With the ruling coming down in the NFL that it was probable the Patriots cheated, it got me thinking about cheating in sports and how of the 4 major sports(Hockey is still a major sport yes?) Hockey, to my knowledge, seems to be the only one that's not had a big scandal in the last decade or so with regard to this.

Football - Spygate, deflategate, artificial noise being pumped into stadiums

Basketball - Tim Donaghy, an NBA ref, was involved in the fixing of NBA games. Specifically helping the league get the Western Conference Championship series between the Kings and Lakers to 7 games because it was better for the league to extend that series.

Baseball - Steroids/H2H


Does anyone think there's a current way teams could be cheating in Hockey? The only one I can think of is I am sure players use illegal sticks which I would guess would be the equivalent of deflating footballs.

I guess with some of the head scratching refereeing in the NHL it's not out of the question games could be fixed but I really really REALLY don't want to believe that's possible.

Goalie's could theoretically be getting an edge by having pads that are slightly larger than the rules allow.

Interesting post. Back in the 1990s there were strong allegations about ties between Russian NHL players and the Russian mafia, with players alleged to be victims as well as partners, but I don't think those allegations had anything to do with the integrity of the game.

The other potential stain is owners' manipulation of the salary cap as well as potential collusion regarding restricted free agents.

I can't think of any flat-out cheating scandals though.

I know Rick Tocchet while he was an assist coach with the Yoytes I believe and Mrs Gretzky got caught up in some gambling ring but I don't believe that involved betting on Hockey games. That's the closest I can remember to a Hockey scandal.

as you point out, look at the officiating. no cheating required.

I don't recall any specific allegations, but haven't there been whispers about bigger, slower less skilled teams taking measures to keep the ice softer and choppier, therefore limiting the advantage of faster more skilled teams? To me that kind of stuff isn't a huge deal. In baseball, this would be akin to how the Cubs kept the infield grass a bit longer than most teams at Wrigley Field so their infielders could get to more ground balls. Both of those are more gamesmanship than cheating in my opinion.

As an aside, I find the whole Deflategate saga hilarious. I'm sure Tom Brady can still throw touchdowns with properly inflated balls, but villains sure do make sports more fun!

I'm beginning to think the Blues organization is on the take based on 1st rd PO series losses the last few seasons.....

Deflagate is, or should be, a big deal for the nfl, because it goes to the integrity of the game. The NFL will never admit it, but a big portion of their game's popularity, way more than the other big 3, is tied to gambling. If people start believing the game is being illegally manipulated, betting may slow, and in turn, revenues for the league could drop. Yeah Brady can throw any football. The question is, how much better can he throw it with a deflated football. I think most people will say, "A lot."

As far as hockey, other than equipment, you would probably have to look at the refs. Problem is, they are so fucking incompetent that no body would dare trust them to fix a game .

Scotty Bowman had the locker rooms painted at Joe Louis arena in the middle of a playoff series? Didn't he have the Blues bench shortened as well? Cheating or just a hilarious dick move?

I don't remember what Keenan came back with, but it paled in comparison.

Growing up playing hockey I know players cut holes in their gloves so they could grab a players helmet cage, when scrumming it up. That wouldn't work in the NHL though.

I'm sure in the NHL players are taking roids, HGH or stimulants. I'm pretty sure the drug testing policy in the NHL is a joke.

Doug Glatt wrote:Growing up playing hockey I know players cut holes in their gloves so they could grab a players helmet cage, when scrumming it up. That wouldn't work in the NHL though.

I'm sure in the NHL players are taking roids, HGH or stimulants. I'm pretty sure the drug testing policy in the NHL is a joke.

Guilty as charged, haha. Helped for stick handling too.

They should let everyone from Seattle punch him in the face.

The NFL is a joke there are a lot of quarterbacks admit they did the same thing. It is the whiny cry baby Colts that went to the NFL and cried foul.

The Colts got beat by a more experience team not by deflated footballs. Plus so many people in this country hates winners look how many people hate the Cardinals...Winners, Patriots 4 time champs...Winners, Red Wings Hockey Town...Winners, Yankees...Winners you get the point.

If the NFL suspend Brady then the NFL is just big cluster fuck circus with shitty leadership. If the Rams did this everyone in St. Louis will be defending the Rams it just because it is Brady and the Patriots who are winners.

NHL referring is atrocious....I've always wondered about some of those guys fixing games.