Top 10 Conspiracy Theories in Sports
#10: The Battle of the Gambling Debt
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Famously known as the Battle of the Sexes, fresh off winning the first tennis match against Margaret Court, 55-year-old Bobby Riggs was set to take on 29-year-old Billie Jean King. With the world’s media watching, King destroyed Riggs in three sets. Because apparently a man losing to a younger, better woman was impossible, people began to speculate that Riggs had thrown the match on purpose. As he was known to be a prolific gambler, rumors came out that to clear a massive debt to the mafia, Riggs rigged the event in King’s favor. He denied this theory for the rest of his days, stating that he underestimated King and overestimated himself.
#9: SpyGate Destruction
In 2007, the New England Patriots and the NFL were embroiled in a scandal that the Massachusetts franchise has struggled to shake ever since. The team was found using a camera to capture the New York Jets’ defensive plays. Rumor has it that during the investigation, NFL officials arrived at the Patriots' headquarters and destroyed various tapes quickly. In addition, it is said that they also discovered a treasure trove of illegal recordings by the Patriots, going as far back as the 2001 AFC Championship Game victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their Super Bowl victory over the then St. Louis Rams the same year. However, the Boston Herald, who reported these findings, issued a retraction soon after. Many believe the harsher punishment over DeflateGate was to make up for lack of consequences stemming from SpyGate.
#8: Ronaldo's Selection
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Coming into the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, fans and pundits were excited to see Brazil’s wonderkid Ronaldo face France’s star-studded defense. Instead, 72 minutes before kick-off, Ronaldo was left out of the lineup. Then, 30 minutes later, he was mysteriously back in the side. As confirmed by the player and Brazil’s doctor, hours before, Ronaldo had a seizure and was taken to hospital for tests. After passing them, he was put back on the team. However, that hasn’t stopped conspiracy theories from coming out. Some speculate that Ronaldo was poisoned to destroy Brazil’s chances of lifting the trophy. Another believes that Nike, who had large financial ties to the nation and Ronaldo, pressured management to play the iconic striker.
#7: Tribute Win
In February 2001, NASCAR lost Dale Earnhardt, one of the greatest legends in the sport, when he suffered a fatal crash at the Daytona 500. By July, Dale Earnhardt Jr., a racer in his own right, took part in the Pepsi 400 on the same track that lost his father. Earnhardt put in an amazing performance and won the emotional race. But instead of focussing on the achievement, some people, including fans and journalists, were suspicious. They speculated that NASCAR had rigged the race for Earnhardt by giving his car an advantage with the use of the rules. Others believe the other drivers may have taken pity on him, allowing him to get ahead. Earnhardt was understandably furious at the accusations.
#6: The Timely Outage
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In 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. set a record of 2,632 consecutive games played when he finally sat out for the Baltimore Orioles. But in August 1997, amid achieving this stunning MLB record, conspiracy theorists went into overtime. Before facing the Seattle Mariners, the game was called off due to electrical problems at the stadium. Immediately, rumors circulated that the Orioles had purposely tampered with the electrics as Ripken was unable to play, which would’ve ended his streak early. They claimed he had gotten into a fight with actor Kevin Costner, as he had apparently had an affair with the baseball star’s wife. The only issue with this is Ripken was seen at the stadium before the game was called off, ready to play.
#5: Protecting the Penguins
In 2005, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the lottery for the NHL draft and got the first pick. So, they selected one of the most talked about prospects in recent history, Sidney Crosby. After nearly going bankrupt, finishing poorly in standings in consecutive seasons, and with an area practically falling apart, the lottery win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Penguins. After all, once Crosby joined the team, they soon became one of the NHL’s most dominant teams. Naturally with better play, they went to secure a deal for a new arena. But speculation regarding the team’s convenient position in the draft raised some conspiracy eyebrows. They believed the NHL had taken pity on the Penguins and had boosted their draft chances to stop them from going out of business.
#4: Suzie the Poisoner
At the 1995 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand was one of the favorites to lift the prestigious trophy. After all, they decimated Japan in the Pool Stage 17–145. Armed with a team featuring icons like Jonah Lomu and captain Sean Fitzpatrick, the All Blacks found themselves in the final against hosts South Africa. However, New Zealand narrowly lost 15-12. The day before the match, 21 out of 26 of their players contracted food poisoning. Rumors began to go around that the All Blacks were purposely poisoned, especially after head coach Laurie Mains blamed the mysterious waitress “Suzie.” A former bodyguard of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela even claimed a betting syndicate was responsible for wrecking New Zealand’s chances.
#3: The Phantom Punch
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For the most iconic images in sport, a triumphant Muhammed Ali standing over the fallen Sonny Liston in their second bout in 1965 would certainly be up there. But this match has caused controversy alongside its historic nature. Halfway through the first round, Liston suddenly went down. Many in attendance and watching at home didn’t see Ali’s strike that took out the fearsome boxer and believed something fishy had occurred. Some believe Liston took a dive as part of a betting syndicate. After all, he did have ties to mobsters. However, slow-motion showed Ali dodged a punch by Liston and then countered with a right jab, followed by a left strike that missed.
#2: Michael Jordan’s Retirement
In 1993, the basketball world was shocked when Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan announced he was retiring. Shortly afterwards, in a move that shocked many, he signed a deal with the minor-league baseball side, the Chicago White Sox. By 1995, Jordan returned to the Bulls. Although Jordan claimed he switched to baseball to honor his late father, some believe it was for another reason. Before his retirement, Jordan was earning a reputation for being a serious gambler. He admitted paying $57,000 for one debt and author Richard Esquinas claimed Jordan reportedly owed him $1.25 million from a game of golf. This led to the idea that the NBA had secretly suspended Jordan from the league, and him playing baseball serving as a guise.
#1: The Frozen Envelope
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In 1985, the NBA introduced the draft lottery to make things more fair for teams. But instead of bringing order, it stirred controversy. At the time this took place, Patrick Ewing was considered a generational talent. Whoever won the lottery would surely take him with the first pick. According to conspiracy theorists, the NBA wanted a strong franchise in the Big Apple. So, they rigged the lottery to guarantee the New York Knicks won. This was done by apparently putting their envelope in a freezer, in turn making it colder, allowing Commissioner David Stern to make the distinction among the other envelopes in order to select it. Many also found it bizarre how Stern was visibly exhaling before taking the envelope. Another theory suggests that the envelope was purposely creased in the corner so that the commissioner knew it belonged to New York.
