Busted: 10 dirty deeds in sports history
2. Goons for glory
The Sport: Figure Skating
The Shame: Before the movie Blades of Glory was known, there was a real-life incident in 1994 that put the comedic violence of the film to shame. To make sure that she would enter the Olympics, Tonya Harding hired a goon to attack and injure her rival Nancy Kerrigan. Harding’s plan on destroying Kerrigan’s chances worked as the female rival missed the US Figure Skating Championships and Kerrigan won. However, Kerrigan recovered in time and bounced back as she ranked second in the Olympics while Harding finished eighth. Tonya was eventually prosecuted and found guilty for her actions.
The Sentence: $160,000 fine, 500 hours of community service, three-year probation, and banned from all figure skating events
1. Hockey hostility
The Sport: Ice Hockey
The Shame: With hockey sticks, sharp skates, and cold ice making up a sport, it’s inevitable that someone might get hurt—either accidentally or purposely.. In the middle of a hockey game between New York Islanders and New York Rangers on March 2007, Islander Chris Simon and Ranger Ryan Hollweg got into a dirty and furious fight. Unleashing his rage, Simon smashed Hollweg’s face with his hockey stick, making a visible cut. Simon continued on with his poor sportsmanship nine months later when he joined the fight of his teammate Tim Jackman’s brawl inside the ring against Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jarkko Ruutu on December 2007. Backing up his teammate through unsportsmanlike actions, Simon grabbed Ruutu’s right leg, causing him to fall down, and stomped on Ruutu’s leg with his bladed skate. Unfortunately, the referees saw his dirty act and immediately responded by kicking Simon out of the game.
The Sentence: 25-game and 30-game suspensions for the March and December 2007 matches, respectively
Reference:
www.complex.com
bleacherreport.com
bangkok.coconuts.co
www.drugabuse.gov
Art by Sheka Ignaco
