Sick, Sad World of Sports: Jumbo holiday edition

The holidays are a stressful time for everyone, including criminals, athletes moonlighting as criminals, and criminals moonlighting as athletes.

In fact there was so much action on the police scanner that we decided to turn this edition of the Sick, Sad World of Sports into a jumbo-sized holiday edition.

A few sports figures checked off some last-minute items on their naughty list, while others got a head start on the next holiday season. So behold, be wary, and whatever you do, don’t be anywhere near this roster of alleged miscreants on an off day.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller was arrested in Dallas on Nov. 30 after allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend. The affidavit for the incident, which occurred Nov. 29, said an argument led to Miller assaulting the woman, and left her with “injuries consistent with applied pressure to the neck.”

Veteran hockey player Corey Perry was cut from the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster Nov. 28 after he violated the terms of his contract and internal organizational policies that are “intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

Perry released a statement saying he is now seeking help for mental health and substance abuse.

A drunk fan at the New York Giants-New England game punched a nurse after he was taken to a Secaucus, N.J., hospital for over-intoxication. Authorities charged Todd Lent, 54, of Kinnelon in Morris County, with aggravated assault.

Former Alabama baseball manager Brad Bohannon was banned from Ohio sportsbooks Nov. 15 for his role in a gambling scandal involving Crimson Tide baseball.

In the spring of this year, Bohannon and an associate were found to have placed bets on Alabama baseball at the BetMGM sportsbook at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

The discovery ultimately led to Bohannon’s dismissal from the school.

Buffalo Bills fans brawled with each other during a Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 13.

The Bills lost, 24-22.

Former NBA players Glen Davis and Will Bynum were convicted for their roles in healthcare fraud. 

Davis was convicted on four counts, including wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiring to commit fraud, and conspiring to make false statements.

Bynum was found guilty of conspiring to make false statements.

Former professional wrestler Tammy Sytch was sentenced to 17 years in prison for her role in a car accident that resulted in the death of a 75-year-old man. 

According to authorities, Sytch had a BAC four times the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson shoved a Philadelphia Eagles fan after the Bills lost, 37-34, in Philadelphia on Nov. 26.

Lawson apologized and was fined an undisclosed sum of money by the NFL.

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson received one year of probation for charges related to an incident when he crashed into two parked cars while driving his truck under the influence in Hollywood, California. Ferguson pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of wet reckless driving upon a highway, and in exchange, his DUI charge was dismissed.

Lee Dort, a center on the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team, was arrested for aggravated assault by strangulation in Nashville on Nov. 26. According to reports, Dort allegedly took his ex-girlfriend’s phone and shoved her against a wall and bedpost in the dorm room. The woman then slid down the bed and Dort allegedly gripped her neck.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey is the subject of an investigation over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor. Accusations and photos surfaced on social media in late November and prompted an investigation by the NBA and the Newport Beach Police Department.

The minor and her family are allegedly not cooperating with the probe, while Giddey has been active and playing since the accusations came to light.

Oscar Pistorius was granted parole Nov. 24 following a decade in prison for the killing of his then-girlfriend in South Africa. Pistorius, who was the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics, was convicted of culpable homicide — a charge similar to manslaughter — after he shot Reeva Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door, telling authorities he thought she was a burglar.

Kaitlin Armstrong, the woman suspected of murdering professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson in May 2022, was found guilty of the murder by a jury in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 16. Armstrong killed Wilson in a jealous rage over a relationship Wilson had with Arnstrong’s ex. The judge sentenced Armstrong to 90 years in prison.

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was arrested early Nov. 18 after an alleged domestic abuse incident with his wife at their home in Boston.

No details were released.

Lucic, who was arraigned Nov. 21 and pleaded not guilty, has since entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Joe Namath was accused of covering up sexual assault that took place at his football camp in the early ’70s. Philip Lyle Smith, a former camper, spoke out about the allegations in his lawsuit in mid-November, saying that he was repeatedly assaulted by former Brooklyn Poly Prep football coach John Foglietta.

In a response, Namath and former Jets player/defendant John Dockery “denied several of the accusations and claimed not to have enough information to offer useful responses to details Smith included,” ESPN reported.

Marcellus Wiley was accused of rape during a 1994 incident by a fellow Columbia student in a lawsuit filed Nov. 21. The woman alleges that Wiley forced himself on her in her dorm room, ignored verbal pleas to stop, and robbed her of her virginity.

Wiley responded to the allegations on his YouTube show, admitting to staying in the woman’s room overnight, but saying “We did not engage in intercourse.”

A fan at the Cal-UTEP game in late November allegedly called Fardaws Aimaq, a refugee from Afghanistan who plays for Cal, a “terrorist,” among other offensive comments. 

The Bears asked officials at the West Coast holiday tournament to ban the fan.

Soccer fans sent Brazil forward Rodrygo racist messages following the country’s loss to Argentina in a World Cup qualifying round in Rio De Janeiro on Nov. 22.

Rodrygo responded to the treatment in a post on X.

“Racists are always on duty. My social networks were invaded with insults and all kinds of nonsense. It’s there for everyone to see!

“If we don’t do what they want, if we don’t behave as they think we should, if we wear something that bothers them, if we don’t lower our heads when we are attacked, if we occupy spaces that they think are theirs alone, racists take action with his criminal behaviour. Their bad luck. We will not stop!”

During a home game against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 28, Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook got into a verbal exchange with a fan after he took issue with offensive comments directed his way.

“I mean, it’s unfortunate,” Westbrook said. “Fans think they can say whatever they want. I’m not going to say [what was said] now because it’s not appropriate, but I’m just protecting myself.

“It’s just unfortunate fans think they can get away with saying anything and, personally, I won’t allow it. I’ve [taken] a lot of people saying anything and getting away with it, but I won’t stand for it.”

Klete Keller, an Olympic gold medalist, received six months of house arrest for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Keller was among the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the peaceful transition of power after the 2020 election won by President Joe Biden.

“I have no excuse for why I am in front of you today,” he said during the hearing. “I understand my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my conduct.”

Mikey Williams, a once-prized recruit, appears likely to avoid jail time in connection with a shooting outside of his home in California. Williams pleaded guilty to a single felony count of making a criminal threat during a hearing Nov. 30.

Williams’ deal requires him to complete 80 hours of community service and attend cognitive behavior therapy, gun safety and anger management classes.

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of intoxicants in Corvallis, Oregon, on Nov. 29. According to reports, Martinez was pulled over after running a red light around 11:30 p.m., and an officer “observed the odor of freshly-burned marijuana coming from the car.”

Martinez was charged with DUII/Reckless Driving/Reckless Endangering, and cited for Minor In Posession-marijuana. The university also held him out of the Sun Bowl.

Jamahal Hill, a former UFC champion was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic abuse in Michigan on Nov. 27. Hill’s brother, James Anthony Hill Jr., was the alleged victim.

Jamahal’s representation, Sucker Punch Entertainment, released a statement after the incident.

“The recent ‘clickbait’ headlines about Jamahal Hill were based on an alleged dispute between him and his older brother. Jamahal adamantly maintains his innocence and denies the false accusations. We will not be commenting anymore about this until the truth comes out in court.”

Tennessee’s sophomore defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. was arrested on the evening of Dec. 4 for a traffic violation.

According to the Knoxville Police Department’s report obtained by Knox News, Pearce was driving 63 mph in a 35 mph zone. The temporary plates on his car were expired and he failed to show proper identification and any proof of insurance. It was later discovered that Pearce has a suspended license in North Carolina, where the car was registered.

Benjamin Coney, a minor league football coach in Arkansas, was arrested, along with his wife, Emily Brinley, for allegedly trying to meet an underage girl for sex in late November. According to court affidavits, the couple traveled more than 200 miles to meet up with the girl, who was an undercover officer posing as a child.

Coney and Brinley are facing felony charges for attempting to have sex with a prepubescent child. Coney was the head coach of the Arkansas Punishers, who fired him after learning of the incident.

A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee was accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise over the course of two years. According to case documents obtained by The Athletic, Amit Patel has been charged with wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction. The former employee’s attorney said his client has a “serious gambling addiction” and will plead guilty to the charges.

According to the report, Patel allegedly stole from the franchise between 2019 and 2023 by exploiting the organization’s virtual credit card program. He used that system to buy two vehicles, a condo, and a $95,000 watch among other things. Patel also reportedly bought crypto and used the money to gamble online.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was arrested and charged with a DUI in Minneapolis on Dec. 8. State patrol stopped Phillips on I-394, with a BAC of 0.10. The legal limit is Minnesota is 0.08.

Phillips apologized for the incident, and is still coaching with the team.

“Aside from the standards that I have for myself, I do understand that as a coach in this league, there are certain standards from the NFL and from the Minnesota Vikings,” Phillips said. “I didn’t live up to those standards. The last thing I would ever want to do is detract from the attention being on the great things that these guys do on the field. That was unfortunate from me, I do believe in being accountable and learning from your mistakes, accepting whatever discipline may come down the road, and growing from it and going forward with a positive attitude.”

The US Women’s National Team was the most targeted team on social media during the Women’s World Cup this summer, according to a FIFA and FIFPRO report. Findings found that the USWNT received more than twice the number of discriminatory or threatening posts than the next competing nation.

A total of 102,511 posts were flagged by an AI program designed to find abusive language, with a group of human analysts taking it from there.

Jamarii Thomas, a member of the Norfolk State basketball team, was allegedly the target of racial abuse from fans during a game at Illinois State on Dec. 9. Midway through the second half, an altercation broke out following the verbal attack, and that led to Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones and ISU coach Ryan Pedon yelling at each other.

Both teams had to be separated, with Pedon initially only apologizing for his ”competitive edge” before relenting and releasing a full apology in a statement Dec. 10.

Faruk Koca was arrested after punching a soccer referee Halil Umut Meler after a 1-1 draw between MKE Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec. 11.

Koca, who resigned as president of MKE Ankaragucu in the aftermath, was released on bail Dec. 27.

Two youth basketball referees squared up with one another in Lakewood, Colorado, in early December. The fourth-grade level game between Cherry Creek and Legend Blue was halted when the two officials met at halfcourt, with one knocking down the other via a right hook before bystanders broke up the fracas.

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles brawled during a Week 14 matchup in Dallas on Dec. 10.

The NFC East supporters fought in the concourse, spilling onto a memorabilia table during the fracas.

Bob Nardella, a coach for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, was suspended 10 games by the league for using an anti-gay slur toward officials during a game against the Texas Stars on Dec. 9.

The incident happened during the third period. Wolves forward Kyle Marino was given a double-minor penalty for high-sticking, and Nardella protested. The 55-year-old coach and Chicago forward Dominic Franco were both given a game misconduct for abuse of an official.

A security guard at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is suing the L.A. Rams, alleging the team’s negligence caused him severe injuries that stemmed from trying to break up a fan fight last year. According to the suit, the incident took place Dec. 8, 2022, when Las Vegas Raiders fans got into it with Rams supporters.

Robert Leahey, who was hired as security for the game, says he was knocked down a flight of concrete stairs by fellow guards trying to stop the brawl.

Chance Comanche, a former G League player, and his girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, were arrested on charges related to the disappearance and death of a 23-year-old woman in Las Vegas on Dec. 15. Marayna Rodgers’ remains were found in a ditch in southern Nevada.

Comanche reportedly admitted to the murder following the arrest. On Jan. 2, the prosecutor said Comanche and Harnden will be tried together.

Miles Bridges was reportedly denied entry to Canada for the Charlotte Hornets game against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 18 due to his legal situation. According to Canadian immigration law, people can be deemed inadmissible for being accused or arrested for a felony crime.

Bridges is currently on probation for assaulting the mother of his children during a domestic violence incident in 2022.

Former NFL running back Derrick Ward was arrested in Los Angeles Dec. 13 for allegedly committing multiple robberies, according to TMZ Sports.

Ward, 43, has been accused of robbing several businesses, including gas stations.

According to reports, Ward did not use a gun during the robberies but did use force and fear to get money from the stores. Ward was taken into custody Monday afternoon and booked around 6:30 p.m. local time.

Youcef Atal was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence for a social media post that incited hatred on the grounds of religion, according to a court in Nice, France. Atal, an Alegria international, shared a post on Instagram after the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict in which a Palestinian preacher says, “Send the Jews a black day,” and “steady the hands” of Gaza inhabitants if they should “throw stones.”

A couple of angry Cowboys fans leaked the private information of Dallas safeties Jayron Kearse and Juanyeh Thomas after the team’s blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 17. Kearse’s home address was made public, and Thomas’ phone number was leaked.

Thomas told The Dallas Morning News: “I can take criticism. But you do cross a line when you start doing dumb stuff like that, for real. It’s a line you can’t cross when you start sharing people’s addresses and numbers and stuff. At the end of the day, this is still a game. People got a life.”

Police in Illinois are still investigating a shooting that injured Michigan State freshman basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr. on Dec. 23 in his hometown of Joliet. According to a police statement, Fears, 18, sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his thigh while a 19-year-old woman was shot in the pelvis.

Korey Hernandez, a cornerback for Eastern Michigan, incited a brawl by sucker punching an opponent following his team’s loss to South Alabama in the 68 Ventures Bowl on Dec. 23. A video of the incident shows Hernandez running across the field and punching South Alabama’s Jamarrien Burt in the back of the helmet while Burt was facing the opposite direction.

Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee apologized for the behavior the following day.

“We strongly condemn the actions of some of the student-athletes on the EMU football team in the ugly incident that took place following last night’s 68 Ventures Bowl. We are deeply upset and embarrassed by what happened. Their conduct does not reflect the great pride and high standards we place on the game and our program, and the expectations for good sportsmanship and exemplary conduct of student-athletes on and off the field. What happened was completely unacceptable. We apologize to the Eastern Michigan University community and to the South Alabama team and their fans.”

Terrence Shannon Jr., a University of Illinois basketball player, was charged with rape and suspended from all team activities, the school announced Dec. 28. A warrant was issued for Shannon’s arrest in Lawrence, Kansas, stemming from the alleged incident in September when Shannon was in town for a football game.

According to the complaint, Shannon allegedly “unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse with a person ... who did not consent to the sexual intercourse under circumstances when she, was overcome by force or fear, a severity level 1 person felony.”

Shannon hired a lawyer, who maintains his client is innocent.

“Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning,” Mark P. Sutter said in a statement. “Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.”

Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets missed a couple of games in late December after suffering a dog bite to his face and shooting hand that required 21 stitches on Christmas.

Gordon returned after two games.

Rohan Dennis, a former cycling world champ, was charged in connection with the death of his wife, Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins, who was allegedly struck and killed by a car operated by Dennis in Adelaide, Australia, on Dec. 30. Reports state Dennis is charged with causing death by dangerous driving, endangering life and driving without due care. He’s out on bail and is set to appear in court at Adelaide Magistrates Court in March.

Drew Ogletree, a tight end on the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested on allegations of domestic violence in Hendricks County, Indiana, on Dec. 29. Ogletree allegedly “body slammed” a woman at his residence on Dec. 26, and after further investigation, a warrant was issued Dec. 28.

Ogletree turned himself in at Hendricks County Jail on Dec. 29.

Former minority owner of the Washington Commanders Robert Rothman filed a 45-page lawsuit in Tampa Bay federal court against Bank of America on Dec. 27. The suit alleges that Bank of America, former majority owner Dan Snyder and members of the NFL “conspired” to force him and two other minority partners to sell their stakes at a price well below the team’s value.

“We will vigorously defend ourselves against these allegations,” said Bank of America spokesman Bill Halldin.