Josh Sills, offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, was indicted on r*pe and kidnapping felony charges on the first of February, 2023. Sills isn't due in court until Feb. 16, and he isn't allowed to participate in any practice, games, or travel with the rest of his teammates for the time being.
All of this means he'll miss playing with the Eagles at the Super Bowl on Feb 12. It turns out karma really can bite you in the butt, huh? That unlucky decision paved the way for someone else to live his dream... This is a reminder for us all that one wrong step (or multiple charges of assault) could lead to missing your own moment of glory!
The Carolina Panthers QB is on the fast track to becoming the MVP of the league this year and headlines this year's Super Bowl. Let’s take it back to 2008, though. While serving as the backup quarterback at the University of Florida, Newton stole a student’s computer, which was worth $1,700.
Cam Newton was in for a shock when the authorities showed up at his dorm to investigate. So what did he do? He tossed it out of the window! Talk about cracking under pressure! Newton was charged with grand theft, burglary, and obstructing justice. He was forced to attend a pre-trial intervention before the charges were dropped. Come on now, Cam! Although we understand your 'innovative problem solving', why not just work with the law enforcement instead?
Peyton Manning is a NFL MVP, Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, future Hall of Famer and the ultimate gentleman. But, once upon a time, he did something kind of odd. During his days in college at Tennessee, he allegedly rubbed his, erm, “manhood”, on a trainer's face while she was examining his injured foot, which he claims was just a prank.
The court eventually sought justice on the university's behalf – and it was final. The trainer eventually received a settlement of $300,000 from the university as a result of this incident and similar run-ins. Thank goodness the victim got justice... right?
Barry Bonds was always suspected of using a little chemical boost to up his success in baseball, even long before any evidence was found to show the connection. But it wasn't until athletics trainer Greg Anderson stepped up and plead guilty to providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes that Barry Bonds was officially under scrutiny.
It looked like Barry's career may have received a boost after all, albeit from alleged illegal activity. He never specifically said Bonds was the one to commit the crime, but it was enough to take Bonds to court. The case was declared a mistrial, much to the dismay of Bonds' many critics... We may never know what really went down.
This sneaky, sneaky Pro Bowl linebacker tried to corrupt the NFL’s drug-testing program by swapping out urine samples. According to a source, Miller almost got away with it, except he wasn’t in town when the actual testing took place. “He’s fast, but he’s not that fast,” the source said.
Mike Miller just couldn't seem to keep it together. He faced the dreaded consequences of four-game suspensions after dishing over the league's substance abuse policy by a Sports Court jury of referees. Despite having his flaw painfully exposed, he knew that, at the end of it all, he'd still get the "A" for effort...
The scandal, lovingly referred to as "Deflategate," is one of the larger sports scandals in recent memory. The New England Patriots allegedly under-inflated footballs to secure a win against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC championship game. Brady was suspended for four games. The team was fined $1 million and had two of their draft picks taken away.
Brady went on to win three Super Bowl championships post-Deflategate, so it clearly didn't slow him down much. But he seems to have finally lost public favor with the fans since announcing his retirement in February 2022, then un-retiring literally just a month later—which then inspired his supermodel wife, Gisele Bündchen, to file divorce papers, after 13 years and two children. He chose his career and fame over his family, and it turned out to be his ultimate downfall. He just announced his (hopefully final) retirement in January 2023.
In 2013, Josh Norman drove around while his pregnant ex-girlfriend was on top of the car. Yes, you read that correctly. In one of the crazier domestic dispute cases involving an NFL player, it all started when he flew the girlfriend to Atlanta because he wanted to have her pregnancy aborted.
Unfortunately for Norman, she wasn't about to let him take her anywhere when tensions escalated during their argument. In a moment best described as "the world's craziest Hail Mary," she dug out one last ditch effort and climbed on top of the car to stop him from driving away. Even though this plan seemed crazy at first, she must have known at desperate times called for desperate measures.
Geez, it's hard to know where to begin with this guy. You've definitely heard of him if you're even somewhat familiar with NFL football – Cincinnati Bengals cornerback and all that unfortunate entertainment. Between his habit of traffic citations and accusations of assault at a bar during the bustling offseason, most fans are beginning to raise their eyebrows. Apparently, he slapped a girl across the face!
It's enough to make us scratch our heads and more. After all, he was repeatedly warned about the consequences of bad behavior for the last few years! As a man who routinely preaches 'Do as I say, not as I do,' he should really try taking his own advice... If this bloke wants to stay out of trouble, it may be in his best interest to take a hard look in the mirror.
After O.J. Simpson was acquitted of domestic murder charges in 1995, his once-thriving career quickly went down the toilet, pardon the pun. After experiencing immense fame as an athlete and entertainer, Simpson suddenly found himself widely ostracized by the public and unable to find consistent work for years afterward. His prior sponsors revoked their deals with him, and instead of getting NFL halftime shows and advertisements like before, he got bookings from small-name businesses such as rental cars and bankrupt steak houses.
He joined TikTok along with the rest of the world in 2020, and in 2021 his parole ended (from his 2008 arrest). While some fear he'll try to stage a comeback in Hollywood, something tells us the world hasn't quite forgotten yet. (And if you haven't watched 2016's The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, you really should). He recently passed away from cancer on April 10, 2024.
Ben Roethlisberger has an impressive record when it comes to his football career, but his off-field track record is a little dodgier. The Pittsburgh Steelers QB was accused of rape not once, but twice. though the charges from both accusations were dropped, the fact that he even had two allegations against him speaks volumes.
Though he received no charges in the end, two accusations still ain’t something you want showing up on your records . Hey Ben — we get it’s no easy time for you, but still... keep those negative vibes away! The incident makes us feel seriously uncomfortable....
Atlanta Falcons quarterback was the highest-paid and one of the most loved players in the NFL, though his image was forever tainted when it was revealed that he had a role in a dog fighting ring that was discovered on a property he owned in Virginia.
Vick lost his NFL salary and endorsement deals after he was convicted of federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. He served just 18 measly months in prison, but we don't think that was long enough! What kind of sick person enjoys watching dogs fight each other? That's psycho behavior!
An attack on Harding’s rival, Nancy Kerrigan, almost ruined two careers instead of just one. The attacker? A hitman hired by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt. Due to her ties with them, Harding was suspected of also having a hand in the hired hit of her rival.
She only pled guilty to “conspiracy to hinder prosecution” after her Olympics run in 1994. The public, however, never moved on from the incident; the beautiful Margot Robbie played Harding in the 2017 film I am Tonya.
Tyson’s trouble began in 1992 when he was convicted of r*pe and sentenced to six years in jail with four years of parole, though he only served a little under three of his six-year sentence. Though he was eventually released from bars, a sentence of four years of parole still scrambled up his plans. Tyson returned to the boxing ring, but more controversy struck in 1997.
It only got more chaotic for the former heavyweight champion as he transitioned back into boxing. Not only did competition remain stiff, but unprecedented drama accompanied his 1997 match against Evander Holyfield, in perhaps one of the most bizarre moments in professional sports history. Tyson wasted no time defending himself against the would-be champ — and took the occasional liberty of taking a large bite out of Holyfield’s right ear... chewy bits included.
Despite being a successful football player for the Dallas Cowboys, Greg Hardy found himself at the center of one of the most disturbing scenes imaginable. In 2014, Hardy was arrested after a violent domestic dispute with his girlfriend. Even worse, photos from the incident were released in November 2019.
These photos prompted even more shock and disbelief as they showed the graphic and unsettling content behind the heinous act. But despite the photographic evidence, the charges were eventually expunged from his record. Unfortunately, it all got tossed under the rug and justice was never served...
In early 2014, Rice and his then-fiancée were involved in an early morning dispute in an elevator at the Atlantic City casino in New Jersey. Within a month, Rice was indicted by an Atlantic City grand jury on a third-degree aggravated assault charge. He then married his wife the next day!!!
Apparently, marrying her humbled the court of public opinion... Rice received only a two-game suspension for his misdemeanor. Fast forward to September: All that scandal finally caught up with him though, and the Ravens wisely decided it was time to cut ties and terminate their contract with Rice.
USC’s star running back Reggie Bush eventually went on to help the team secure several titles and landed him the 2005 Heisman trophy. He wasn’t a pro just yet, but he was on the path to becoming a legend. Until allegations surfaced, accusing his family of receiving improper benefits of almost $300,000 in gifts.
USC faced heartbreaking, but deserved, consequences — they had to give back the big winner's trophy and were stripped of their 2004 BCS Title. Adding insult to injury Reggie Bush was instructed that the Heisman had to go back, too, becoming became the first NFL baller in history to do so.
Social media entered a frenzy when Tampa Bay's #1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Jameis Winston, was accused of r*pe during his freshman year of college. At the time, many feared his career had already taken an unpleasant turn. But what can you do... he's a major creep and deserved what came to him!
Though it seemed like a turning point for Winston's career, he and the accuser ultimately reached a settlement where she received around $900,000. Those figures surely eased some of her pain, but it's still doesn't make up for what he did... If anything, that's a confession and we shouldn't let him get away with it.
Aldon Smith, an Oakland Raiders’ outside linebacker, is probably better known for his off-the-field issues than he is for any achievements on the field. Despite being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015, Smith has had drunk driving arrests, a bomb threat, hit-and-run, vandalism charges, and more that have been attached to his name.
As nice as it would be to believe this is all just bad luck on his part, there's a good chance that he's making some poor choices given that trouble seems to follow him around constantly. Let's hope he figures out how to shake that before it holds him back permanently.
Louis Murphy isn't the most well-known NFL player, but his battle with the law has placed him in the spotlight. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver was confronted by police for blaring his music and refusing to show his ID, but what got him arrested was the unsubscribed bottle of Viagra that authorities found.
Keep in mind, this guy isn’t even 30 years old yet. What’s going on down there, dude? Actually, never mind, we don’t want to know. We've heard this sob story before and we ain't gonna waste time speculating these suspicious activities... He's guilty of something, surely!
Seven-time Tour de France winner, cancer activist, and once-considered the greatest cyclist in history, Lance Armstrong was an inspiration to people across the globe... Key word: was. Now, Armstrong is the poster boy for the doping epidemic that plagues professional athletes.
Armstrong denied it for years but admitted to cheating in a January 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey. But perhaps more remarkable than his confession was the fact that it took an iconic television personality like Oprah to get him to do it! Unsurprisingly, it resulted in a complete explosion of his career and getting stripped of all his titles.
Following Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace, his former teammate Floyd Landis quickly took over his spot in the cycling spotlight. Four days after winning the Tour de France, Tour officials announced that a sample of his urine had synthetic testosterone traces. They were in it together! Is there anyone left we can trust?!
Landis became the first Tour de France champion to be stripped of his title because of a failed drug test, but he wouldn't be the last. Just look at everything Armstrong lost after he was found cheating... What could bring even greater shame than repeating his mistakes? You've heard it a million times before, but drugs are not applauded in sports and short-lived"glory" is not worth the shame!
Tiger Woods drove his car off the road and suffered some minor injuries, but those injuries were nothing compared to the storm he would face in the coming months. Within days, several women stepped forward to claim they’d been involved in extramarital affairs with Woods.
Only after severe pressure, Woods admitted to his infidelity. (Well, quite a few different cases of it). People may still see him as the GOAT, but his career and reputation definitely took a huge hit and nobody looked at him quite the same after the bomb dropped. No one likes a cheater in sports or otherwise!
Pete Rose was quite the multi-talented baseball player and manager! He won all sorts of major awards while playing with the Cincinnati Reds, and was held up as an example of exceptional athletic prowess. That is, until it was revealed that he had brashly broken the #1 cardinal rule of sports: betting on his own team!
Rose was found guilty after intense scrutiny and placed under a lifetime ban by Major League Baseball in 1989, which serves as grim evidence that you should definitely never gamble on yourself. A lesson for us all to take away, there's no bigger cheater than Pete!
Another Rose makes the list, this one with just as many thorns. Similar to the Bryant case many years prior, in 2016 NBA star Derrick Rose and two others were going to court to face a $21.5 million lawsuit that accused them of raping Rose’s ex-girlfriend back in 2013.
The three men were eventually found not liable, but the damage to his reputation was done. This just goes to show that even if you have a bunch of thorns, there's always someone who's ready to pluck you and hold you accountable. There's no escaping fate when you commit a crime against humanity!
Johnson was unstoppable! As a Canadian sprinter, he completely obliterated his opponents during the ’88 Olympics — setting a new world record in the 100-meter dash of 9.79 seconds and snagging the coveted gold medal to boot. But no more than 48-hours later, it was all stripped away.
It turns out ol' Johnson tested positive for stanozolol, AKA a performance-enhancing steroid. Suddenly fame unraveled as claims spread like wildfire across the nation from reporters to gossip columnist alike. As we mentioned, he had been stripped of what he had earned within two days... A most crushing blow indeed.
