Top 20 Athletes Caught Cheating on Live TV

During a game between the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets, forward Paul Millsap immediately felt something strange as he was handed the ball during a free throw attempt. It was revealed to be stickum, a glue-like substance once used by wide receivers and defensive backs to get a better grip when catching footballs. The culprit who was using stickum was Dwight Howard, who had touched the ball shortly before it was in the possession of Millsap. Although it’s illegal to use in the NBA, he was neither fined nor reprimanded for his actions. He even went on record saying he had been using it for many years. Players, coaches and media outlets couldn’t even fathom the advantage it could give why one would even use it in a sport like basketball, which probably explains why Howard came off scott free.

This one’s kind of funny. After a run by Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray which saw him get just short of getting the first down on a 3rd and 1, the officials and players were standing by and in a very brief moment, Romo moved the ball forward on the line with his foot. But he wasn’t fooling anyone, and the ball was quickly placed back at its original spot. Speaking on the incident after the game, Romo jokingly claimed that he was hoping that no one would see it, and then he said he actually slipped. Kidding or not, we hope it was all in good fun.

In game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens then head coach Jacques Demers asked that LA Kings defenseman Marty McSorley’s hockey stick be inspected, claiming it to be illegal. Upon inspection by the officials, this turned out to be the case, as the stick was curved beyond the limit set by the NHL. McSorley would receive a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Many saw the incident as a turning point in the series, as the Canadiens scored on the ensuing powerplay, wound up winning the game and the subsequent three to hoist the Stanley Cup. While McSorley would admit wrongdoing, he also believed the Canadiens knew that he was using an illegal stick beforehand and that their call was planned.

Not that Will Smith, this Will Smith! Perhaps one of the obvious forms of cheating on this list, in the 7th inning of a game between the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, the relief pitcher was called on by umpires when then Braves manager Freddi Gonzalez (freddy gun-ZAWLIZ) asked them to check Smith’s arm which was glistening with a substance. Upon further inspection by the umpires, Smith was tossed. Smith revealed the substance to be rosin and sunscreen. While he claimed the purpose behind its use was to get a better grip of the ball and not to gain a competitive advantage, the umpires weren’t buying it, and he was later suspended 8 games.

The scale of this cheating scandal was so large that live TV was just one of the ways this MLB team was caught cheating. Using unauthorized electronic equipment, the team would utilize live video feeds to decipher and uncover the signs made by opposing team catchers during games. The information would then be relayed to the players by way of banging noises made by hitting a garbage can, which can be heard on live television. They continued to use this system until they were eventually caught in 2019. To make matters worse, in the aftermath, the players would seem unapologetic for taking part in the scheme.

In this group match between Brazil and Turkey at the World Cup in 2002, Hakan Unsal would kick the ball towards Rivaldo Ferriera. It hit his shin, but as Ferreira fell, he was clutching his face. Having already received a yellow card prior, Ursal was sent off for the incident by the referee. Upon review by the World Cup’s disciplinary committee, it was determined that Ferreira did indeed simulate being fouled and was subsequently fined for his actions. Ferreira would even later admit to flopping, but noted that Ursal should have been sent off regardless. Well that’s one way to deflect.

At the 2013 BMW Masters tournament in Shanghai, Simon Dyson was caught using his ball to press down a spike mark in the line of a putt. He also didn’t add a two shot penalty to his card, resulting in him signing off on a false score. He was later disqualified from the tournament for the move. While fined $49,000 and initially sentenced to serve a 2 month suspension, it would later be changed to an 18 month probationary period. Although Dyson apologized, he didn’t admit to any wrongdoing, calling the incident an “accidental mistake”.

There’s nothing worse than a cheater who’s cheated more than once. There've been several instances of foul play on the part of Reed, but this one might take the cake. During the third round of the Hero World Challenge in 2019, Patrick Reed can be seen practicing his swing in the bunker. But if one looks more closely, they can see that Reed is clearly attempting to clear sand in order to get a better shot in. He was later penalized two strokes for his actions, but the whole incident just gave further justification as to why Reed is arguably one of the most disliked athletes in the sport of golf.

Racing in the Vuelta a España (bwellta espana) in 2015, Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali got into some trouble when he crashed during the course. But, that wasn’t the only trouble he got caught up in during the race. In order to gain some ground and catch up to the peloton after crashing, Nibali would get hold of one of his team cars and he was towed through part of the race. Racers do this often, but so long as it’s for not too long and it isn’ to get ahead in the race. However, the footage showed Nibali was clearly trying to use this to his advantage. To no one’s surprise, he was thrown out of the race. One really can’t help but wonder how Nibali and the rest of his team thought they were going to get away with this with the cameras on.

When weather conditions are cold, athletes often resort to certain tactics to deal with the season’s conditions: wearing an extra layer of clothing, gloves or even just putting a big old jacket over yourself when you’re on the bench. But for Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda, his trick was to use pine tar. During a game against the Boston Red Sox, then-team manager John Farrell spotted the substance on Pineda’s neck. He was checked by the umpires and when they discovered it to be pine tar, Pineda was ejected. While Sousa was suspended for 7 games, the incident has been considered by many as another blemish on his otherwise impressive and hall of fame worthy career.

During a game between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays in 2003, in the bottom of the first inning, outfielder Sammy Sosa hit a ground ball so hard that his bat snapped in half. Umpires investigated the pieces of the broken bat and noticed pieces of cork, a material that’s banned in the MLB. Sosa was ejected, and he later claimed he chose the wrong bat during the game and that he only used it during practices. Sousa was suspended for 7 games, it was another blemish on his otherwise impressive and hall of fame worthy career.

On the night of June 16, 1983, boxers Billy Ray Collins and Luis Resto squared off at Madison Square Garden. For 10 rounds, they went back and forth, but Collins looked practically unrecognizable after having taken significant damage. When the match concluded, Resto went to shake the hands of Collins’ corner. One of the cornermen, who was Collins’ father, noticed something odd with Resto’s gloves. He realized there was a lack of padding, and it was later confirmed by a referee. The New York State Athletic Commission went on to suspend Resto and his trainer, Carlos Lewis, and both men even served prison sentences as well. Resto would never box again. Sadly, Billy Ray Collins eye was damaged beyond repair and was told he would never fight again, and would suffer from depression before he passed away in a car accident.

In the second half of the Heineken Cup quarter-final match between Harlequins and Leinster (lenster), star Nick Evans injured his thigh and went to the bench. Soonafter, Harlequins coach Dean Richards wanted to put his go-to player back in the game, but rules state that a player who’s already been subbed cannot return to the field…unless they replace a player who’s suffered a blood injury. So to get their man back on out there, they had teammate Tom Williams hide a blood capsule in his sock which was given to him and then bite on said capsule to appear injured in order to make the switch. Spectators and viewers alike were stunned because no one had seen Williams actually sustain an injury. Dubbed Bloodgate, suspensions and fines were given left and right when the scheme was uncovered. However, the most ridiculous and telling moment may have been when Williams winked at the bench during the incident. So much for being discreet.

Looking to gain an advantage in a match against South Africa, 3 players from the Men’s Australian cricket team hatched a plan to add some scruff to the ball using sandpaper, as this serves the bowler better control of its movement when it’s thrown. The sandpaper was hidden under Cameron Bancroft’s pants and after using it on the ball, he tried to hide it by shoving it right back in there. Unfortunately for him, the camera was on him when it happened, and he was caught red handed. Bancroft and the two other players, Steve Smith and David Warner, admitted their attempt to cheat and while it was unsuccessful, it still remains an embarrassing and dark chapter in Australian sports history.

The incident has been labeled “Le Hand of God”, and with good reason. In 2009 during a world cup qualifying match between France and Ireland, the latter was up by 1. But in the final minutes of the game and in possession of the ball, France’s William Gallas (french gal-LASS) scored to tie the game. Having won in the previous leg against Ireland, France was declared the winner. However, upon review of the goal, it was clear that striker Thierry Henry touched the ball with his hands before passing it to Gallas. The goal stood and France went on to qualify for the World Cup. The football community was shaken and outraged, and the incident is still considered by many as one of the biggest controversies in the sport’s history.

Looking at these scenes from 1987, this former Minnesota Twins pitcher should’ve stayed home that day – or at least, not tried hiding an emery board and sandpaper. After referee Tim Tshida demanded he empty his pockets, Niekro tried playing dumb by pretending to have a sudden urge to file his nails. But Bobby Brown, the then-President of the American League, wasn’t buying it. Niekro was handed a 10-game suspension, and all baseballs used in that game were removed, leading to his retirement soon after the incident.

Formula 1 drivers put their lives in danger whenever they get behind the wheel, but certain risky maneuvers can still be suspicious. Case in point: the controversy involving the Renault F1 team at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix – particularly Nelson Piquet Jr. and Fernando Alonso. On the 14th lap, Piquet’s car hit the wall, allowing Alonso to win the race. According to Piquet, the event was a simple mishap… but was it really? Following an investigation by the FIA, it was determined that Renault had orchestrated everything. This led to an indefinite ban from FIA-sanctioned events for the team’s managing director, Flavio Briatore (who would also resign from his position), while Renault was given a two-year suspended ban.

Despite her already impressive track record, Canadian triathlete Julie Miller surprised everyone by winning Ironman Canada 2015 in Whistler, B.C. Though she’d won her division in the 2013 tournament, as well as winning her age group at the 2014 Long Course Triathlon in China, none of her Ironman co-competitors actually saw her on the course in Whistler. According to many, she finished first without completing the entirety of the course, constituting serious misconduct. Following a thorough investigation watching video and photos, it was determined that Miller couldn’t have possibly finished the course as quickly as she’d claimed to, and was therefore disqualified. Miller can keep denying everything, but she can’t change the facts.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Games have often been associated with cheating, whether through the use of illegal substances or other unsporting behavior. Take, for example, the Chinese badminton team at the 2012 Games in London. For a team that’s usually a threat, they were seen committing numerous errors, such as deliberately hitting serves onto the net. Despite many warnings from the referee, the Chinese team kept with their gameplan; one that would also be mimicked by the South Korean and Indonesian teams. The purpose of all this? To avoid getting drawn against stronger teams too early in the competition. Thankfully, the IOC disqualified them – though those in attendance did not get refunds.

In June of 1986, during the World Cup quarterfinal match between England and Argentina, the score was still nil nil in the 51st minute when Diego Maradona received the ball from midfield. He raised his left hand, making the ball deflect into the net. In the absence of VAR, which would not appear in association football until decades later, referee Ali Bin Nasser let the goal stand. Despite many protests and questions circling the incident, Maradona claimed the goal was scored by the “hand of God,” an expression that has since become legendary.