Sports Scandals

by Laura Finley; Jeffrey J. Fountain Peter Finley

  Eustachy took full blame for the scandal as players, boosters, and fans fought to save his job by vilifying the president and athletic director. He said, ''President Geoffroy is not the problem. Bruce Van De Velde is not the problem. I've created this situation and I'm holding myself totally accountable, and we move on.''72 Iowa State and the coach agreed to part ways, with Eustachy receiving a $960,000 settlement that Geoffroy said, ''supports Mr. Eustachy and his family in his struggle with alcohol,'' while it ''allows our basketball program to move forward.''73 Eustachy entered a thirty-day rehabilitation program at Hazelden in Minnesota and sat out the 2003-4 season.

  As he resigned, Eustachy vowed he would get his life in order and return to coaching, and the basketball community rallied around him. In an interview conducted a year later, Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson, a best friend to Eustachy, said, ''Our country was built on second chances,'' and, ''Sometimes we have to have catastrophe in our life to make us see what's important.''74 Sampson suggested that in his year away from coaching, Eustachy had successfully reconnected with his wife and boys and was ready to coach again. It did not take long for a university to offer him the opportunity. Southern Mississippi came calling in 2004 and Eustachy jumped at the opportunity to redeem himself. After two lackluster seasons, his team won twenty games in the 2006-7 season.

  BOBBY KNIGHT

  Dean Smith had spent his entire coaching career at the University of North Carolina and had amassed a total of 879 career wins. No coach had won more games at the helm of an NCAA men's basketball program. Smith was known for his humility and character. Smith's record was broken by a far-more controversial coaching figure, Bobby Knight. In a career that stretched over forty years at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech, Knight bullied his way to the record, winning his 880th game on January 1, 2007.

  As Knight approached the record, sports columnists called him, ''the last of the coaching cavemen,'' an ''ogre under the bridge,'' a ''serial moron,''75 a ''lout,'' and a ''serial violator of protocol.''76 They decried his behavior as boorish, raging, bullying, and antisocial. While Knight and Smith shared a tremendous ability to win basketball games, the sports media suggested that they shared little else. Smith was considered a gentleman. Knight was called a ''rageaholic'' by Linda Alis, a behavior specialist who appeared on ESPN to discuss Knight's erratic behavior while he coached at Indiana University (IU).77 A partial list of Knight's career controversies includes the following events, many of which appeared on a Sports Illustrated timeline on its Web site in 2004:

  In 1979 he was sentenced in absentia to six months in jail after he was convicted of hitting a police officer as he prepared the U.S. team to play in the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. In 1987 the government of Puerto Rico dropped efforts to have Knight extradited to serve the sentence.

  In 1981, following an Indiana win over Louisiana State University, Knight had an altercation with an LSU fan and allegedly shoved him into a trash can.

  In 1983 he cursed Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke, who was seated in the press box at an IU game. Knight stood at mid court and yelled insults regarding the officiating of the game. He was publicly reprimanded.

  In 1985 he famously threw a chair across the court at Assembly Hall while an opposing player shot a free throw. He was ejected and suspended for one game. He publicly apologized.

  In 1986, after being given a technical foul for shouting at officials, Knight kicked a megaphone and berated the IU cheerleaders for disrupting a free throw that his player was shooting.

  In 1987, as his team was en route to the NCAA title, he banged his fist onto the scorer's table in a rage. The NCAA assessed him a $10,000 fine.

  In 1987, with his team trailing badly in an exhibition game against the Soviet Union, he pulled the team off the court and refused to let them finish the game after he was ejected for arguing with a referee. He later apologized.

  In 1988, after failing to be voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Knight called it, ''a slap in the face'' and later asked to not be renominated. He was anyway and was voted into the Hall in 1991.

  In 1988, during an interview with Connie Chung on the subject of stress, he commented, ''I think if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.'' A protest march ensued on the IU campus.

  In 1991 Knight refused to shake hands with Illinois coach Lou Henson after a game. Henson later called him a ''classic bully'' and suggested that he thrives on intimidating others.

  In 1992, brandishing a bullwhip, Knight pretended to whip Calbert Cheaney, a black player on his IU team. The event drew national attention and protest from the NAACP.

  In 1993 Knight pulled his son, Pat Knight, from a game and appeared to kick him. He claimed he had kicked the chair his son was sitting on.

  In 1994 Knight head butted player Sharon Wilkerson on the sideline of a game. At the conclusion of the season, after Senior Day, Knight recited a poem to the crowd of Indiana University faithful: ''When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, you can bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass!'' to thunderous applause.

  In 1995 and 1998 he was fined by the NCAA for mistreating an NCAA tournament media liaison and an officiating crew. The fines were $30,000 and $10,000, respectively.

  In 1999 Knight accidentally shot a hunting companion, Thomas Mikunda, causing wounds that were not life threatening. Knight failed to report the accident and was hunting without a license. His friend sued him for negligence and claimed that Knight pressured him to lie about the incident so it would not affect his employment at IU. The case was dismissed when the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

  In 2000, after former player Neil Reed claimed the coach choked him during a 1997 practice, IU investigated and a videotape of the incident was found. Other incidents that came to light included Knight attacking an IU sports information director, as well as a former assistant coach. Knight also threw a vase near an athletic department secretary. He was suspended for the first three games of 2000-2001 and was subjected to a zero-tolerance policy.

  He was fined $30,000 for actions that then IU president Myles Brand called, ''abusive, uncivil, and embarrassing.''78 Knight violated the policy when he grabbed an IU student who addressed him as ''Knight.'' Brand announced that Knight would no longer serve as the school's basketball coach.

  In 2003, having been hired at Texas Tech, Knight participated in an ESPN interview and used profanity in a tirade about his relationship with former player Steve Alford, who was coaching at Iowa. Alford was taking part in the interview.

  In 2004 Knight had a very public altercation with Texas Tech chancellor David Smith at a grocery store in Lubbock. When he broke the wins record in 2007, Knight used the stage to commend Texas Tech's new chancellor, saying, ''What an improvement you are.''79

  On the verge of the record, Knight was asked in a conference call whether he would be remembered more for his antics or revered for his three national titles and other successes. He responded, ''What you might think doesn't bother me in the slightest. How's that for an answer?'' He then hung up.80 Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the New Mexico Lobos 70-68 in Lubbock to give him the record. ''We're part of history,'' declared junior guard Martin Zeno.81 The postgame celebration included blaring Frank Sinatra's ''My Way'' at United Spirit Arena. It was a fitting song, of course. Knight, fighting back his emotions, said to his players, ''If you guys still love me after everything I say to you and everything I put you through, that's a hell of a compliment.''82 In the postgame press conference, Knight was asked if he had any regrets, as the song suggested. ''Sure. Just like the song, I have regrets,'' he replied. ''When I look back on it, I don't think my way was all that bad.''83 There seemed to be disagreement from the sports writers, many of whom used their columns to openly begin rooting for Duke's Mike Krzyzewski to break the record so it could again be held by an honorable coach.

  NOTES

  CHAPTER 1

  1. Carter, Russell. (1979, August 11). Tomjanovich: It felt like ''Sco
reboard fell on me.'' Washington Post, p. C5.

  2. Huff, Donald. (1979, August 7). Jury selected to hear Kermit Washington case. Washington Post, p. D5.

  3. Ryan, Bob. (2000, June 8). His name linked to ''contact'' but Washington should be known for project, not punch. Boston Globe, p. D1.

  4. Hamilton, W. (1994, January 15). Three held in assault on Kerrigan. Washington Post, p. A1.

  5. Ibid., p. A1.

  6. Howard, J. (1994, January 28). Harding admits knowledge of plot after the attack. Washington Post, A1.

  7. Leibovich, L. (1998). The mystery of O. J. Simpson. Salon. Retrieved July 12, 2007, from www.salon.com/media.

  8. Bodenrader, T. (1997, June 30). Bite of the century: Chomp at the bit-glove cutter gets himself an earful. Boston Herald, p. 102.

  9. Brunt, S. (1997, June 30). Holyfield more than a mouthful for Tyson. Globe and Mail (Toronto), p. C12.

  10. Johnstone, D. (1997, December 28). The ''ear that was'': Bizarre biting runaway best story winner. Sunday Star Times (Wellington, New Zealand), p. B2.

  11. Views on a champ, a chomp, a chump. (1997, June 30). Austin American Statesman, p. D8.

  12. Ibid.

  13. Ibid.

  14. Ibid.

  15. Whicker, M. (1997, June 30). Call him ear-responsible: Tyson delivers punchline to the joke that is boxing. Orange County Register, p. S7.

  16. Reusse, Patrick. (1997, December 14). Iron Mike unmasked: The world was shocked when Mike Tyson bit a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear, but trainer Teddy Atlas was not surprised-he knew Tyson would opt for easy way out. Star Tribune, p. C4.

  17. Ibid.

  18. Whisler, J. (1997, November 9). Post-bite therapy hasn't helped Tyson. San Antonio Express-News, p. 5C.

  19. Ibid.

  20. Ibid.

  21. Steinmetz, Matt. (1997, December 2). Sprewell suspended for Carlesimo attack- Warriors chokes, punches his coach. Seattle Times, p. C1.

  22. Wise, Mike. (1997, December 7). Pro basketball: A suspended player, a shaken league. New York Times, Section 8, p. 1.

  23. Steinmetz. (1997), p. C1.

  24. Lopresti, Mike. (1997, December 4). NBA could soon choke on its troubles. USA Today, p. 3C.

  25. Wise. (1997), Section 8, p. 1.

  26. Ibid.

  27. Gearan, J. (1997, December 5). Is league's penalty excessive? Telegram and Gazette (Massachusetts), p. D1.

  28. Isola, Frank. (2004, November 4). Spree backpedals: Says media distorts position. Daily News (New York), p. 76.

  29. Convicted NFL player says he didn't know victim well. (2001, February 14). Associated Press. Retrieved July 12, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  30. Fryer, J. (2001, April 6). Triggerman in Carruth shooting sentenced to 40 years behind bars. Associated Press. Retrieved July 12, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  31. Convicted NFL player. (2001).

  32. Ibid.

  33. Heath, T. (2001, January 23). Carruth sentenced to almost 19 years: Appeal is likely in shooting death. Washington Post, p. D1.

  34. Paul, K. (2000, November 8). McSorley's verdict: One year. Boston Globe, p. E4.

  35. Podell, I. (2000, February 23). McSorley suspended after attack on Brashear. Associated Press. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  36. Ibid.

  37. Ibid.

  38. Ibid.

  39. Allen, K. (2000, March 8). McSorley faces charge of assault. Incident opens new debate over sports leagues ''policing own.'' USA Today, 1C.

  40. Ibid.

  41. Lewis murder charges dropped: Ravens star accepts misdemeanor charge, will testify. (2000, June 5). CNN/Sports Illustrated [online version]. Retrieved September 11, 2007, from sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/n?/news/19/06/04/lewis_agreement.

  42. Litke, Jim. (2001, January 24). Lewis unrepentant over Atlanta stabbings. Post-Tribune (Gary, IN), p. C4.

  43. Roughness: Lewis pitching slam bam video doesn't do much for his image, or the NFL's either. (2002, November 24). Post Tribune (Gary, IN), p. C2.

  44. Ibid., p. C4.

  45. Lewis avoids civil trial. (2004, May 3). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, p. 3C.

  46. Roughness: Lewis pitching. (2002).

  47. Williams guilty of four charges: Ex-player acquitted of manslaughter. (2004, May 1) Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette, p. 3B.

  48. Ibid.

  49. Brennan, John. (2007, July 17). Part of 911 call tossed: Judge issues rulings for Jayson Williams retrial. The Record (Bergen County, NJ), p. A03.

  50. Soshnick, Scott. (2005, January 13). Williams joins minors while awaiting retrial. National Post, p. S5.

  51. Moore, David Leon. (2003, April, 18). Stunned family, friends of Dennehy rip Bliss: Secretly recorded tapes reveal plot to say Dennehy dealt drugs. USA Today, p. C03.

  52. Ibid., C03.

  53. Moore. (2003), p. C03.

  54. Ibid., p. C03.

  55. Maher, J. (2005, June 24). NCAA spares death penalty for Baylor: Beleaguered program to lose nonconference schedule for a year. Austin American Statesman, p. D2.

  56. Moore. (2003).

  57. Hanna, Bill, and Caplan, Jeff. (2004, May 12). Baylor, basketball player's mother settle lawsuit. Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. Retrieved August 28, 2007, from ProQuest database.

  58. Biggane, B. (2004, March 12). Palm Beach (Florida) Post, p. 1C.

  59. Ibid.

  60. Bertuzzi back on the ice after long suspension. (2005, August 16). Associated Press. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  61. Ibid.

  62. Moore surprised Bertuzzi cleared to play. (2005, August 11). Associated Press. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  63. Vample, R. (2006, August 16). Artest does community service in Detroit, part of brawl sentence. Associated Press. Retrieved August 9, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  64. Zirin, D. (2005). What's my name, fool? Chicago: Haymarket Press, p. 172.

  65. Dunn, S. (2007, August 7). Punter's interview with police highlights day 6 of attempted murder case. Greeley (Colorado) Tribune [online version]. Retrieved August 12, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database, para. 14.

  66. Ibid., para. 20.

  67. Ibid., para. 7.

  68. Killion, Ann. (2007, August 20). Michael Vick experience was a horror show. Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. Retrieved August 22, 2003, from ProQuest database.

  69. Red, Christian. (2007, August 21). With Vick plea, dog bites man: Reverses field, agrees to accept Fed deal. Daily News (New York), p. 48.

  70. Michael Vick timeline. (2007, August 21). Times-Picayune (New Orleans), p. 7.

  CHAPTER 2

  1. Sullivan, Robert. (1985, May 20). In Pittsburgh, the party may soon be over. Sports Illustrated, p. 34.

  2. Lidz, Franz. (1985, June 10). Embarrassing evidence. Sports Illustrated, p. 15.

  3. Met testifies of ''romance'' between players and drugs. (1985, September 6). Seattle Times, p. D2.

  4. Smizik, Bob. (1985, September 15). Baseball and Pirates on trial, and they're losing. Seattle Times, p. C3.

  5. Lacayo, Richard. (1985, September 23). The cocaine agonies. Time. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from time.com/time/printout/0,8816,959943,00.html.

  6. Bodley, Hal. (2004, March 4). Ueberroth took action in 1986 cocaine scandal. USA Today. Retrieved August 30, 2007, from usatoday.com/sports/baseball/columnist/bodley/2004-03-04-bodley_x.htm.

  7. Bias reportedly suffered three seizures before help called. (1986, October 17). United Press International. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  8. Bias's death shook Maryland. (1987, June 5). United Press International. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  9. Dunham, W. (1987, June 10). Driesell: Cocaine comment misinterpreted. United Press International. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  10. Ibid.

  11. Jenkins, S. (1987, Ju
ne 5). Driesell: Acquittal helps Bias' reputation. Washington Post, p. G3.

  12. Ibid.

  13. Bias grand jury blasts Maryland's athletic department. (1987, February 27). United Press International. Retrieved July 12 from LexisNexis Academic database.

  14. Bias's death shook Maryland. (1987).

  15. Brubaker, B. (1986, August 17). Drug use by players may lead to more surveillance by NBA. Washington Post, p. B1.

  16. Fainaru-Wada, Mark, and Williams, Lance. (2006, December 24). From children to pros, the heat is on to stop use of performance enhancers. San Francisco Chronicle, p. A1.

  17. Williams, Lance, and Fainaru-Wada, Mark. (2005, October 19). Short prison terms for BALCO defendants: Judge blasts steroid dealer for continuing to protect his superstar drug clients. San Francisco Chronicle, p. A1.

  18. Corbett, Sara. (2007, August 19). The outcast. New York Times, p. 60.

  19. Ibid.

  20. Ibid.

  21. Drew, Jay. (2007, September 21). CEO: Landis ruling a relief. Salt Lake Tribune [online version]. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from ProQuest database.

  22. Pells, Eddie. (2007, September 21). Landis' bid to retain Tour title fails: Arbitration panel upholds DQ. Chicago Sun-Times, p. 83.

  23. Landis has more to say on Web site. (2007, September 26). Washington Post, p. E2.

  24. Connolly, Dan. (2007, August 9). Is Bonds fit for crown? With no. 756, Barry Bonds stands alone atop the home run list. But he begins his reign facing some king-sized doubts. Baltimore Sun [online version]. Retrieved August 8, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

  25. Dabe, Chris. (2007, August 9). Is Barry Bonds a home run king? A cheater? It's all about … perceptions. Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise. Retrieved August 11, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.