The Most Controversial Sports Moments

It’s often the case that some people want to talk about great sporting moments, such as Lionel Messi recently lifting the World Cup In Qatar as the captain of Argentina. However, it’s arguably the most controversial moments in sports that steal the headlines and become the talking point, and there have been many of them over the years.

Salt Bae Tries To Steal The Show At The World Cup

As mentioned above, Lionel Messi and Argentina were successful at the recent World Cup in Qatar. Argentina was heavily fancied for success by many, and while it is not uncommon for reputable sports betting sites online to offer odds on events before or after the fact, they couldn’t have predicted what happened during the celebrations when celebrity butcher Salt Bae began mixing with the Argentinian players and staff and even got his hands on the World Cup, which is strictly prohibited.

The Soviet Union Win Gold In The Men’s Basketball Final At The 1972 Olympics

If you’re talking about sports high on the list of priorities in the US, basketball is one of them. And as a result, the US has excelled at basketball for years. From the 1936 Olympics, the US men’s basketball team had won every game and secured every gold on offer. That was, until, in the 1972 final against the Soviet Union, the US were on course for another victory, but the referee controversially added three seconds to the official clock, and in that time, the Soviet Union managed to seal the win by one point.

The Chicago Red Sox Lose To The Cincinnati Reds

Now, this isn’t mean in a disrespectful way towards the Cincinnati Reds, but in 1919 at the World Series, they were expected to lose to the Chicago Red Sox. However, this isn’t how things panned out because they actually recorded a surprise victory over the Red Sox, which immediately caused questions to be asked from some. It turned out that in exchange for cash, some Red Sox players ensured the team lost, which saw them banned for life from playing baseball at a professional level.

An NBA Referee Goes Rogue

A referee is employed in sports to ensure everything that happens is fair and to keep peace and order. So, they’re all presumed to have a high level of integrity. And, for the most part, they do. However, one referee who didn’t was Tim Donaghy in the NBA. Donaghy had broken the cardinal rule of betting on games he was officiating, which is frowned upon because he could directly influence proceedings as and when he wanted. He was investigated and charged by the FBI as a result.

Tonya Harding’s Success Comes After Nancy Kerrigan Breaks Leg

It doesn’t matter what sport you’re in; if your closest rival is taken out of the running, you’re pretty much guaranteed success. And this was the case for figure skater Tonya Harding in 1994 at the US Figure Skating Championships when her former husband and bodyguard paid for Nancy Kerrigan’s leg to be broken. Harding was successful in her quest for greatness, but it was short-lived, as the goings-on were uncovered.