15 Athletes Who Shocked The World

Pete Rose’s status in baseball is one of the more contentious in the sport. Rose was banned from baseball on allegations that he gambled on baseball games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Although Rose was technically not an athlete at the time of his permanent ineligibility, his baseball legacy, or lack thereof, still shocks the world.

Barry Bonds has been so involved in MLB steroid controversy that it seems neverending. Bonds was indicted in 2007 for lying under oath about his alleged steroid use.

Brett Favre is one of the most celebrated football players in NFL history, but the NFL investigated him in 2010 for allegedly sending a nude picture and leaving inappropriate voice messages for Jenn Sterger back in 2008.

In 2007, John Amaechi became the first ever former NBA player to come out of the closet. Amaechi had last played in the NBA for the Houston Rockets in 2003.

Jose Canseco shocked the world, especially those in the world of baseball, when he came out with a tell-all book titled Juice, in which he pointed the finger at both himself and fellow players while admitting to steroid usage around the league.

Lance Armstrong admitted to doping in January 2013. His doping case led to him losing his seven Tour De France titles.

When LeBron James made his decision to leave Cleveland, the fanbase was shocked. Their king was taking his talents somewhere else, and the rest of the world was shocked that a TV special had to take place for the announcement.

Mark McGwire was known as one of the Bash Brothers for the Oakland A’s, but Jose Canseco admitting to his own and McGwire’s juicing during that time shocked baseball fans. Although steroid usage was known in MLB, McGwire didn’t admit to his own steroid usage until 2010, five years after he avoided questions in a congressional hearing.

Michael Jordan shocked the world when he retired from professional basketball. After his retirement in 1993, he signed with a minor league baseball team and then came out of retirement in 1995 and returned to the Bulls.

Mike Tyson engaged in one of the most shocking sports moments in history. He bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997. Tyson was labeled as a savage and a poor loser.

Pat Tillman left his professional football career to enlist in the army after the September 11 attacks. Unfortunately, Tillman died during his service in 2004.

Tiger Woods’ life painted a picture of a successful family man, but no one knew that it was all an act. In 2009 several woman came forward and admitted to having an affair with Woods. The number of women who came forward and Woods admitted to having extramarital affairs with grew to over a dozen. Woods’ professional career was put on the backburner while his life seemed to be unraveling.

Tonya Harding orchestrated an attack on her opponent, Nancy Kerrigan, during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Harding’s ex-husband and security guard hired someone to break Kerrigan’s leg so that she would not be able to compete.

O,J, Simpson’s life has cast a shadow on his professional playing career. Simpson was not convicted of the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. The decision is still debated to this day, but Simpson’s antics before, during and after the trial lead people to believe that he is in fact guilty.

In 1991, Johnson tested positive for HIV and held a press conference announcing his immediate retirement. Johnson has turned his HIV into a platform for awareness and an even stronger will to work hard in spite of it.