The Sports Felon Hall of Fame Some athletes display their finest, purest acts of heroism off the field. But not these guys. What is it about getting paid millions of dollars to play ball for a living that brings out the worst in some people? Hours after deciding to dredge up the most disturbing role models in sports history, we quickly found more than we could possibly squeeze onto these few pages. These guys aren’t merely dirtballs, coke fiends, and cold-blooded killers. They’re multimillionaires greedy enough to beat up a hooker for $400. They’re All-Academic team players dumb enough to put a hit on a pregnant girlfriend, then hide in the trunk of a car. They’re drug addicts so far gone they snort blow during the game. They’re people who were raised by wolves. Although it’s been like this as long as we can remember (think Ty Cobb beating up a cripple in the stands), there once was a day when these stories were swept under the rug for the good of the game. Not anymore. Commemorated here for the first time are the absolute worst of the worst. Enjoy your trading cards! Swap ’em with your friends! LAWRENCE PHILLIPS Arrested for: DUI, domestic violence, false imprisonment, assault (twice), making a terrorist threat, and lots more Phillips scored three TDs in the 1996 national championship Fiesta Bowl and was the Rams’ top draft pick—and that’s the last good news about Mr. Phillips. His ex-girlfriend charged him with beating and sexually assaulting her, but he pleaded down to misdemeanor trespassing and assault (despite allegedly telling her, “I’m going to shoot you in the kneecaps and then shoot you in the elbows”). He was also busted for speeding…on a flat tire…while drunk. And what did he learn from all this? “When I go into a club, get a limo.” Nice. JOHN KORDIC Crimes: Drugs, assault, resisting arrest According to defenseman Dave Shand, “Kordic might have been the toughest guy in hockey, but totally wacko. He’d spear you in the face for nothing.” Maybe because Kordic was wired on cocaine, booze, and steroids? Kordic won the Cup in 1986 with Montreal before being traded to Toronto, Washington (where he logged 101 penalty minutes in seven friggin’ games), and finally Quebec. On the night of August 8, 1992, a drugged-up Kordic fought with nine cops at Quebec’s Motel Maxim. (Yo!) The Mounties eventually subdued him, needing two pairs of handcuffs to restrain his arms. Kordic died on the way to the hospital. “BAD NEWS” BARNES Arrested for: Cocaine, mar1juana, gun possession, eluding police, assault, shoplifting videos and women’s underwear Marvin “Bad News” Barnes got his nickname the old-fashioned way: He earned it, beating a college teammate with a tire iron. He bounced around the ABA and NBA—owners couldn’t resist his talent (he called himself Superman, and few argued), but Marvin couldn’t resist cocaine: “[When] I was playing for the Celtics,” Barnes admitted, “I was snorting cocaine right there on the bench while the game was going on. I guess I don’t need to say that my career didn’t last much longer after that.” No, but his prison career sure did. TONY AYALA JR. Arrested for: Drugs, rape (twice), breaking and entering It’s hard to believe, but there are actually a few unsavory sorts in boxing who threaten to give the Sport of Kings a bad name. One doing his best is Tony Ayala Jr., a druggie (he started using heroin at age 12) who served 16 years for tying a woman up and raping her. Released in 1999, he managed to stay out of trouble—until he broke into a woman’s home last December at 4 a.m. and got himself shot. Somehow Ayala returned to the ring this past July (wearing a metal ankle tether under his sock) to fight against Santos Cardona. Ayala won handily, though it must be said that Cardona was unarmed. TY COBB Crimes: Assault (too many to count), murder It’s impossible to list all Ty’s acts of violence. But here are a few. 1907: Slapped a black groundskeeper; when the man’s wife protested, he grabbed her by the neck. 1908: Assaulted a black laborer; shoved a black chambermaid down the stairs. 1909: Slapped a black elevator operator for being “insolent.” When a night watchman (also black) broke it up, Cobb slashed him several times with a knife. Fined $100. 1912: Pistol-whipped a would-be mugger to death; pummeled a crippled fan. 1914: Threatened a butcher with a gun and pistol-whipped his black assistant. Babe Ruth said it best: “Ty Cobb is a prick.” RIDDICK BOWE Arrested for: Kidnapping Behold the bizarre life of Riddick Bowe. In 1992 he beats Evander Holyfield in one of the best title fights ever. Then, during a 1994 weigh-in, he sucker-punches opponent Larry Donald. Andrew Golota punches him in the balls six times in one 1996 fight. In 1997 he joins the Marine reserves, but quits 11 days later. On a whim he kidnaps his estranged wife and children in 1998 (forgetting that he’s the only member of the family who can afford ransom). At the trial the judge figures Bowe is, well, nuts, and lets him off with 30 days. Bowe is now hoping for another title shot, proving that he still has more balls than brains. DAVE MEGGETT Arrested for: Assault, theft, rape (twice), soliciting prostitution OK, let’s see if we have this straight: Dave Meggett is a star running back for the New England Patriots and the NFL’s all-time leading punt returner. He makes millions of dollars. So, in 1998, he allegedly rapes a prostitute (a breed known for frigidity) in a $460-a-night hotel room, beats her up, and steals $400 from her. Are we missing something here? Actually, we are. Cops say he also recently forced a woman into his Porsche outside a South Carolina bar and raped her. Oh, and on February 7, 2000, he offered an undercover cop a whopping $40 for the honor of having sex with him. DENNY MCLAIN Arrested for: cocaine, loansharking, extortion, Racketeering McLain won 31 games in 1968 on the way to a World Series ring, but that was the high point for this lowlife. Two years later he was caught consorting with gamblers and was suspended for much of the 1970 season. He left the game soon after, but in 1985 he got busted for racketeering, loansharking, extortion, and cocaine possession—the dirtball equivalent of hitting for the cycle. After his release, McLain played the organ at a Michigan bar where Leon Spinks was the bartender (no, really). He couldn’t stay clean and was convicted in 1996 for his part in a meat packers’ pension-fund swindle. RON LEFLORE Arrested for: Armed robbery, failure to pay child support This Tigers speedster got a good lead on his life of crime at age 12, when he stole $1,500 from a grocery store. In 1966 LeFlore was nabbed for armed robbery. But he played so well for the prison baseball team that his fellow inmates wrote Tigers manager Billy Martin to come check him out, and LeFlore was called up in 1974 after his parole. LeFlore became an All-Star, at different times leading both leagues in—yup—stolen bases. But here’s the kicker: When Detroit invited former Tigers greats back in 1999, LeFlore was arrested for failing to pay over $50,000 in child support. Welcome back! COREY DILLON Arrested for: DUI, theft (twice), intent to sell cocaine, obstructing a police officer (thrice), resisting arrest (twice), assault (five times), criminal trespass, malicious mischief (twice), reckless endangerment (twice) Corey Dillon has committed so many crimes (with such variety!), we inducted him early. He had 11 arrests before age 17. Since going pro Corey’s been busted for DUI, driving with a suspended license, and assaulting his wife. Dillon was sentenced to rigorous “community service”—working with area youngsters on football skills and refereeing intramural basketball games. We still expect a lot of jail time from this promising youngster. JOHN CLARKSON Crime: murder The Tinkers to Evers to Chance of felons, Clarkson was part of a trio of Chicago White Stockings criminals in the 1880s: In 1885 Clarkson won 53 games. Later he slashed his wife to death with a razor. In 1963 he was voted into the Hall of Fame. (Take that, Pete Rose!) Teammate John Glenn was a mere robber—until he left prison and raped a 12-year-old girl. When a mob chased Glenn, a cop accidentally shot him. Then there’s Terry Larkin: After he retired, he slit his throat and shot his wife. Both survived, and Larkin moved to an asylum. While there he dived into a radiator. His wife nursed him back to health, so he killed her father, then himself. “HAWKEYE” WHITNEY Crimes: Kidnapping, robbery Hawkeye got his cup of coffee playing 70 games for the NBA’s Kansas City Kings from 1980 to 1982. Like many benchwarmers, Whitney made a bigger name for himself off the court, battling drug addiction. On January 26, 1996, Whitney abducted a man in Alexandria, Virginia, forced him into a car, and drove him to two ATMs to withdraw $1,600. Problem was, the man was a special assistant to President Clinton. Philadelphia 76ers coach John Lucas later testified on Hawkeye’s behalf that “he’s not a bad person; he’s just doing bad things”—a clear moral distinction that’s lost on nonprofessional athletes like yourself. BILLY TIBBETS Arrested for: Rape, disorderly conduct, assault and battery, assaulting a police officer, intimidating a witness Billy started on the wrong foot. At 17 he raped a girl at a party; when he moved to a new neighborhood last year, police distributed fliers informing neighbors of his past. Tibbets took it in stride: “I’m just going to mind my own business and live my life the best I know how,” he said. Two years after the rape, he was convicted of intimidating a witness and assaulting a cop. Then he assaulted someone with a BB gun and violated parole, earning two and a half years in prison. “I’m going to let people get to know me,” he said. Here’s hoping they don’t. RAE CARRUTH Crime: Murder Rae Carruth had his **** together. He was a well-liked wide receiver at Colorado, where he double-majored in English and education, made the Big 12 All-Academic team, and signed a $3.7 million contract in 1997 with the Carolina Panthers. Then he got Cherica Adams pregnant. So Rae did what any levelheaded multimillionaire English major would do: He had her brutally gunned down in a drive-by. After she was shot, Cherica somehow dialed 911 on her cell phone. The FBI tracked down Carruth in a Best Western parking lot, where he’d been curled up in the trunk of a Toyota for 21 hours with candy bars and a bottle full of piss. CESAR CEDENO Arrested for: DUI, assault, Murder, beating his pregnant girlfriend, battery on a police officer Cedeno was called “the next Willie Mays,” and he justified the hype by hitting .320 in 1972 and 1973. But on December 11, 1973, he shacked up with Altragracia de la Cruz in a Santo Domingo motel. During the night, the woman was shot in the head and killed. Cedeno claimed it was an accident. (Accidents do happen—especially when a loving couple messes with a loaded gun.) The court reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter, leveling a fine of $100. Obviously distraught over the whole incident, Cedeno kept playing in the majors until 1986. MARK INGRAM Arrested for: Grand theft auto, possession of counterfeit currency, failure to pay child support One of Dan Marino’s superstable of wide receivers—and one of many wide-outs to commit a felony—former multimillionaire Mark Ingram wasn’t quite fast enough to elude the cops in late January 2001 after he was caught in a stolen rental car. He also wasn’t smart enough to hide $3,290 in counterfeit money (or Lawrence Taylor’s checkbook) before the police searched the car. Hell, the cops weren’t even looking for Ingram—he just happened to pull up next to a stolen car they were already watching. Some bears are so dumb you don’t even need to set a trap. “PACER” SMITH Crimes: Murder, murder, attempted murder Charles “Pacer” Smith pitched for the Cincinnati Red Stockings during the National League’s first two seasons. Twenty years later, he shot and killed his five-year-old daughter and teenage sister-in-law and also tried to shoot his wife. On November 29, 1895, Smith was hanged at the prison in Decatur, Illinois, making him the only major-leaguer ever executed. (Ironically, that same day his former catcher Frank Harris was scheduled to be executed on an unrelated murder charge, but he was granted a reprieve—thus squelching the possibility of an exciting and historic battery-mate double execution.) http://www.maximonline.com/sports/articles/article_4459.html Any others that belong on this list?
No one new to add, but I want to expand on the worst ever, in terms of long term malice: Ty Cobb...the story actually underplays his brutality. When he was , I think, 7 years old he beat a classmate unconscious for being responsible for his team losing a spelling bee. The protesting blackgroundskeeper's wife was not 'grabbed' by the neck; he was strangling her...and when his teammates intervened and dragged him off of the woman, he attacked them. The crippled fan story is charming...he was apparently called a half-******..an insult the incredibly racist Tiger found so offensive that he leapt into the stands and beat the fan to the ground, and then proceeded to brutally kick the man repeatedly in the head and torso( remember these were the days of the long metal spiked cleats...and Cobb was nototrious for sharpening his to an knife like point)...When surrounding fans yelled at him that the fan could not defend himself, as he had no hands, Cobb yelled that he didn't care if he had no feet, and went on kicking the man until police dragged him off. There are many more stories...Cobb himself admitted many times that he believed everyone was 'out to get ' him...He was probably paranoid, possibly sociopathic, and certainly borderline derranged. He himself said that he was like a tightly wound spring with a flaw in it's core, and that the slightest pressure would set him off uncontrollably. He was so universally hated that his own teammates sent champagne and a letter of congratulations to a player from another team when it was ( mistakenly) thought that he had beaten out Cobb for the batting title. His mother shot his father to death two weeks before Cobb made the majors...the last words the incredibly remote and severe mans was supposed to have said to his son were " Don't come back home if you're a failure." Sad, disturbing chapter in the American pass time.
Technically, he's not a felon...and last I heard he continues to pursue his theory that the real killer was either a caddy or country club groundskeeper: His vow to spend the rest of his life trying to find the guilty part has sent him on an endless quest of golf courses across America with a zeal that would make Inspector Javert envious...
Ty Cobb once called Bae Ruth a half-****** before a game when both teams were on the field warming up. Of course Cobb was a good distance away from Ruth when he said it. Ruth took off after him. Cobb still being fleet of foot in his late 30's ran into the dugout and down into the Tiger's clubhouse. Ruth had no chance of catching him. Players from both team blocked Ruth from entering the Tiger dugout and were able to calm him down. However after the game, Ruth was waiting as Cobb came out to the parking lot. Cobb pulled a knife and warned Ruth he would cut him up good if he came any closer. Ruth thought better of it and walked away. Ruth never fogot that incident and never spoke to Cobb after that.
From New York World, April 27th, 1900 - there had been a big fire in an apartment building, and it left 45 families homeless. This is an excerpt from the paper, describing the involvement of several ballplayers And then they went on to rally for five runs in the bottom of the tenth to tie the Boston team 10-10 - Davis had a triple. A little tired of all the ugly athlete stories, so I thought I'd post something different.
Who was the relief pitcher who pulled a gun on his pregnant wife a few years ago, and some wise old judge said he could serve his prison sentence during three off-seasons? I think he was either a Colorado or Arizona pitcher.
