Scandalized: On Cheating in Sports
“Although cheating in sports has always been a concern, it appears that at the highest levels, it’s becoming normalized.”
Sports are often defined by competition. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. In the major leagues, athletes are driven by the desire to win championships and make money. Many players naturally work hard to earn these achievements. But there's a saying: "Fake it 'til you make it." In the world of professional sports, players and organizations sometimes resort to faking their way to success. You might wonder, “They’ve already made it, what do you mean?” Teams and organizations may turn to performance enhancers or engage in betting schemes to boost their success and financial gain. However, such actions can lead to suspensions or bans. Here are some examples of cheating scandals that resulted in significant consequences.
In 2016, Basketball Hall of Famer Dwight Howard was caught using "stickum" during a game. On March 16, 2016, during a matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks, Hawks forward Paul Millsap noticed a strange substance on the ball after Howard checked it in. Upon investigation, crew chief referee Monty McCutchen discovered a can of “stickum” wrapped in white tape at the scorer’s table where Howard had left it. After the game, Howard downplayed the incident, stating, “I don’t know why people are making a big deal out of it. I do it every game. It's not a big deal. I ain’t trippin’.”
Although cheating in sports has always been a concern, it appears that at the highest levels, it’s becoming normalized. After all, athletes dedicate years of hard work to reach the pros, often earning millions in return. But what drives athletes to cheat? What pushes them to seek an unfair competitive edge?
Cheating at the highest levels of sports isn't just about performance enhancement. It can also involve actions off the court, such as gambling. Athletes are typically not allowed to bet on games, especially on themselves or other teams. Betting violates many professional sports contracts and can result in suspensions or, in extreme cases, permanent bans. One player who learned this the hard way is former NBA player Jontay Porter.
Jontay Porter was caught helping bettors place wagers on him underperforming in games, which would allow them to profit. This violated the NBA’s strict anti-betting rules, as active players are not allowed to involve themselves in gambling. After disclosing inside information and purposefully limiting his participation in games, Porter was permanently suspended from the NBA, barring him from playing or even being associated with the league.
In the NFL, the New Orleans Saints’ "Bountygate" scandal brought another form of cheating to light. Before a game, several coaches accused the Saints of trying to injure opposing players on purpose. During one game, Brett Favre, the Vikings' quarterback, was tackled really brutally by the Saints’ defensive line. It was more aggressive than normal. This suspicion was later proven true when the bounty system was revealed. Between 2009 and 2012, the Saints basically paid each other to hurt people. Here’s the system:
$100 for knocking out a kick returner within the team’s 20-yard line
$1,000 if a player had to be carried off the field on a stretcher
$1,500 for a knockout hit
Rumors circulated that a hit on Brett Favre during the NFC Championship game was worth up to $35,000.
Then, there's Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, is a true GOAT. However, he was also involved in a cheating scandal during the 2014 AFC Championship Game. The New England Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts, and the Patriots were accused of deflating footballs, giving Brady an advantage by making the balls easier to throw with higher accuracy. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year. However, after an investigation, they faced these consequences:
Brady was suspended for four games in the 2016 season (not six as previously mentioned)
The Patriots were fined $1 million
The team lost two draft picks
While the punishment wasn’t as harsh as many expected, the scandal left a mark on Brady’s legacy.
The Pete Rose Scandal in Major League Baseball (MLB) remains one of the most infamous in sports history. Rose was a three-time World Series champion for the Cincinnati Reds. He is also the all-time leader in hits. However, in 1989, while managing the Reds, Rose bet on his own team. This violated MLB rules, and Rose was banned for life. Despite his stats, Rose was never inducted into the Hall of Fame. People think of him every time there is talk of betting in sports.
Finally, the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal shook the world of baseball. The Astros were one of the most dominant teams in the MLB, winning the World Series that year. However, people claimed they used technology to steal signs from opposing teams. They used cameras to figure out the signals for each pitch. Then, they would give that information to batters, giving them an unfair advantage. They were fined $5 million, and they lost their first and second-round draft picks for 2020 and 2021. People thought they got off easy, to be honest. Despite the penalties, the Astros continued to find success, winning another World Series in 2022.
We talk a lot about GOATs but not enough about people cheating. And though people get in trouble for cheating, the punishment doesn’t always seem to be enough to prevent cheating from continuing at the highest levels of sports. The pursuit of success and financial gain sometimes pushes athletes and organizations to bend the rules, and in doing so, they risk losing everything they’ve worked for.
