Can You Name All of These Disgraced Sports Stars From an Image?

Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name All of These Disgraced Sports Stars From an Image?
Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

Tonya Harding hasn't skated in a major competition since 1994, but that didn't stop "I, Tonya," a 2017 movie about her life, from becoming a major critical and box office success. Tonya never won a major event, and finished eighth in that infamous Olympic skating competition in Lillehammer -- bet you can't remember who won -- and yet her story continues to fascinate people to this day.

But what has kept Harding's name on the lips of people who can't tell a triple axel from a triple espresso for the past few decades? In one word -- disgrace. Harding isn't remembered for her competitive record or skating skill, but people around the world still know her name because of the role she played in the 1994 attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan -- an attack that saw her indicted in court and banned from competitive skating for life. 

Of course, Tonya isn't the only disgraced athlete who continues to captivate the public, and the power of the fallen athlete's tale isn't limited to the sport of figure skating. There are the track and field cheaters who relied on banned substances to win Olympics medals they were later stripped of, professional sports stars kicked off the team for violent or erratic behavior, and one infamous golfer who lost it all when the veil of secrecy was removed in 2009 and all the sordid details of his life came spilling out. 

Think you can name these sports icons who made it big then lost it all? Take our quiz to find out!



Oscar Pistorius
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed Blade Runner, was a record-breaking runner who lost his legs at a young age and relied on artificial limbs to propel him around the track. After taking home medals in three different Olympics, Pistorius was convicted of murdering his girlfriend at his home in 2013. His initial sentence of 5 years was eventually increased to 13 years after a retrial in his native South Africa.
Manny Ramirez
Mark McGwire
Ty Cobb
Tonya Harding
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Maria Sharapova
Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding became the first American woman in history to land a triple axel in competition, and nabbed the U.S. National title in 1991. Three years later, she was implicated in an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan and banned for life from the sport of figure skating.
Marion Jones
Carolina Kostner
Lance Armstrong
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Jose Canseco
Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong was the undisputed King of Cycling, winning the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, as well as an Olympic bronze medal at the Sydney games. In 2012, he was accused of long-term doping and stripped of most of his major wins.
O.J. Simpson
Warren Sapp

Advertisement

Jose Conseco
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ryan Lochte
Aaron Hernandez
Brett Favre
Jose Canseco
From 1982 to 2001, Jose Canseco played the outfield for teams like the Oakland A's and the Chicago White Sox. In 2005, he published a tell-all memoir in which he not only admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, but also called out other top players by name for indulging in PEDS.
Ben Johnson
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Lance Armstrong
Jon Jones
Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson was one of the best in the world at the 100-meter race in his day, winning medals in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. It all came crashing down at the '88 games when he tested positive for banned substances. The news cost him millions in endorsements and a multi-year ban from the sport.
Oscar Pistorius
Pete Rose
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Pete Rose
Pete Rose was a legendary switch hitter who played for the Cincinnati Reds, who went on to serve as a team manager after his playing days had ended. In 1989, it was revealed that Rose had bet on the game during both his playing and management days. The revelation ended his career and prevented him from ever being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Lance Armstrong
Ty Cobb
Shoeless Joe Jackson

Advertisement

Mike Tyson
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson was one of the best boxers in the world when he was sentenced to three years in the slammer for rape in 1992. He later returned to fighting, but lost his license for more than a year in 1997 after shamefully biting off a piece of opponent Evander Holyfield's ear during a match.
Manny Pacquiao
Michael Nunn
Darryl Strawberry
O.J. Simpson
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Danny Almonte
O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977, then moved to the 49ers from 1978 to 1978. In 1994, he was acquitted of double homicide after the infamous murder trial of his ex-wife and a male friend. Unable to steer clear of trouble, O.J. was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2008 after being convicted of assault and armed robbery.
Ron Artest
Ryan Braun
Mark McGwire
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire was known for hitting frequent home runs during his career with the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals. In 2010, he admitted that some of that super strength may have come from steroids, which McGwire used throughout much of his career.
Tiger Woods
Brett Favre
Barry Bonds

Advertisement

Ty Cobb
youtube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Lance Armstrong
Ty Cobb
Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," baseball player Ty Cobb spent 22 seasons playing for the Detroit Tigers. He was implicated in a game fixing scandal and suspended from the league in 1926. Cobb was later reinstated due to a lack of evidence.
Aaron Hernandez
Michael Vick
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Michael Nunn
Adrian Peterson
Ray Lewis
Michael Vick
Michael Vick spent six years playing football with the Atlanta Falcons before he was suspended indefinitely for his involvement in a vicious dog-fighting ring in 2007. He was sentenced to 21 months in jail, and ended up being picked up by the Eagles after his release.
Ryan Lochte
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte has earned a dozen Olympic swimming medals, putting him just behind Michael Phelps in terms of Olympians with the most medals. In 2016, a drunken night out with friends turned into a disaster for Lochte when he told the media that he had been robbed by the police in Rio -- a story which was later proven to be a lie.
Ray Rice
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Michael Nunn

Advertisement

Alex Rodriguez
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
O.J. Simpson
Michael Nunn
Manny Ramirez
Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod spent more than 22 seasons with the MLB, and enjoyed some of the most lucrative contracts in the history of the sport. He faced criticism in 2009 when he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, then was forced to sit out the entire 2014 season after he was caught using again in 2013.
Tiger Woods
Wiki Commons
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ryan Braun
Warren Sapp
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods will go down as one of the greatest golfers in history, but his life hit a serious rough patch in late 2009. After a domestic spat that ended with Tiger driving into a tree, more than a dozen women went to the media, revealing stories of their affairs with the married golfer. A divorce soon followed, and Woods was never the same player after the scandal.
Brett Favre
Manny Ramirez
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Justin Gatlin
Manny Ramirez
Baseball player Manny Ramirez played for the Indians from 1993 to 2000, then moved to the Red Sox through 2008. In 2009, he received a 50-game suspension for taking banned substances, and just two years later, he received another 100-game suspension for the same offense. Rather than sit out, Ramirez chose to retire from the sport.
Ryan Lochte
Chris Benoit

Advertisement

Ray Rice
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Michael Nunn
Ray Rice
Ray Rice was a Ravens running back from 2008 to 2013, and was even part of the winning team in Super Bowl 47. The team terminated his contract after a horrifying domestic violence incident in 2014 – in which Rice was caught on video knocking his wife unconscious in an elevator.
Aaron Hernandez
Denny McLain
Richard Seigler
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Richard Seigler
Richard Siegler played for teams like the 49ers and Steelers before he was released in 2007 because of a suspected link to a prostitution ring. Charges were later dropped, and he was picked up by Toronto before moving on to coaching later in his career.
Manny Ramirez
Tony Farmer
Denny McLain
Barry Bonds
Wiki Commons
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ray Rice
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds was knocking runs out of the park for the Pirates and Giants from 1986 to 2007. In 2007, his career came crashing down after he was indicted for lying under oath during a steroids scandal a few years earlier.
Darryl Strawberry
Ray Lewis

Advertisement

Manti Te'o
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Manti Te'o
Manti Te'o was playing football at Notre Dame and on his way to a major career with the NFL when he announced that his girlfriend had died of cancer in 2012. As reporters dug deeper into the story, it came out that Te'o had never actually met the "girlfriend," but had only intearcted with her through voicemail and online messages. The whole twisted tale was one huge hoax that was later partly attributed to an acquaintance, Ronaiah Tuiasosopopo - but many remain convinced Manti knew the truth and was hoping for publicity.
O.J. Simpson
Lance Armstrong
Danny Almonte
Marion Jones
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Carolina Kostner
Maria Sharapova
Tonya Harding
Marion Jones
Marion Jones was one of the biggest stars of the 2000 games in Sydney, and many fans expected her to win as many as five gold medals at the games that summer. She did manage to score three golds and two bronze, but was later stripped of all her titles after testing positive for banned substances. She made it back to the Olympics in 2004, but didn't win a single medal. She was later banned from going to the 2008 games.
Rick Kuhn
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Boris Onischenko
Jason Giambi
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Rick Kuhn
Rick Kuhn was a senior at Boston College when he found himself involved in a point-shaving scandal in the late '70s. He earned just a few thousand dollars in the plot, but was later sentenced to 10 years in prison for his crime.

Advertisement

Boris Onishchenko
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Michael Nunn
Michael Vick
Boris Onishchenko
Boris Onishchenko was a top contender in the pentathlon at the 1976 Olympics. Instead of coming home with a medal, he found himself disqualified after officials learned he had rigged his fencing epee to score a hit even when he failed to make contact with his opponent.
Jim Thorpe
Roger Clemens
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ray Rice
Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens spent decades playing for teams like the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from the '80s through the '00s. In 2010, he was indicted for lying to Congress during a hearing related to steroids use.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Oscar Pistorius
Aaron Hernandez
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez played for the Patriots from 2010 to 2012. In 2013, he was arrested and convicted of murder -- and accused of an additional two killings. Sentenced to prison, he committed suicide in his cell in 2017.
Ron Artest
Boris Onischenko
Travis Henry

Advertisement

Shoeless Joe Jackson
Wiki Commons
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ryan Lochte
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson served as a outfielder for teams from Philly to Chicago between 1915 and 1920. After he was implicated in a plot to fix the 1919 World Series, he was banned for life from the sport of baseball.
Ray Rice
Richard Seigler
Chris Benoit
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit was a Canadian wrestling superstar when he killed himself, his wife and his young son in 2007. Doctors later revealed that mental illness and concussions suffered during wrestling matches may have been to blame for the tragic murder-suicide.
Jose Canseco
Lance Armstrong
Oscar Pistorius
Brett Favre
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Barry Bonds
Aaron Hernandez
Travis Henry
Brett Favre
Brett Favre played quarterback for teams like the Packers, Jets and Vikings. In 1996, he earned a temporary ban from the NFL when his issues with drug and alcohol came to light. In 2010, he found himself in hot water again after he was fined for failing to cooperate with an NFL investigation regarding a case of harassment that Favre found himself embroiled in.

Advertisement

Joe Paterno
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
O.J. Simpson
Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno was the beloved coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. He was dismissed from the school in November 2011 when it was revealed that he was informed of suspected sexual abuse committed by Jerry Sandusky, yet hid Sandusky's crimes for over a decade.
Ray Rice
Michael Nunn
Lenny Dykstra
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ty Cobb
Brett Favre
Lenny Dykstra
Lenny Dykstra played for the NY Mets from 1985 through 1989, then moved on to the Phillies from 1989 to 1996. Post-retirement, he was sentenced to three years in prison in 2012 for charges related to bankruptcy fraud.
Warren Sapp
Kobe Bryant
Wiki commons
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Michael Vick
Ray Rice
Manti Te'o
Kobe Bryant
In 2003, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was arrested for allegedly raping a woman a Colorado hotel. The case was later dropped because the accuser refused to testify, but Bryant eventually admitted to what he deemed a consensual sexual encounter with the woman. Consensual or not, Kobe's wife Vanessa was not pleased with the events, and neither were his fans.

Advertisement

Floyd Landis
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Brett Favre
Tiger Woods
Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis was a pro cyclist on par with Lance Armstrong when he was accused of doping and suspended from the sport in 2006. He later admitted to using banned substances, and accused other competitors of doing the same. In 2010, he was arrested for hacking charges related to the 2006 doping case.
War Machine
War Machine
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Chris Benoit
War Machine
MMA fighter Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver legally changed his name to War Machine in 2008. His life as a free man and an MMA fighter came to an end in 2017, when he was sentenced to decades in prison for a brutal assault on ex-girlfriend Christy Mack.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joe Paterno
Denny Mclain
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Tiger Woods
Denny McLain
Denny McLain was a star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and other teams from 1963 to 1972. After retirement, he spent time in prison for charges that included trafficking, embezzlement and racketeering.
Darryl Strawberry
Boris Onischenko

Advertisement

Carolina Kostner
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Maria Sharapova
Marion Jones
Carolina Kostner
Carolina Kostner won a bronze in figure skating at the 2014 Olympics after winning gold at the world championships two years earlier. In early 2015, she was caught lying to doping officials to protect her athlete boyfriend from a surprise drug test. Her lies earned her a 16-month ban from her sport.
Tonya Harding
Maria Sharapova
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Tonya Harding
Marion Jones
Carolina Kostner
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova has ranked among the top women's tennis players of the '00s, and won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics. In 2016, she failed a drug test at the Australian Open and earned herself a 15-month ban from her sport.
Travis Henry
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Travis Henry
Travis Henry served as a running back for the Bills from 2001 to 2004, and the Titans from 2005 to 2006. In 2008, a run in with the DEA found him facing federal prison and millions of dollars in fines for drug trafficking.
Ray Rice
Pete Rose
Jose Canseco

Advertisement

Zidane 2006 Red Card
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwQnQeGdsUY
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Pele
Zinedine Zidane
After an acclaimed career, French FIFA star Zidane had decided to retire after the 2006 World Cup. Unfortunately for his legacy - and for the torso of an Italian player, Marco Materazzi - Zidane decided to headbutt Materazzi's chest during an argument at the end of the final. His behavior earned him a red card and the disdain of many former fans.
John McEnroe
Lance Armstrong
Adrian Peterson
n/a
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
O.J. Simpson
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson was a running back for the Minnesota Vikings when he was convicted of abusing his young son in 2014, causing him to miss almost the entire season. He was later traded to first the Saints then the Cardinals.
Darryl Strawberry
Michael Nunn
Tony Farmer
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Jose Canseco
Barry Bonds
Tony Farmer
Tony Farmer was one of the top 100 basketball players in the country when he was caught on video attacking his former girlfriend. He was sentenced to three years in prison for assault and kidnapping in 2012. Though he threw his name in for the draft in 2017, he wasn't picked up by a team.
Boris Onischenko

Advertisement

Jason Giambi
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Danny Almonte
Lance Armstrong
Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi played for the Oakland A's throughout the late '90s, then moved to the Yankees in 2002. In 2005, he admitted to using steroids, but was able to keep playing in the MLB with teams like the Rockies and the Indians.
O.J. Simpson
Warren Sapp
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Jose Canseco
Ray Rice
Warren Sapp
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp played for the Buccaneers and Raiders between 1995 and 2007. He faced frequent difficulties during his career, including being ejected from a game and fined for bad behavior in 2007; a 2010 arrest for domestic battery; and a 2015 arrest for assault.
Ron Artest
Jon Jones
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Jon Jones
Jon Jones has consistently ranked among the top light heavyweight fighters in MMA, but has faced frequent trouble both in and out of the ring. He was suspended from the UFC for a felony hit-and-run in 2015, then faced further suspensions for failed drug tests in subsequent years.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Ray Lewis
Rick Kuhn

Advertisement

Justin Gatlin
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Oscar Pistorius
Michael Nunn
Manny Ramirez
Justin Gatlin
Sprinter Justin Gatlin won gold in the 100 meters at the 2004 Olympics, as well as a bronze in London and a silver in Rio. Unfortunately, he also earned a two-year ban in 2001 -- then another eight-year ban in 2006 -- after testing positive for banned substances.
Ryan Braun
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joe Paterno
Tiger Woods
Ryan Braun
Outfielder Ryan Braun was signed to the Brewers in 2007. He successfully fought a positive drug test in 2011, but wasn't so lucky in 2013, when he earned a 65-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.
Jim Thorpe All-American
tmdb
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Darryl Strawberry
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe may have been one of the greatest athletes of all time. He won gold in both pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics, but was later stripped of his medals after it came to light that he had played a few seasons of semi-pro baseball before the games.
Boris Onischenko
Ryan Lochte

Advertisement

Manny Pacquiao
Wiki Commons
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Manny Pacquiao
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao set records in the ring, but struggled mightily in other areas. He faced major trouble with the IRS in his home country, which froze his assets in 2013. He later lost a sponsorship with Nike after making homophobic statements in 2016.
Adrian Peterson
Tony Farmer
Warren Sapp
Michael Nunn
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Warren Sapp
Danny Almonte
Michael Nunn
Middleweight Michael Nunn participated in pro boxing from the mid-'80s to the early '00s. In 2004, he was sentenced to 24 years for drug trafficking activities that dated back for years.
Boris Onischenko
Ray Lewis
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Joe Paterno
Michael Nunn
Floyd Landis
Ray Lewis
Linebacker Ray Lewis won two Super Bowls as part of the Ravens, but a night out in Atlanta almost ended his career in 2000. Two people he was associated with were murdered, and the blood of one victim was found in Lewis' limo. Murder charges against Lewis were dropped when he reached a plea deal, agreeing to testify against others in the group and pay a fine of $250,000.

Advertisement

Darryl Strawberry
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Jose Canseco
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry spent nearly two decades in the MLB, playing for teams like the Mets and Dodgers. A bad cocaine habit earned him multiple suspensions in the '80s, and may have held him back from reaching his highest potential.
Michael Nunn
Ray Lewis
Ron Artest
YouTube
Can you name this tarnished sports star?
Ron Artest
In 2011, NBA star Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace, just four years after he earned a seven-game suspension after a domestic violence arrest.
Lance Armstrong
Barry Bonds
Ray Rice
You Got:
/50
YouTube