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Professional sports are the most entertaining form of reality television and there is no doubt about it.  Every week there is news of trades, injuries, tragedies and other stories that catch our viewers’ eyes. Trades, injuries, The list goes on and on so there’s no point in list every single news that hits sports  news. And when nothing is happening and everything is dull, there is still the matter of games, coaches being fired, players being suspended for a variety of reasons and the all important, “Where is the this team going to play in?”

There are many “scandals” that have taken place over the course of the existence of the NFL. Many happened long before most of us were even born or were old enough to read about what had taken place. Others have had a ringside seat to some of the best scandals this side of the OJ Simpson Trial.

This article examines top 10 jarring NFL scandals of all time. To make this list of all-time scandals, players, coaches and performers  had to stand out for doing something crazy–not just a DUI or assault case. Think big when reading this article.

1. Big Ben’s Sexual Relations:

Pittsburg Steeler’s quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is famous and well liked, but behind every hero there is a story. In 2008, allegations emerged in Lake Tahoe regarding allegations of sexual assault. Roethlisberger was suspended for 6 games, which was then reduced to 4 in 2010. The 2008 case was sidelined by more allegations in March of 2010 in Milledgeville, Georgia.

2. Eddie DeBartolo Jr.: Extortion:

This owner is the most disliked in the history of NFL and for good reason. He and the Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards got into trouble with the law for extortion and for failing to report a felony when getting a river boat casino license. He received a $1 million fine and was put on a 2 year probation, as a result.

3. OJ Simpson Murder Trial:

The OJ Simpson murder trial was by far the most disgraceful scandal to every hit NFL. The football star was tried on two counts of murder following the 1994 death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend Ronald Goldman. It was the most publicized criminal trial in American history, being shown throughout North America on television networks. After a lengthy trial that lasted 9 months, Simpson was acquitted.

This was the least of his problems. The Brown and Goldman families sued Simpson for damages in a civil trial. The jury found there to be a preponderance of evidence against him to lead a civil trial.

Time Magazine said it all: “An American Tragedy” with a mugshot of O.J on the cover.

4. Lawrence Taylor Sex Scandal:

Lawrence Taylor is one of the best known defensive players in the history of the NFL. He’s ranked on top by former players, coaches and media critics. Although he is on top on TV, he is considered to be at the bottom in real life. He is drenched in controversy time and time again. He’s admitted to using drugs throughout his career, being suspended several times for failing drug tests. He was also jailed 3 times for drug possession. In 2011, he came  under scrutiny yet again for sexual misconduct against a 16 year old. But this is not all, Mike Wallace revealed that Taylor hired prostitutes and spent thousands of dollars a day on narcotics. WOW!

5. Super Bowl XXXIII:

Atlanta Falcons’ defensive back Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute for $40 in Miami. The prostitute was actually an undercover cop. What was disgraceful about the whole scandal was that Robinson was the recipient of the Bart Starr Award from a Christian group Athletes in Action. He was even a bigger let down in the game, missing tackles and throwing an interception.

The game of cricket used to be played exclusively by white players in England and Australia long time back. Gradually it became popular in other countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and West Indies and so on. It has become very popular in these countries. Cricketers have today become stars and they earn in millions. The game has also undergone a lot of change. Earlier there used to be only one variant-test matches. Today you have the one day international where 50 overs are bowled and the winner is decided on the same day itself. A recent variant of the game is the Twenty20 or the T20 where just 20 overs are bowled to decide the winner.

Cricket has become highly competitive and intense. As a result there are many controversies associated with the game. There have been match fixing scandals, accusations like biased umpiring decisions, ball tampering etc. It is no longer a gentleman’s game in the true sense. Nevertheless on a lighter vein there are some funny moments connected with this game and here we present top 10 funniest ways of getting out in cricket which you won’t find in any other game.

Let’s check out the ten funny ways through which a batsman can be declared as dismissed-

1. CAUGHT:

A batsman is declared out if the ball hit by him is caught by any of the eleven fielders provided the ball is in flight from the moment it is hit. If by chance there is any contact with the ground the batsman is declared as not out. There are restrictions on fielders too while catching the ball. He cannot step on the boundary rope or should not be standing beyond the boundary line. If he catches the ball in this position the batsman is awarded runs (boundary) instead of being declared out. In addition if the ball bowled by the bowler is a no-ball then any resultant catch even if clean will not result in the dismissal of the batsman.

2. BOWLED:

When the wickets (stumps) get dismantled by an incoming ball the batsman is declared out. This happens if the batsman fails to hit or when deflects the ball with his bat or unfortunately with his body.  However if the umpire signals a no-ball just as the bowler throws the ball then this rule will not apply.

3. STUMPED:

The batsman tries to hit an incoming ball but misses and he is out of the crease and the wicket-keeper manages to catch the ball. Then the keeper can knock off the bails to get the batsman out stumped. A no-ball however nullifies this rule.

4. HIT WICKET:

The umpire declares a batsman out if the wicket gets hit by his bat, any part of his body or cricketing gear. However if the bowler bowls a wide ball or a no-ball then the batsman is declared not-out.

5. LEG BEFORE WICKET (LBW):

This is one of the most complicated and controversial decision taken by umpires. In the history of cricket we come across many such decisions which were later discovered to be wrong. In this case an umpire takes the decision when fielders appeal for an out-LBW. If the batsman fails to make contact with the ball and in the process is found to be standing before the stumps obstructing the ball he is declared out. The assumption is that the wicket would have been hit by the ball had it not for the legs or body of the batsman. However if it is a no-ball or if the ball hits the bat before the batsman obstructs the stumps with his legs then he cannot be declared out.

There really are no rules to define a scandal.  Normally anything that is illegal and involves a politician can be termed a political scandal. There are also no lines to delineate between a major scandal and a minor one – that is normally defined by the public and the media!
Here are ten  of the most known ones:

1. Watergate

This scandal involving a burglary in the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington in 1972, spiraled into a major conspiracy originating from the White House. It led to the conviction of many of Richard Nixon’s staff members, and ultimately to his resignation. He was the only President to have ever resigned from the White House.

2. Iran Contra Scandal

This scandal was revealed in 1986, during Ronald Reagan’s term. Senior US officials had facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, despite an embargo, to secure the release of American hostages and to secretly fund the Nicaraguan rebels. Following an investigation, eleven officials were convicted.

3. Monica Lewinsky Scandal

Monica Lewinsky, an intern in the White House, had intimate relations with Bill Clinton, the President. She confided about the affair to her co-worker Linda Tripp, who tape-recorded the conversations, and then released them to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. Clinton became the second President to face an impeachment trial, however he was acquitted by the Senate.

4. Bofors Scandal

This scandal seems to be never ending – since it first raised its head in India in the 1980s and has repercussions even today. It began with the accusations of high kickbacks in political and administrative circles from Bofors AB for the purchase of Howitzers. It led to the defeat of Rajiv Gandhi’s  Congress party in 1989. No charges have been proven yet, but the innuendoes continue to fly even now.

5. Spiro Agnew

Very few people know about this man – but that was the case even when he was chosen to be Richard Nixon’s Vice President. He had to resign from his post in 1967 due to his ‘no-contest’ plea on bribery charges. He is the only Vice-President who had to resign due to criminal charges.