Is The NFL As Scandal-Ridden As Washington?
The NFL is America’s biggest sports organization, and by proxy of how much money is invested in its infrastructure, there’s a lot in the way of corruption and scandal. Just take a look at this list, which spans from personal misdeeds of players to grand moves of owners and commissioners.
Deflategate
The New England Patriots dynasty was tarnished by a number of scandals. Chief amongst these was the 2015 accusation of Tom Brady deflating balls used by the rival Indianapolis Colts during a playoff game.
Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons
Deflategate
The highlight of Deflategate, though, was a Ben Affleck appearance opposite sports journalist Bill Simmons. Looking and sounding inebriated, Patriots fan Affleck created some very entertaining television by going into rant mode about the scandal.
Spygate
The other big Patriots controversy was during 2007 when it was uncovered that the team had been breaking the rules of the game and videotaping the signals of opposing team’s coaches so they could figure out plays. It probably helped the team maintain a perfect 18-0 record that year.
Spygate
Head coach Bill Belichick, as well as the team, faced massive fines, but the ultimate karma came later. The team heartbreakingly lost the Super Bowl game that postseason, ruining their perfect streak.
1925 NFL Championship
The 1925 NFL Championship was highly controversial due to the league's rule of granting the title to the team with the best record. The Pottsville Maroons, who had the best record, were suspended for playing an unauthorized exhibition game that season.
Coemgenus at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
1925 NFL Championship
Their rival, the Chicago Cardinals, played and won two additional games against weaker opponents, securing a better record and the championship. Pottsville supporters argued the suspension was unjust, and unfavorably went towards the Cardinals.
MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle, Getty Images
Rams In Los Angeles
The St Louis Rams had a strong legacy, including the years of the Kurt Warner & Marshall Faulk run, which resulted in a Super Bowl victory. That being said, owner Stan Kroenke had other plans.
Rams In Los Angeles
Despite Kroenke’s promise to keep the team in St Louis, he made plans for a Los Angeles relocation, which the city united against. But there was only so much he could do, and the team relocated in 2016.
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Washington Misconduct
As if the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins couldn’t get into more trouble, a controversy arose in the summer of 2020 over misconduct allegations. It appeared that both cheerleaders and office workers had been the victims of a toxic workplace created by the team’s owners.
All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Washington Misconduct
Years of investigation and millions in fines later, a conclusion was reached that the allegations were very true. It represented a moment of needing to recognize the abuse of power in the NFL.
1921 Championship
The 1921 NFL championship had disputed game results and scheduling issues. The Chicago Staleys claimed the title with a 9-1-1 record, while the Buffalo All-Americans, with a 9-1-2 record, argued they should have it based on their head-to-head performance.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
1921 Championship
The critical game between the two was ruled an exhibition match by the league, favoring Chicago, which Buffalo contested. The lack of clear league rules and the ensuing decision to award the championship to Chicago fueled ongoing debate over the legitimacy of the decision.
Aaron Hernandez
Ah, yes, another New England Patriots scandal to recount. That being said, there’s no fun in summarizing the tragedy of the late Aaron Hernandez.
Aaron Hernandez
With a conviction for homicide in 2015, Hernandez’s promising football career flamed out. He sadly took his own life while in prison two years later. 
Getty Images
Ray Lewis
Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis is considered by many to be the greatest linebacker in the history of the NFL. That being said, a scandal followed him for much of his career.
Andy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ray Lewis
In 2000, Lewis was charged with murder after a fight outside an Atlanta nightclub resulted in the stabbing of two men, but the charges were dropped in exchange for his testimony against his friends, and he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. The next year, Lewis would be the MVP of the Super Bowl game.
Ray Rice
Years later, another Baltimore Raven named Ray ran into trouble. His controversy, though, opened up a whole other conversation about the ethics of the NFL.
Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons
Ray Rice
In 2014, Rice was caught on camera committing domestic violence against his fiancée. Initially, he only got a two-game suspension, but further public outrage led to him being ousted from the team altogether.
OJ Simpson
Probably the most notorious football player of all time, OJ Simpson’s legacy would’ve been about being one of the most successful running backs of all time. Unfortunately, events in the 90s said otherwise.
OJ Simpson
The trial surrounding the demise of Simpson’s ex-wife became possibly the biggest media sensation of the 90s. Though he got off, the general consensus was that Simpson was guilty of the crime.
Michael Vick
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick seemed to be on his way to becoming one of the NFL’s greats until a scandal sank his reputation in 2007, resulting in prison time. From there, he found himself bouncing around multiple teams, never claiming a Super Bowl ring.
Michael Vick
Vick’s controversy was that he was found guilty of operating a dog fighting ring involving pitbulls. You may even remember there being a joke about it on 30 Rock.
The Washington Post, Getty Images
Vikings On A Boat
Maybe you remember the line Price uttered in Purple Rain about needing to “purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka”. Well, the 2005 Minnesota Vikings did maybe something slightly the opposite.
Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vikings On A Boat
The team got in trouble for having a raunchy rave on multiple houseboats in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Hopefully, any children within the vicinity had their eyes covered.
August Schwerdfeger, Wikimedia Commons
Steroid Ban
A strict steroid ban was put into effect for the NFL in 1987. That being said, it’s not like players won’t find a way around performance-enhancing drug rules.
Steroid Ban
In 2015, an investigation revealed that superstar quarterback Peyton Manning had been a potential recipient of performance-enhancing drugs. While Manning was eventually cleared by the NFL of the claim, suspicions still arose.
Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Take A Knee
2016 was a time of fraught politics in America, leading up to the inevitable election result. One player, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, didn’t want to stay silent about it.
Sanders175, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Take A Knee
Kaepernick generated much controversy when he took a knee during every performance of the national anthem in the 2016 season. He, in particular, was speaking out against the trend of police brutality.
The Bounty
In 1989, a controversy emerged between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys when Eagles coach Buddy Ryan was accused of putting a bounty on Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman. The bounty was to genuinely injure them so they couldn’t play.
The Bounty
The fans did their part, too—in the second game between the two teams that season, the Eagles fans pelted the Cowboys with snowballs and beer. They’re considered some of the league’s fiercest fans for a reason.
George Gojkovich, Getty Images
Concussion
Being that football is the most intense and violent sport, it’s come into question how much care is taken of the players. Concussions, in particular, have been a sore spot for their long-term health.
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Concussion
In 2005, a pathologist found proof of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in hundreds of players’ brains. The NFL even made an effort to cover up his findings instead of addressing the issue directly.
Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, Wikimedia Commons
Dated Team Names
Multiple sports teams have been cursed with unfortunate names. A running theme, in particular, has been team names that are derogatory towards indigenous people.
All-Pro Reels, Wikimedia Commons
Dated Team Names
The team name of the Washington Redskins had been considered particularly offensive. For that reason, the team name finally changed to the Commanders in 2020.
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Botched Expansion
With no pick in the draft, initially, expansion teams had to settle for picking players from other teams that they didn’t want, whether it was veterans or rookies. This meant that new teams were at an instant disadvantage.
Botched Expansion
The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers definitely suffered from this, having a perfectly imperfect inaugural season, winning zero games. Soon, the expansion draft had to be introduced to give them a chance.
Bill Belichick
His second appearance on this list, New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick, has been mired in a recent controversy regarding his personal life. It’s something involving a new relationship, to be specific.
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Bill Belichick
The 73-year-old Belichick has come under fire for dating a 24-year-old former cheerleader, Jordon Hudson. To be fair, they’ve been seeing each other since 2023, so maybe they do have enough in common to make conversation.
Free Agents
The NFL’s initial free agent system had controversy with players, to the point that there was a 1976 court case over it. The problem was that it gave the league’s commission ultimate say over compensation for signed players.
SSG Teddy Wade, Wikimedia Commons
Free Agents
The rule persisted, leading to the 1987 players' strike and another lawsuit two years later. It wasn’t until 1992 that things were totally fixed.
Thomas from London, UK, Wikimedia Commons
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