If you’re the type of person who likes to bet on gg.bet/en/football often, chances are you don’t only watch the football but are aware of the scandals that occur in the sport as well. Over the years, the NFL dealt with a lot of scandals. Some of them include cheating, while others include bad behavior. Either way, all of them made people talk about the football league differently. Here are the top 5 scandals that the NFL endured.
- Michael Vick Involved in Dogfighting
Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons Star, was charged by the federal authorities back in 2007 for apparently having an interstate dogfighting ring, which was, of course, illegal. Vick was allegedly very cruel to the dogs, and he was also associated with illegal betting. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the star, and the league was also worried about his involvement with funding illegal gambling.
Michael Vick ended up serving 21 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty. In 2009, he returned to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Chuck Noll and George Atkinson
This incident happened back in 1976 during the season opener. After George Atkinson gave Lynn Swann a hard blow, Chuck Noll complained about him to the media. “There is a certain criminal element in every aspect of society. We have it in the NFL, too,” he said.
Noll was sued by Atkinson for defamation, and the jury was on Noll’s side. Afterward, Noll mentioned Mel Blount was part of the “criminal element” too, which ended up with Blount suing Noll too. The $6 million trial was dropped later, though.
- Ray Rice Domestic Violence Incident
Ray Rice assaulted his fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator. So, Roger Goodell suspended him for two games. At first, Goodell defended the light suspension as he thought the player knew he made a mistake, and he has been accountable. “He’s been accountable for his actions. He recognizes he made a horrible mistake, that it is unacceptable, by his standards and by our standards,” he said.
However, a more graphic video was later released by TMZ, so the suspension was made indefinite by Goodell, which resulted in Rice never being part of pro football again.
- The “Bountygate” Scandal
Multiple Saints were suspended by the NFL during what is known as the “Bountygate” scandal. The players, together with the defensive captain and head coach, were part of a system where players could get bonuses when they injured enemy players.
It is said that a linebacker gave $10,000 to whoever kicked out either Kurt Warner or Brett Favre in the 2009 playoff games. Payton and Vilma were suspended, and Joe Vitt became the interim head coach in Payton’s place. However, since he knew about the system too, he was suspended as well.
NFL fans were surely keeping an eye on the scandals when they happened. Were you an NFL fan at the time too?