Is JoePed's fall from grace the biggest ever?
- Thread starter DuffMan
- Start date
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
First thing that came to my mind was Tiger.
Although, what Tiger did doesn't compare to this scandal.
Although, what Tiger did doesn't compare to this scandal.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
Pee Wee Herman.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
If not the biggest, certainly close, at least as far as college sports scandals. OJ also would be up there. Highly popular athlete, TV commentator, pitchman, movie personality, being accused and tried for two murders, acquitted in criminal court but found liable in civil court.
In terms of the high and mighty falling off very tall pedestals, you might also consider Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays being banned from baseball, Pete Rose, the Black Sox Scandal. Wikipedia has an interesting list of sports scandals; a good reminder of some that were in the headlines back in the day. Wikipedia fails to include a huge corruption scandal involving Italian soccer players, teams and referees a number of years ago. Big for the Italians but not sure there was one Paterno type of individual who took a huge tumble.
Virtually all of the above involved questionable conduct involving the game; Paterno was fired and his legacy damaged (destroyed?) for actively covering up the activities of a child rapist on his staff, likely adding to the depth of his downfall.
In politics, probably not much to rival Richard Nixon being forced from office.
In terms of the high and mighty falling off very tall pedestals, you might also consider Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays being banned from baseball, Pete Rose, the Black Sox Scandal. Wikipedia has an interesting list of sports scandals; a good reminder of some that were in the headlines back in the day. Wikipedia fails to include a huge corruption scandal involving Italian soccer players, teams and referees a number of years ago. Big for the Italians but not sure there was one Paterno type of individual who took a huge tumble.
Virtually all of the above involved questionable conduct involving the game; Paterno was fired and his legacy damaged (destroyed?) for actively covering up the activities of a child rapist on his staff, likely adding to the depth of his downfall.
In politics, probably not much to rival Richard Nixon being forced from office.
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DuffMan
Well-Known Member
mel gibson was an actor. who reveres actors?
Lot's of people. Joe Paterno was a football coach. OJ Simpson was a football player. It makes just as much sense to revere an actor as a football coach.
For the record, I think JoPa's fall from grace was bigger than either of those two.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
joe pa was a leader of men, literally. mel gibson was an actor.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
lol where did bill clinton fall. hes one of the highest paid public speakers in the world and is probably the third most influemcial democrat in the US.
This right here is how JoPa got the power he got to do this in the first place. Joe Paterno was a football coach. No need to glamorize it more than that.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Mantle and Mays never really suffered a fall from grace, especially Mays. They were banned in 1983, long after they had already left the game, because they were hired by casinos. For a couple guys with no intentions of getting back to the game, that's hardly a punishment. And they're both still in the HOF. Not comparable to the Black Sox or Rose.
Right, because revering a football coach is SO much less frivolous than revering an actor.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
I thought he had a nice fall after it was revealed he smoked naturally flavored cigars.
I must have missed it, what did Mel Gibson do?
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
Seems tame now, but following an arrest for drunken driving in July 2006 and an outburst against Jews, leaked to the press, Gibson, once one of Hollywood's top actors and directors, largely was shunned by the movie industry for many years. However, he seems to have recovered with some major works and awards.
This according to Wikipedia:
On 28 July 2006, Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) while speeding in his vehicle with an open container of alcohol, which is illegal in much of the United States. According to a 2011 article in Vanity Fair, Gibson first told the arresting officer, "My life is over. I’m f***ed. Robyn’s going to leave me."[163] According to the arrest report, Gibson then exploded into an angry tirade at the arresting officer. Gibson climaxed with the words, "F***ing Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."[164][165]
After the arrest report was leaked on TMZ.com, Gibson issued two apologies through his publicist,[166][167] and in a televised interview with Diane Sawyer, he affirmed the accuracy of the quotations.[168] He further apologized for his "despicable" behavior, saying the comments were "blurted out in a moment of insanity"[169] and asked to meet with Jewish leaders to help him "discern the appropriate path for healing."[170] After Gibson's arrest, his publicist said he had entered a recovery program to battle alcoholism.
On 17 August 2006, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years probation.[169] He was ordered to attend self-help meetings five times a week for four and a half months and three times a week for the remainder of the first year of his probation. He was also ordered to attend a First Offenders Program, was fined $1,300, and his license was restricted for 90 days.[169]
At a May 2007 progress hearing, Gibson was praised for his compliance with the terms of his probation and his extensive participation in a self-help program beyond what was required.[171]
According to a friend interviewed on condition of anonymity, "It is my belief he felt that he had just absolutely failed as a human being. Mel was trying to invite death by cop. I don’t think this was about being anti-Semitic. I think he was trying to rile that guy into pulling out a gun and shooting him. Before he left the restaurant that night, he went to every single table and said good-bye. Why would you say good-bye to every table unless you think you’re never going to see them again? I believe that what was going on that night was a farewell."[163]
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tm3308
Well-Known Member
Went off on an anti-Semitic tear a few years ago, which included The Passion. Hasn't really done much since.
