Former Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was taken into custody at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport for carrying dried urine and a device called the “Original Whizzinator”, a kit used to beat drug tests which included a fake penis. Smith was suspended for the entire 2005 season the following month for his third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He hasn’t played in the NFL since. He had a stint in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was cut a month later after showing up to camp 20 pounds overweight and suffering a foot injury on the first day. Guys have tried to beat drug tests before. The reason this one had to be mentioned was because of the humor of it. How embarrassing was it to be caught in an airport with dried pee and a fake penis?

Former Green Bay Packers TE Mark Chmura was accused of having an inappropriate sexual encounter with his children’s 17-year old babysitter at a Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School prom party. Chmura was found not guilty of the charges of child enticement and third-degree sexual assault. He was released by the Packers shortly before the incident occurred. It’s pretty easy to write off some of the things athletes do as just “actions in the heat of the moment.” Then there are some things that make you wonder what in the world they were thinking. Chmura was a so-so tight end, but his decision making skills after football make you wonder if he was all brawn and no brain. It’s hard to imagine that he was using his brain on that particular night.

But maybe it's not so simple. See this article from Time Magazine, which discusses the case in more depth.

Former Oakland Raiders C Barret Robbins went missing the night before Super Bowl XXXVII, which they were playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ended up being hospitalized before the game as well for his bipolar disorder and depression. Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl 48-21. The man can’t be faulted for his disease. However, he can be faulted for going missing the night before the biggest game of any player’s career. Even a disease isn’t a very good excuse for that. Robbins’ career never recovered from this incident. He wound up out of the league after the ‘03 season. He was then shot 3 times and charged with attempted murder of a police officer in January 2005. If there’s any lesson to be learned here, it’s that missing the big game could lead to getting shot and charged with attempted murder.

On his radio show Imus in the Morning, radio host Don Imus and his cohost Bernard McGuirk made racist and sexist remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, calling them “nappy-headed hos” among other things. Imus was suspended immediately. Imus in the Morning was cancelled after losing many of their advertisers. Imus was given a settlement for his $40 million contract with CBS after a wrongful termination suit was filed. Imus claimed the remarks weren’t meant to offend and were instead meant to be amusing. It’s funny how many television and radio personalities stick their foot in their mouth from time to time. But not too many do it this bad. One little joke may have been forgivable but to keep going on about it the way Imus and McGuirk did is jaw dropping. Imus has recently been hired by Citadel and WABC to do another national radio show. Maybe this time he’ll think about what he’s going to say.

Then Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers shoved two cameramen before a pre-game warm-up at Ameriquest Field against the Los Angeles Angels, knocking one of the men’s cameras to the ground. One of the cameramen attempted to continue filming Rogers, who shoved him again, this time knocking the camera to the ground and then kicking it. He had to be restrained and was sent home. Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Rogers for 20 games and fined him $50,000 two days later. Rogers ultimately only served a 13-game suspension and the fine was converted to a charitable organization. Rogers was released by the Rangers at the end of the season. This may not have been the reason Rogers was cut from the Rangers, but it probably didn’t help. It’s funny how many athletes you see have anger management issues. A good percentage of them need to take a chill pill especially with the media. They’re going to film athletes whether they like it or not. The best they can do is not draw a suspension or fine because of it.

Seventeen players for the Minnesota Vikings were involved in an alleged boat sex party on Lake Minnetonka. Some of the players performed sexual acts with an in front of crew members. There was approximately 90 people aboard two boats including prostitutes. In December, QB Daunte Culpepper, T Bryant McKinnie, RB Moe Williams, and CB Fred Smoot were all charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd lascivious conduct. All four plead not guilty in January 2006. Charges against Culpepper were dropped. Williams was found guilty of disorderly conduct, but cleared of the other two charges. Smoot and McKinnie plead guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in May. They were forced to pay a $1000 fine and perform 48 hours of community service. They had 30-day jail sentences delay for a year if they remained good citizens. Smoot was fined $82,352 and McKinnie was fined $41,176 (one game fine apiece) by the NFL. None of them were suspended by the league. The act itself may not be that funny, but the jokes that followed certainly are. The public tends to forget that athletes are still people, too, and have the same desires as the common man. The only difference is that the common man surely knows better than to act on these desires on a boat with many many witnesses.

All-time hit king and former Cincinnati Reds IF/OF Pete Rose was banned by MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti for, at the time, allegedly betting on games while managing the Reds. Rose denied the allegations. He voluntarily accepted placement on baseball’s ineligible list on August 24, 1989. Rose would confirm that there was a reason for the ban and MLB would not make any formal finding that he gambled on baseball. Rose could then apply for reinstatement to the league. However, Giamatti, his successor Fay Vincent and current commissioner Bud Selig have not reinstated Rose. Rose then came clean in his autobiography in 2004 that he bet on games, including Reds games, while playing for and managing them. He claims that he never bet against the team, though. Gambling on the sport was pretty bad, but Rose’s lying about it is what got it so high on the list. He probably would have had better luck for reinstatement if he hadn’t waited so long to admit to gambling on the games.

Then Carolina Panthers WR Rae Carruth stopped his vehicle in front of Cherica Adams’ vehicle. The two were dating at the time. When the vehicles stopped, another car pulled up next to Adams and shot her four times. Carruth fled the scene as Adams survived for a time and called 911. Adams was 8 months pregnant and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors performed a c-section and saved the baby, but due to being born prematurely and in distress, the baby has cerebral palsy. Adams went into a coma and died a month later. Carruth turned himself in and posted a $3 million bond with the condition that if Adams or the baby died, he would turn himself in. Carruth fled after Adams died, though. He was caught in Tennessee later on hiding in the trunk of a car. The Panthers released him in the meantime. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child. He was found not guilty of first-degree murder, but was still sentenced to 18-24 years in prison in Raleigh, North Carolina. This has got to be one of the most despicable persons on Earth, let alone athletes. To do something this shocking causes him to have no respect at all. To throw his career and effectively his life away in this manner deserves to be high on this list.

Hall of Famer and former Buffalo Bills RB O. J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The bodies were found outside of Brown’s condo on June 12, 1994. Simpson didn’t turn himself in and instead led police on a low-speed chase. He was eventually caught and put on trial. Ultimately, he was acquitted of the murder charges on October 3, 1995. Simpson was later found liable for the wrongful death of Goldman, battery against him, and battery against Brown in a civil trial. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages which he is still trying to cover. Although we don’t decide who is guilty and who is innocent here at Athlete Hall of Shame, there was a lot of evidence pointing at Simpson including fingerprints and shoe prints at the scene of the crime. This may not need to be on the list because of the not guilty verdict, but he wouldn’t have even been on trial if there wasn’t evidence against him.