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5 Of The Most Infamous Sports Scandals

The world of sports is rife with wrongdoing. Here are five sports fiascos that drew the full ire of the public eye.

1. Torrentgate

In 2007, the New England Patriots were accused of illegally torrenting John Mellencamp albums. After initially denying the charges, Patriots coach Bill Belichick came forward and admitted that the team had stolen 12 albums over the previous five years. The Patriots were fined over $200 to cover the cost of the stolen records, and were made to forfeit a draft pick, as well as their MP3 files of “Jack & Diane,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,” and many other classic hits.

2. The Denver Escape

Calamity nearly struck the NBA in 1994 when, during a road trip to Los Angeles, the entire Denver Nuggets team attempted to defect and establish residency in California.

3. The Double Boz

The 1988 Seattle Seahawks were rocked by scandal when linebacker Brian Bosworth attempted to improve his poor performance by “doubling up,” i.e., becoming two full Brian Bosworths on the field. The dirty trick was immediately noticed by the referees, and both Brian Bosworths were ejected from the game.

4. The Milwaukee Brewsters

In 1987, the owners of the Milwaukee Brewers secretly renamed the team the Milwaukee Brewsters in an attempt to get out of paying their players. The scheme nearly worked, but was exposed when designated hitter Paul Molitor realized his jersey read “Milwaukee Brewsters” near the end of the season.

5. No Tennis

In 1995, there was absolutely no tennis anywhere to be found.