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Australian ball-tampering scandal (Sandpaper Gate) in 2018
This is one scandal every cricket fan worth their salt will see coming a mile away. Australia, one of the juggernauts in international cricket, were caught in the eye of an ugly story after Cameron Bancroft was seen using sandpaper to alter the ball on Day 3 of the third Test in Cape Town against South Africa.
Bancroft wanted to try and roughen up one side of the ball so it could swing better and was seen doing so with a piece of sandpaper on camera much to the shock and disgust of fans watching around the world. However, that was not all.
Soon after, it was revealed that Bancroft was acting under the directions of skipper Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, both of whom had full knowledge and did not discourage Bancroft. Warner was found guilty of hatching the plan and teaching Bancroft how to tamper the ball. Smith, on the other hand, was found guilty of knowing about the plan and not doing enough to stop it. He was also found guilty of telling Bancroft to conceal the sandpaper, misleading match officials and the public about the incident.
Both Smith and Warner were given 12-month bans from both domestic and international cricket and would not be considered for leadership roles by Cricket Australia in the future while Cameron Bancroft was given a 9-month long ban for his role in the unfortunate incident. Even though there was no official proof of involvement, coach Darren Lehmann stepped down from his role soon after.
Warner and Smith have used their cricketing abilities to bounce back in fine fashion and return to the good graces of fans across the world but this is one scandal that will be hard to shake off.
Tiger Woods' sexual infidelity scandal in 2009
This seems like a lifetime ago, yet the memory of the entire episode remains etched in the memory of many fans as if it were only yesterday. Tiger Woods, arguably one of the greatest golfers of all time was at the peak of his powers in 2009 when a story claiming he had an extra-marital affair in New York turned his world upside down.
That began a chain of events that could not have been fathomed even by the most sceptical fiction lover. Two days after the report, Woods was involved in a fender bender near his home and given a ticket for reckless driving. Soon after, he withdrew from his own charity tournament while multiple women started coming out and claimed to have been physically involved with the hot-shot golfer.
Woods released a statement admitting to sexual infidelity and took an indefinite break from the sport as sponsors began to drop him to save their brand image. If that wasn't all, his wife Elin Nordegren, who was pregnant at the time decided to end their six-year-long marriage.
Woods has since then gone from strength to strength to return to winning ways and try and get his personal life back on track. He came out on top at the 2019 Masters, a tournament he last won in 2005. Even though it was not a hole-in-one, Tiger has managed to come out of the woods and keep his career-relevant.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots and 'Deflategate' in 2015
The New England Patriots have been one of the most enigmatic NFL franchises in modern times. However, their successes have come hand in hand with spades of controversy. One could point to the signing of running back Antonio Brown for one game or the tragic suicide of Junior Seau or even the curious case of their star tight end Aaron Hernandez and his arrest, trial and incarceration for murder but they will all pale in comparison when met by 'Deflategate'.
During an AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in January in 2015, officials were made aware of the fact that 11 of the 12 match balls provided by the Patriots were considerably underinflated. The Patriots romped to victory with a 45-7 scoreline in their favour.
Later, it was alleged that Tom Brady was directly involved in the ploy since he was the starting quarterback and would by definition know everything about the footballs being used by the team.
Brady and the organisation vehemently denied any knowledge about the matter but he was still suspended for four games (after much drama one might add) while the franchise was fined $1 million and lost two draft picks in 2016. Brady also served the suspension in 2016 after a long and drawn out court battle with the NFL.
This didn't dampen the Patriots' spirit as they ended up winning Super Bowl LI in truly dramatic fashion against the Atlanta Falcons. In a match where the Falcons led 21-3 at half-time, the Patriots pulled off an unreal comeback to win 34-28 and break Falcons' hearts. Brady for all his troubles was clutch in the death and was named Super Bowl MVP that year.
