Sick, Sad World of Sports: The grim side of athletics

Hello, and welcome back to the Sick, Sad World of Sports, a reminder that sports figures are human, and as such, are no more or less prone to fallibility than the rest of us. Everyone makes mistakes, but often fans overlook a misdemeanor or even a felony, because sports are supposed to be an escape.

Here are more alleged murders, sexual assaults, domestic disputes, and other news designed to make you either depressed or feel better about yourself — and which reaction you have says a lot about you. (Unless it’s a little bit of both. Not sure what is an acceptable response to a slideshow that’s essentially a police blotter mixed with obits.)

Get ready to be depressed!

Two former dancers for the Sacramento Kings are suing the team and its choreographer Matthew Day for sexual harassment, and retaliation from the organization for reporting the mistreatment, according to a lawsuit filed in Sacramento County on Oct. 31. Jane Does 1 and 2 allege Day inappropriately touched dancers while stretching them, and sending their personal Instagram photos to a third-party promotion company without consent. The women allege they were not rehired this season because of the allegations.

Day called the allegations “lies,” saying “all of this is false.”

The Kings released a statement to the Sacramento Bee: “We take all allegations of harassment seriously. The organization does not comment on active litigation.”

Read more.

Former Kansas Jayhawk standout and NBA first-round pick Josh Jackson was accused of rape, battery, and orchestrating an armed robbery in a federal lawsuit brought by an unidentified woman in mid-October. The woman alleges Jackson invited her to his residence following a party in February 2022, after arriving she told him she was not there for sex, and fell asleep next to Jackson, but woke up to her clothes being ripped off and Jackson assaulting her.

The woman also alleged that Jackson sent two women — who were later arrested by building security and NYPD officers — to her apartment to threaten her.

Jackson “emphatically” denied all charges through his lawyer.

Read more.

Former Alabama basketball standout and current Charlotte Hornet Brandon Miller was part of a trio of men who had charges filed against them in a wrongful death case on Oct. 20. The family of a woman killed in Tuscaloosa, near the University of Alabama campus, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Western Division and demands a jury trial to award damages.

Miller’s attorney said his client had “no knowledge of any intent to use the weapon” and never touched the gun, or that it would be used for illegal activity.

Read more. 

Former NBA player Dwight Howard denied accusations of sexual assault and battery made in a lawsuit earlier this year. On Oct. 25, Howard acknowledged that he had a “consensual sexual activity” with the alleged victim, Stephen Harper, during a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s Georgia residence.

Harper attests that the 2012 encounter in question was not consensual.

Read more. 

A high school basketball referee was arrested after he punched a coach following a verbal altercation during a game in Corona, Calif., on Oct. 21. Oak Hill coach Rob Alexander exchanged words with Brandon Knapper after the coach took issue with a foul call. Injuries sustained from the assault forced Alexander to be taken to the hospital.

Read more. 

Salem State freshman basketball player Carls-Hens Beliard was shot and killed in Salem, Mass., on Nov. 2. Prosecutors believe the alleged shooter, Missael Pena Canela, was driven by jealousy after seeing his ex-girlfriend in a car with Beliard, and opened fire at the vehicle.

Canela was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty to the killing.

Read more. 

Three former New Mexico State basketball players were criminally charged on Nov. 9 after the trio was accused of sexually assaulting teammates in 2022. Deshawndre Washington, Doctor Bradley, and Kim Aiken Jr. (pictured) were charged with criminal sexual penetration; multiple counts of false imprisonment and criminal sexual contact; and multiple counts of conspiracy charges.

New Mexico State canceled the remainder of the 2022-23 season in February after freshman guard Deuce Benjamin told campus police that older teammates had repeatedly forced him to the floor of their locker room and sexually assaulted him.

The allegations also led to the termination of coach Greg Heiar.

Read more. 

Former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini was arrested in connection with the 2021 murder of his father-in-law by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Lake Tahoe, California, on Oct. 20. Court documents allege Serafini and a woman, Samantha Scott, laid in wait before killing Robert Gary Spohr, and attempting to kill his wife Wendy Wood during a home burglary.

Read more. 

MLB had some of its ads pop up on an antisemitic Twitter account in mid-October. The league was scrutinized for the placement and timing of the ad as the war between Israel and Palestine continues.

Read more.

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was on the receiving end of racist messages after a hit on Luke Musgrave during a game against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 22. Multiple social media users directed racial slurs at Jackson, who was ejected from the game, and later suspended four games for repeated illegal hits.

Read more. 

Current NFL free agent Chandler Jones was arrested for a second time in a month on Oct. 17, both for violations of the same domestic violence temporary protection order.

A TMZ report stated the most recent arrest stemmed from messaging the woman on Instagram.

Jones, 33, was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, though he hadn’t appeared in a game. He has since been released by the team.

Read more. 

Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown was arrested on a warrant for failing to pay child support in Broward County on Oct. 15. According to the police report, Brown was arrested around midnight before later being released on a $15,000 bond.

This is not his first arrest for missed child support payments.

Read more. 

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon in Los Angeles County on Oct. 16. The traffic stop occurred in Hollywood several hours after the Rams’ win over Arizona. Police reported finding a gun and marijuana in the vehicle.

Read more.

Supporters of the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys brawled during a Monday Night Football game Oct. 16. Multiple clips of fights circulated on X, including a concourse melee with a dozen or more participants.

Read more. 

The Greenbrier Bobcats, a youth football team of 11- and 12-year-olds in Joelton, Tenn., canceled the remainder of its season after a dogpile led to a fight, with coaches and parents rushing onto the field. One parent left the fracas and then returned with a bag containing a gun, prompting people to call 911.

Read more. 

Ex-Baylor head coach Art Briles testified at a Title IX and negligence trial on Oct. 19 that he had no knowledge of the domestic violence allegations made by a former student against one of his players in 2014 until she filed a lawsuit two years later. Members of Briles’s staff admitted that they knew of the claims, among others, involving a former player.

Read more. 

Los Angeles Rams receiver Demarcus Robinson was robbed at gunpoint of more than $100,000 after two men held him up outside of an L.A.-area hotel Oct. 20. Robinson was unharmed. Police launched an investigation, but no arrests have been made yet.

Read more. 

The Michigan State Spartans were forced to issue an apology after an image of Adolf Hitler appeared on its jumbotron during a game against Michigan on Oct. 21. The image was part of a pregame quiz game put on by a third party. Michigan State has since cut ties with the company.

“MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the videoboard prior to the start of tonight’s football game. We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values. MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”

Read more. 

New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving in Kenner, Louisiana on Oct. 23. Olave was in a “mixed business/residential area” going 70 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and swerving in and out of traffic, according to the Kenner Police Department report.

Read more. 

Current Maryland assistant, and former Texas A&M head coach was arrested for DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida, on Oct. 21. Sumlin refused a breathalyzer at the scene, and was later released on bond.

Read more. 

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Justyn Ross was arrested and charged with domestic battery and criminal damage to property of less than $1,000 in Shawnee, Kansas, on Oct. 23. Ross pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

A report alleges Ross damaged a laptop, a computer monitor, an iPhone, a gold bracelet, and a car key. The NFL put the receiver on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents him from playing and practicing with the team.

Read more. 

Northwestern State canceled its football season Oct. 26 following the death of safety Ronnie Caldwell, who was shot multiple times. Coach Brad Laird resigned in the aftermath, with the school, located in Natchitoches, Louisiana, saying the emotional toll was too great to continue.

“Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly,” Northwestern State president Marcus Jones said. “While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we’ve since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal and to support Ronnie’s family.”

Read more. 

Multiple members of the Colorado Buffalo football team reported missing jewelry from their locker room after the team’s loss at UCLA. The Bruins’ athletic department confirmed that a report was filed with the Pasadena Police Department in relation to the incident.

Prospective Bruin recruits have been identified as suspects.

Read more. 

Brett Favre had a defamation suit against Shannon Sharpe dropped after a U.S. District judge deemed that the former Undisputed host’s “comments are constitutionally protected rhetorical hyperbole using loose, figurative language.”

Sharpe said on air that Favre “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that the former QB would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.” The comments were in reference to a welfare misspending case in Mississippi. Favre has not been criminally charged, and Sharpe noted that in the episode in question.

Read more. 

A Texas Southern tuba player repeatedly punched a heckler during a football game against Jackson State on Nov. 4. A video of the incident shows a man with a beverage exchanging words with the tuba player before the band member strikes the man multiple times, sending him to the ground.

Read more. 

Earl Thomas was an alleged victim of identity theft by the boyfriend of his ex-wife. Kevin J. Thompson was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in June on charges including identity theft, forgery, money laundering, credit card fraud, computer fraud and bank fraud.

Thompson, who is in a relationship with Nina Thomas, is accused of impersonating the former football player to steal money from his accounts, cash NFL checks, and transfer ownership of vehicles in the amount of $1.9 million.

Read more. 

An assistant football coach in Tampa, Fla., was fired after he punched a player during a game Nov. 3. Rev. Richard Hermes, the president of Jesuit High School, confirmed the part-time coach of its football team was fired.

Read more. 

Chad Wheeler, a former offensive lineman with the Seattle Seahawks, was found guilty Nov. 9 of two counts of domestic violence stemming from a 2021 incident with his then-girlfriend. Wheeler pinned down the woman and twice choked her into unconsciousness. The victim, Alleah Taylor, said when she regained consciousness the second time, Wheeler expressed surprise that she was still alive.

Wheeler was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14.

Read more. 

A Hawley ISD employee was fired after a hot mic caught him making racist remarks about the school’s opponent, Anthony ISD, during halftime of a football game in Hawley, Tex., on Nov. 9. Initially, the school said the offender was not an employee before clarifying that he was employed by the district but not anymore.

“Late Friday evening, the individual responsible contacted the superintendent and admitted to making the comments while on a phone call with a family member,” the school’s statement read. “The individual was an employee of Hawley ISD but is no longer employed with the district. Our deepest apologies are extended to the communities who have been affected.”

Read more. 

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Zay Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 13. According to reports, the mother of Jones’ child had “several small scratches” on her neck “consistent with marks from a fingernail” after Jones allegedly pulled a piece of jewelry off her neck during a custody drop-off.

The receiver is still practicing with the team, with coach Doug Peterson saying he’s “day-to-day” until the team hears something.

Read more. 

New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas was arrested on battery charges in Kenner, La., on Nov. 9. A man who was doing construction on Thomas’ house alleges the receiver yelled at him for parking in front of his residence, and then threw a brick at his windshield after the man began filming the incident.

Thomas was cooperative and booked without incident. He was released from lockup around 10 p.m., according to the police. Thomas was active for the team’s game against Minnesota on Nov. 12.

Read more. 

A Euro qualifier between Belgium and Sweden was suspended at halftime after a gunman killed two Swedish people in Brussels before kickoff Oct. 16. Fans were held at the stadium for two-and-a-half hours as authorities pursued and ultimately killed the suspect.

Read more. 

The NWSL’s Angel City FC caught backlash after the team emphasized before a match against the Portland Thorns that fans should only bring signs related to the two participants. Critics took issue with a team post on X that they believed was aimed at signs related to the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.

Read more. 

Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was handed a year ban by the Italian FA for violating the federation’s rules on sports betting. Five months of the suspension will be waived if he completes a six-month course of therapy for gambling and attends at least 10 public meetings.

“I thought I would begin by apologising not only to Juventus fans, but to all fans in the world of football and sport for the naive mistake I made,” Fagioli said on Instagram.

“Instead, I’m forced to start with the disgusting things that newspapers and people write about me, just to put me in a bad light with a thousand lies, or rather, just to gain two more views.”

Read more. 

Miquel Camps, a club director for Barcelona, apologized after a racist tweet directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr. Camps’ message, which was quickly deleted, called Vinícius a clown and a joker, saying he deserves a “slap.”

Read more. 

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was suspended by the Italian Football Federation for 18 months after an investigation confirmed that the Italian national broke its rules on gambling. The ban will be reduced to 10 months granted Tonali undergoes therapy for sports betting. The ruling means Tonali will miss the Euro Championships in 2024 should Italy qualify.

Read more. 

Former Spanish football association president Luis Rubiales was handed a three-year ban Oct. 30 by FIFA for kissing Spanish women’s national team star Jenni Hermoso during the team’s World Cup trophy presentation. The move culminates Rubiales’ long-standing defiance that the kiss was consensual, and the backlash is overkill.

Hermoso attested that the kiss was not consensual, and later filed a criminal complaint against Rubiales.

Read more. 

Liverpool striker Luis Díaz was reunited with his father after the player’s parents were kidnapped in his native Columbia. The National Liberation Army took the couple for ransom, and quickly released Cilenis Marulanda, the wife of Luis Manuel Díaz, before leading the elder Díaz into the jungle at gunpoint. The standoff lasted 12 days.

Read more. 

Kai Wagner, of the Philadelphia Union, was suspended for three games by the MLS on Nov. 7 for using a racial slur toward the New England Revolution’s Bobby Wood. Wagner, who is German, allegedly used a German slur that Wood recognized from his playing time in Europe.

Read more. 

Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel, a former NWSL player at Angel City FC, threw up the “Sieg Heil” salute toward pro-Israel demonstrators in Los Angeles on Nov. 6.

Read more. 

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor had a sexual assault charge against him dropped in mid-October after prosecutors said there was “insufficient evidence” in the case and “contradicting and/or no corroborating witnesses” needed to pursue charges. The alleged incident occurred at the Kaseya Center in Miami following Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Read more. 

UFC fighter Derrick Lewis was arrested for reckless driving in Harris County, Texas, on Oct. 25. Lewis was driving 136 MPH in a 50 MPH zone, and allegedly passed a police officer while swerving in and out of traffic in a red Lamborghini.

If convicted, the misdemeanor charges carry a sentence of up to 30 days in jail or a $200 fine. Lewis was later released on bond.

Read more. 

Boris Becker is returning to coaching after an eight-month prison sentence in Britain for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt. The six-time Grand Slam champion is set to coach No. 6 in the world Rune Holger.

Read more. 

Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games by the NHL for violating its gambling policy. The league did not disclose how Pinto broke the rules, but confirmed he didn’t wager on NHL games.

“I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans and city of Ottawa and most importantly my family. I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team,” Pinto said in a statement.

Read more. 

Former NHL player Adam Johnson died after another player’s skate cut his throat during a game in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League on Oct. 29. Authorities investigated the death before arresting the suspect, and charging him with manslaughter in England on Nov. 14.

Read more. 

A second former Chicago Blackhawks player is suing the franchise, alleging that he too was sexually assaulted by former assistant coach Brad Aldrich. The suit, filed Nov. 5, alleges the team put “Stanley Cup Championship aspirations ahead of the welfare of its players and provided cover to a sexual predator on its coaching staff who groomed, harassed, threatened, and assaulted John Doe.”

The Blackhawks did not comment specifically but released a statement in response to the litigation. “The Chicago Blackhawks take allegations of workplace misconduct and organizational response very seriously, and it’s why, over two years ago, we commissioned an extensive independent investigation into the troubling events that occurred in 2010.”

Read more. 

A horse set to run at the Breeders’ Cup died Oct. 31 The horse, Practical Move, was returning from a morning gallop when he suffered a cardiac event, according to a report from the Breeders’ Cup.

Read more. 

Heavyweight contender Jared Anderson was arrested on charges of improperly handling firearms in a vehicle while knowingly under the influence and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Oregon, Ohio, on Nov. 6, according to the Lucas County Corrections Center.

Anderson was held for a little more than eight hours before his release the same day.

Read more. 

Kelly Oubre was the alleged victim of a hit-and-run in Philadelphia on Nov. 11. The 76ers guard broke a rib and injured his hip and leg. The incident is still under investigation, with local authorities failing to find video evidence of the accident on cameras near the busy intersection. Oubre is expected to miss significant time.

Read more. 

Former NFL cornerback D.J. Hayden and two other former college football players died in a car accident in Houston on Nov. 11. Zach McMillan and Ralph Oragwu, teammates of Hayden while at the University of Houston, also were killed in the crash. Another teammate, Jeffrey Lewis, is recovering from injuries.

A total of six people died when a Chrysler 300 and an Acura SUV collided at a high rate of speed after the Chrysler ran a red light.

Hayden was 33.

Read more. 

The parents of Neymar’s partner Bruna Biancardi were bound and held hostage during a home invasion that was allegedly targeting Bruna and their 1-month-old daughter. The suspects, who were later apprehended, threatened to pour hot oil on the mother’s face and stole luxury purses, watches, and jewelry valued at over $100,000. Read more.