The scandal in this case ran deep, permeating the entire basketball program. Coach Bliss's actions, and the NCAA's response, hopefully served as an important reminder that no individual or organization is above the law. Time will tell if the message was received.
TODD BERTUZZI DISGRACES HOCKEY
All-Star right-winger Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks lost more than $500,000 in salary when he was suspended from the National Hockey League for seventeen months, missing twenty games, for assaulting Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore during a regular season game in March 2004. In addition, Bertuzzi was sentenced to a year of probation and eighty hours of community service when he pleaded guilty to assault in a Canadian court. As a condition of his probation, Bertuzzi could never play against Moore again. In addition to the sanctions against Bertuzzi, the Canucks were fined $250,000.
With the Avalanche holding an 8-2 lead, Bertuzzi grabbed Moore from behind, punched him in the side of the head, and landed on top of him as Moore fell to the ice. Moore was motionless on the ice, lying in a puddle of blood, before he was carted off on a stretcher. Moore sustained a concussion and broken bones in his neck. It was doubtful he would ever play hockey again.
Allegedly, the attack was retaliation for Moore's hit earlier in the game that sidelined Vancouver captain Markus Naslund for three games and left him with a concussion. Two days after the attack, Bertuzzi made a tearful public apology, claiming that he had no intention of hurting Moore and that he felt awful about what happened. Some critics said he never attempted to apologize directly to Moore, but Bertuzzi claimed he tried to do so more than ten times.
The case generated a great deal of media attention. Many people felt Bertuzzi's punishment was not harsh enough. Some called for a complete ban on fighting in hockey. Players generally defended the importance of fighting to the sport. Florida Panthers enforcer Darcy Hordichuck said, ''People don't have a clue about the role fighting plays. If you took police officers out of society, what's going to happen? It's not like I run around and try to take people's heads off out there. Guys run around and think they're tough. If you take a cop out of the equation, everybody is going to run around and there's no control.''58 Given that hockey was waning in its fan base and coverage at the time, some people involved with the NHL were upset that the media selected to emphasize only the worst of the league. ''All [the media have] done is crucify my player,'' said Vancouver general manager Brian Burke.59 In August 2005, Bertuzzi returned to hockey, appearing first at Canada's Olympic orientation camp where he would play for Team Canada. He was also cleared to play in the NHL again, where he was due to make more than $5.2 million from the Canucks. He announced, ''Today is a new beginning for me and my family. There's no way I can change what happened in the past, but I'm going to do what I can to make sure my career and my life aren't defined by what happened on March 8, but rather by what I did before and, most importantly, what I do after.''60 Many welcomed Bertuzzi back. Wayne Gretzky, Team Canada's executive director, pronounced, ''Todd feels worse about what happened than anybody. He has been punished and served his time.''61 Moore was surprised Bertuzzi was reinstated to the NHL. He said, ''It's difficult to see that he's able to play again when I still have a long way to go, and not just in hockey, but with my health.''62 At that time, the Colorado Avalanche would not commit to re-signing Moore if he was cleared by doctors to play again, although they had offered to allow him to return to Denver and work with the team's medical staff.
Moore filed a lawsuit naming Bertuzzi, former Canucks forward Brad May, Canucks coach Marc Crawford, former Canucks general manager Brian Burke, and Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Canucks. His first case was dismissed by a Denver court, which suggested the case should be filed in a Canadian court. He filed in Canada in February 2006. By November 2007, Bertuzzi's lawyer offered $350,000 to settle the case. Moore rejected that offer, which he considered an insult. He is seeking $15 million. Although important in many ways, perhaps the greatest impact of this case was to show the disparity in views about the proper treatment of on-field violence. While many athletes and sports fans defended the sentence and welcomed Bertuzzi back to the game, others emphasized the fact that, were it to have occurred off the field,Bertuzzi's assault would likely have garnered him a more significant punishment. Additionally, most ex-cons, as Bertuzzi now is, struggle to find any type of employment, and surely are not offered the great opportunity Bertuzzi was.
BASKETBRAWL
Basketbrawl, as it has come to be known, was the third most important sports story of 2004, according to newspaper and broadcast members of the Associated Press. It began when Detroit Piston Ben Wallace was fouled by Indiana Pacer Ron Artest, hard, with 45.9 seconds left in a November 19, 2004, game. Wallace responded by shoving Artest, and other players began pushing and shoving one another. Artest ended up lying on the scorer's table. Then a fan threw a cup of icy soda, hitting Artest, who flew into the stands in a rage.
Teammate Stephen Jackson followed him in the attack on fans. Players and fans alike got involved in the ensuing melee, which resulted in suspensions for many players and lifetime bans from the Palace of Auburn Hills for some fans.
Five Pacers-Artest, Jackson, Anthony Johnson, David Harrison, and Jermaine O'Neal-were tried criminally and pleaded no contest to misdemeanour assault and battery charges. Artest, O'Neal, and Jackson all received one year of probation, sixty hours of community service, and $250 fines. Before sentencing, judge Julie Nichols reminded the players that, like it or not, they are role models. All but Harrison were suspended by the NBA. Four Pistons were also sanctioned by the league. Initially, O'Neal was suspended for twenty-five games, but an arbitrator reduced his suspension to fifteen games in late December 2004. Combined, the nine players lost nearly $10 million in salary. Artest received the most severe sanction from the league-a one-year suspension, without pay. Artest went on to play for the Sacramento Kings. Stephen Jackson was suspended without pay for thirty games.
Both Artest and Jackson had criminal histories, including violent offenses.
Artest pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, and Jackson pleaded guilty to a felony criminal recklessness charge. As part of his community service, Artest spoke to youth about black empowerment, but was far from apologetic about the incident. ''Someone started trouble and I ended it. I would always encourage you to protect yourself but in certain situations if you can avoid them, avoid them.''63 Artest also told kids about his past as a drug dealer and how he started to get into trouble when he was thirteen.
Bryant Jackson, a fan who got involved in the brawl when he threw a metal chair, was initially sentenced to two years of probation. In February 2007, he was sentenced to six months in jail when a judge determined he had violated his probation by not paying $6,000 in restitution or attending anger-management classes. John Green, the man who threw the cup, was sentenced to thirty days in jail on an assault and battery charge. Green was also banned for life from the Palace for Pistons games, and the Pistons executive vice president John Ciszewski said he would be arrested for trespass if he ever shows up at the stadium. Green was also required to complete Alcoholic Anonymous and anger-management classes. He acknowledged his guilt and claimed it was the dumbest thing he had ever done. Misdemeanor assault and battery charges were dropped against William Paulson when videotapes revealed he was defending a friend against an attack by Artest. A lawsuit by Charles Haddad, who alleged he suffered permanent migraines, memory loss, trouble sleeping, inability to socialize, and an aversion to bright lights after being punched by Indianapolis forward Jermaine O'Neal, was dismissed in October 2006. The defense showed that Haddad had flown to Las Vegas the day after the brawl and regularly traveled there, suggesting his claims were false. The U.S. District Court jury determined O'Neal had punched Haddad, but he was justifled in doing so because he was protecting his teammates.
Indiana lost a lot of games after the brawl, as it was required to substitute players to co
ver the loss of three of its five best scorers. Although there were vows made to do whatever possible to ensure nothing like Basketbrawl happened again, critics claimed little changed. While the NBA did add another uniformed police officer near the bench and curbed the sale of alcohol, the most significant rule change the league made between seasons was to add a new dress code for the players. Sportswriter Dave Zirin explained that Basketbrawl highlighted a bigger problem. ''Those fans in Auburn Hills, $50 tickets in hand, believe it is not only their right but their duty to throw punches at opposing players if the opportunity presents itself.''64
More than two years later, Artest was booed as he was introduced at the Palace in a game between the Pistons and the Kings. Pistons fans heckled Artest about a CD he had made, his Mohawk haircut, and the black supportive sleeves he wore under his shorts. The brawl dominated headlines for weeks and later inspired an episode of NBC's hit show, Law and Order.
NORTHERN COLORADO BACKUP PUNTER STABS THE STARTER IN THE LEG
In an assault that drew immediate comparisons to the attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympic Ice Skating Trials, the backup punter at the University of Northern Colorado stabbed the starting punter in his kicking leg in an attempt to gain the starting position during the 2006 season.
Mitch Cozad had failed to make the team in two attempts at the University of Wyoming prior to transferring to Northern Colorado to pursue his dream of being a collegiate punter. He made the team, but did not earn the starting position. Prosecutors claimed that his act was one of desperation to do off the field what he could not do on it. So, under the cloak of darkness he attacked his kicking rival, Rafael Mendoza Jr., in the parking lot of Mendoza's apartment complex.
As Cozad ran off, Mendoza told a passerby that he had been stabbed and asked the person to follow the fleeing Dodge Charger. The car was later seen at a liquor store, where an employee called police after seeing two men in sweatshirts peel tape off the Wyoming license plate, which read 8-KIKR.
The plate led police to Cozad's mother in Wheatland, Wyoming, and then quickly to Cozad. In a feeble attempt to cover his tracks, he told police that the car had been stolen the night of the stabbing. Police searched his dorm room and found two black sweatshirts. Then, as police interviewed a girlfriend who Cozad claimed as an alibi, he further damaged his case by sending her text messages that appeared to encourage her to lie on his behalf. After initially claiming he was with her all night, she then recanted and said that he was not. Even more damning, she told police that earlier in the evening he had asked her, ''What would you think would hurt the most, being hit with a car, being beaten with a baseball bat, or getting stabbed?''65
Cozad was charged with attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault. On August 9, 2007, a jury found the twenty-two year old guilty on the assault charge, but acquitted him on the more serious charge. In October 2007, Cozad was sentenced to seven years in prison. Kevin Aussprung, who reportedly had driven Cozad's car after the attack, was treated as a witness in the case against Cozad and was never charged for any part he may have played in the attack. In opening and closing arguments, Cozad's lawyer had pointed at Aussprung as the guilty party. Weld County district attorney Ken Buck said, ''If I saw proof he was more involved [we] would have charged him. But I never saw proof.''66
Interestingly, this case did not draw the same amount of attention as did other less severe examples cited in the chapter. Buck summed up the case, however, by saying, ''The message is that in America, we take sports too damn seriously. It's never appropriate to hurt someone … over something as stupid as gaining the starting position in football.''67
MICHAEL VICK BUSTED FOR BAD NEWZ KENNELS
On April 25, 2007, police executed a warrant at a home in Surrey, Virginia, that belonged to Atlanta Falcons superstar quarterback Michael Vick. The previous day, his cousin had been arrested on drug charges and listed the home as his address. What authorities found led to the downfall of a man who had become the face of the NFL, known for dazzling highlights and the ability to single-handedly redefine the quarterback position. Police found sixty-six dogs and a training complex that was used to prepare them to fight for their lives in brutal and vicious dog fights. As the local investigation appeared to be dragging, federal officials executed their own search warrants in July, digging up the land and yielding dog remains. Vick's fall from grace was almost immediate, and many considered it ''the sharpest fall of the biggest active star in NFL history.''68
Flanked by U.S. marshals, Michael Vick is escorted into the federal courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, where he faced charges for dogfighting in relation to his Bad Newz Kennels operation. Courtesy of AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari.
Within weeks of finding the dogs' remains, Vick and three other men were indicted on federal charges for dog fighting and related activities that occurred over a six-year period through an operation called Bad Newz Kennels. Vick had begun to bankroll the scheme almost immediately after being drafted into the NFL. Included were charges for breeding dogs for fighting, hosting fights, and killing dogs that performed poorly. As public sentiment turned against Vick and sponsors begin to drop his contracts, Vick pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Richmond. He proclaimed his innocence, saying, ''Today I pleaded innocent to allegations made against me … I look forward to clearing my good name.''69 His lawyer promised ''a hard-fought trial,'' indicating that they were pursuing their own investigation on Vick's behalf. Vick went on to blame his family and friends for taking advantage of his generosity in using the house, which he claimed he rarely visited.
Any plans Vick had to mount a credible defense were sunk when codefendant Tony Taylor pleaded guilty only days after being indicted and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. Just over two weeks later, Vick's other two codefendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips, also pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy, saying they traveled with Vick to dog fights and described ''executing approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions.''70 They admitted the dogs had been hanged and drowned, and that Vick had taken part in the killings. The eighteen-page indictment said that Vick was consulted before one dog was wet down and electrocuted In addition, they asserted that Vick had bankrolled the entire operation.
Three days after he became the lone remaining defendant, and in an abrupt about-face from his declaration of innocence, Vick, through his lawyer, announced that he had reached an agreement to plead guilty to the federal charges, and that he wished to apologize to everyone who had been hurt by this matter. His problems, however, were compounded a month later when a grand jury in Surrey County, Virginia, indicted Vick and his codefendants on an additional state charge of dog fighting. The grand jury declined to indict on eight counts of killing dogs, which could have put Vick and his crew in prison for forty years. It was clear that a legal battle was impending regarding whether the state charges were a violation of the Fifth Amendment's ban on double jeopardy.
Only one day after the indictment on the state charge was handed down, it was announced that Vick had failed a court-ordered drug test he had taken only seventeen days after he pleaded guilty to the federal charges. As a result of his positive test for marijuana, Vick was confined to his residence at night, ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device, and directed to have mental health counseling while he awaited his December sentencing. While some of his Falcons teammates, including wide receiver Joe Horn, swore they would remain close to Vick regardless of whether he ever played another down in the NFL, others began to distance themselves. Safety Lawyer Milloy commented that he was ready to move on and concentrate on football instead of things that were beyond his control.
As Vick awaited sentencing, two banks filed federal lawsuits against him for failure to repay loans. One suit was filed by a South Bend bank that claimed Vick refused to pay for cars used for a car rental business, costing the bank over $2 million. The suit sought unspecifled damages. The other, filed by a Canadian bank, sought over $2.3 milli
on that it claimed Vick planned to use for real estate investments.
Vick had signed a ten-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons in 2004, at the time among the largest in the league. The guaranteed portion totaled $44 million. The Atlanta Falcons announced that it would pursue repayment for a portion of that. In addition to being indefinitely suspended from the NFL, Vick also lost lucrative sponsorship contracts with Rawlings, Nike, Reebok, and Upper Deck. Vick was sentenced on December 10, 2007, to twenty-three months in prison. Whether he would ever again set foot on an NFL field remained to be seen. Peace and Phillips had been sentenced to eighteen and twenty-one months, respectively. Taylor, who provided much of the information used to build the case against Vick, was sentenced last, and to only two months in prison.
The Vick case brought up all kinds of issues. One of these was outrage from domestic violence advocates. Although they deplored the crime, some advocates used Vick's sentence as a vehicle to express outrage at the fact that abusers many times receive lesser punishments for harming their partners than Vick did for harming animals.
Chapter 2
DRUGS: COCAINE, STEROIDS, AND AN ASTERISK
In late 2007, as this book went to press, former U.S. senator George Mitchell reported the results of a lengthy investigation into steroid use in Major League Baseball. The results were alarming, yet at the same time, not altogether surprising. Mitchell found widespread use of performance-enhancing substances involving athletes from the benchwarmers to the biggest stars. The reason few were completely surprised by the results of the investigation was that most sports fans realize that use of performance-enhancing substances has become a staple of modern athletics. All that has changed recently is perhaps the number of users and the types of drug. Today, drugs are being specifically manufactured by chemists to beat the tests that are administered to athletes by leagues that are falling behind in attempts to maintain a level playing field and a clean game.
Sports Scandals Page 5