 years before SMU became relevant in college football.
10. Academic scandal University of North Carolina
In October 2014, it was reported the University of North Carolina had engaged in fraud and for 18 years advisers from the university had placed athletes into classes and wrote ‘fake papers’ to keep them eligible to play Division One sports.
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