I was thinking about this the other day and since the decade is coming to an end, there isn’t a better time to post this. I was thinking about the most controversial sports moments of the decade and also some of the biggest scandals of the decade. I think the two go hand and hand, so why not combine them.
Here are some of the things I thought about…Give me your opinion and if you would add something.
MLB Steroid Scandal: This spanned a lot of the decade and was a very big story for the media and sports fans. Congress even had to get involved with this. Some of the biggest players in the game have been linked to steroids this decade. A-Rod, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire…you can go on and on.
Pacers/Pistons Palace Brawl: I remember seeing this and being amazed that this actually happened. SportsCenter kept replaying clips all night of what happened. I will always remember Jermaine O’Neal straight dropping that fan on the sidelines!
New England Patriots Spy Gate: I think this bothered most NFL fans simply because most of us hate the Patriots. Outside of the fines, there were really no consequences for what New England did. They destroyed the tapes and that was pretty much the end of that. I still think more should have come out of this. They should have at least shown the tapes or something.
Tim Donaghy Referee Betting Scandal: This event pretty much confirmed all thoughts NBA fans have been having for years. Most thought the NBA was set up in some form or fashion and then a referee pops up who had been betting on games. Although some of his claims seem a little off, a lot of them seem completely believable.
Auburn Shut out of BCS Title Game in 2004: I still can’t believe this happened and it upsets me to this day and I’m not even an Auburn fan. I don’t really consider this a scandal, but it was VERY controversial. How did the BCS not allow an undefeated SEC team play for the Championship? They were a great team that season and deserved to be in that game.
2006 NBA Finals- Mavs/Heat: This one hits close to home and I probably will never forget this series. No matter what anyone says, there was something fishy going on there and I will always believe Stern set it up for the Mavs to lose. David Stern didn’t want to see Mark Cuban celebrate a championship and that’s the bottom line. The Mavs were up 2-0 and had the series stolen from them by D. Whistle and the referees.
Barry Bonds passing Hank Aaron as Home Run King: There are still people who refuse to acknowledge Barry Bonds as the record holder for the most home runs. Bonds has been linked to steroids for a while now and it seems to bother a lot of people. I personally like Barry Bonds and think he gets too much of a bad rap.
Michael Vick Dog Fighting Ring: Michael Vick was on top of the world and if he hadn’t lied, he probably would still be a good QB in the NFL. He got caught up in a terrible activity and ended up serving time for it. Now he is a shell of his former self and backs up Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.