Whistle-blowing In Sports

Whistle-blowing In Sports

Damian Strohmeyer/SI, David Bergman/SI, AP

Whistle-blower: New York Jets<br><br>Offender: New England Patriots<br><br>Offense: The Jets accused the Patriots of videotaping coaches' signals during their Sept. 9, 2007, game in East Rutherford, N.J.<br><br>Fallout: Pats coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was docked $250,000 and a first-round draft pick. Spygate also introduced the world to Matt Walsh (inset), a former Patriots employee who claimed to have been illegally taping coaches' signals since 2000.

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Whistle-blower: Jose Canseco<br><br>Offender: Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and other MLB stars<br><br>Offense: In his 2005 book <i>Juiced</i>, Canseco named dozens of players he claimed had used performance-enhancing drugs.<br><br>Fallout: Canseco's book seemed to be the catalyst for steroid reform in baseball, with a Congressional hearing and the Bud Selig-commissioned Mitchell Report following suit.

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Whistle-blower: Bruce Pearl<br><br>Offender: University of Illinois<br><br>Offense: In 1989, Pearl (left), then an assistant at Iowa, accused the Illini of illegally recruiting Deon Thomas. Pearl gave the NCAA tapes of an alleged conversation he had with Thomas, detailing the SUV and cash Illinois gave the Chicago prep star.<br><br>Fallout: The NCAA did not find any infractions relating to Thomas' recruitment by Illinois, but uncovered other violations that resulted in a one-year postseason ban for the Illini. Pearl was reportedly "blackballed" by other coaches, but has since worked his way to the head-coaching job at Tennessee.

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Whistle-blower: Brian McNamee<br><br>Offender: Roger Clemens<br><br>Offense: In the Mitchell Report, Clemens' former personal trainer said he injected the pitcher with steroids from 1998 to 2001.<br><br>Fallout: In February, McNamee and Clemens both testified that the other was lying in front of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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Whistle-blower: Carla Berry<br><br>Offender: Pokey Chatman<br><br>Offense: Former LSU assistant Berry (left) told the school that Chatman, then the head coach, was having an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of her former players. <br><br>Fallout: Chatman resigned March 7, 2007, from LSU, which advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA women's tournament under interim coach Bob Starkey. Chatman later sued LSU for wrongful termination, a case which wound up being settled.

AP

Whistle-blower: Louis Johnson<br><br>Offender: O.J. Mayo<br><br>Offense: Johnson, a former associate of Mayo, left, accused L.A.-based promoter Robert Guillory of giving the USC basketball star $30,000 and other benefits while Mayo was in high school and at USC.<br><br>Fallout: "I will not allow these allegations to become a distraction to me and my family," Mayo said on Sunday in a statement to ESPN. "I have not engaged in any wrongdoing." Stay tuned.

AP, John Biever/SI

Whistle-blower: Jan Gangelhoff<br><br>Offender: Minnesota athletics department<br><br>Offense: Ganglehoff (left) a former basketball office manager, claimed to have written more than 400 papers for Gophers' basketball players. During an internal investigation prompted by Ganglehoff's claims, Minnesota uncovered what the university president called ''the most serious case of academic fraud ever reported to the NCAA.''<br><br>Fallout: Then coach Clem Haskins resigned, along with the AD, associate AD, a vice president and an academic counselor. The school's basketball records from 1993 to 1999 were also wiped out.

Wesley Hitt/Icon SMI

Whistle-blower: James Gundlach<br><br>Offender: Auburn athletic department<br><br>Offense: Gundlach, an Auburn professor, told The <i>New York Times</i> in a 2004 article he felt the athletic department was skirting NCAA requirements by utilizing directed-reading courses<br><br>Fallout: The <i>Times</i> article prompted an internal school investigation. The school announced changes in directed-reading courses in the sociology and adult education departments and both department heads resigned.

John Biever/SI, AP

Whistle-blower: Norma McGill<br><br>Offender: Ohio State athletic department<br><br>Offense: McGill (inset), a former teaching assistant at OSU, claimed then star running back Maurice Clarett was receiving preferential treatment from a professor.<br><br>Fallout: McGill's claim prompted an internal investigation, but did not find sufficient evidence of academic misconduct. Clarett, though, would later be suspended for filing a false police report.

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Whistle-blower: Ron Wilson<br><br>Offender: Teemu Selanne<br><br>Offense: In April 2007, Wilson (inset) blew the whistle on Selanne for using an illegal stick during a Sharks-Ducks game. Wilson may have had inside knowledge, having coached Selanne in both San Jose and Anaheim.<br><br>Fallout: The ensuing illegal stick penalty wiped away Selanne's would-be game-winning goal for the Ducks at the start of overtime. Wilson's Sharks went on to win in a shootout.