Belarus Shot Putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk Stripped of Olympic Gold Medal

The International Olympic Committee confirmed that Belarus shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk was stripped of the gold medal she recently won at the 2012 London Olympic Games for a positive test of a banned anabolic steroid. Only time and tests will tell if more Olympic athletes cheated.

Olympic Hurdler Disqualified for Doping

Last week at the Olympics the IOC disqualified 400-meter Syrian hurdler Ghfran Almouhamad for a positive test of the stimulant methylhexaneamine and confirmed with a "B" sample. Almouhamad was disqualified and stripped of her Olympic accreditation.

2008 Irish Olympian Investigated for Illegal Betting

With the Olympics under way an unnamed Irish Olympic team member from the 2008 squad is being investigated for placing bets against themselves and instead on an opponent as reported by the BBC. The unnamed athlete is believed to be competing at the current 2012 Olympics and has been informed of the current allegations. This will be a story to follow up on once the Olympics conclude and more information becomes available. This just goes to show that every level of competition can be corrupted but even more sad because this is for his or her country in this case.

Olympic Badminton Match-Fixing

The latest sporting scandal at the 2012 Summer Olympics involves the sport of badminton. Yes you heard that one correct. Four women's doubles teams have been disqualified for intentionally playing bad and losing matches in the knockout stage to gain more favorable quarterfinal matches. China's Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, South Korea's Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na, South Korea's Ha jung-eun and Kim Min-jun and Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari have all been disqualified for these actions and face disciplinary action along with their coaches.

More Tour de France Doping

Although the 2012 Tour de France ended last weekend it still brought controversy this year as RadioShack-Nissan cyclist Frank Schleck of Luxembourg failed a doping test for the diuretic Xipamide. Schleck was in 12th place at the time the news broke which prompted his withdrawal from the race. A few days later Schleck's B sample also came back positive but he maintains his innocence and determined to find the cause of his contact with Xipamide. RadioShack was the team Lance Armstrong previously rode for and who is now under doping investigations by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

NCAA Football and Sports Books Ready to Rake it in!

NCAA football fans will finally get what they asked for with a new four team playoff for the national championship starting in 2014. Are the fans the true winners here though? Sports books are the biggest beneficiaries of this change as they estimate these additional games could bring in a total of $6 billion worldwide between the two semifinals and the championship game. Get ready for a couple of extra games to throw your money away on but just remember you the fans asked for it.

Tim Donaghy The Sports Handicapper

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy has now teamed up with sports handicapping website Sportsconnectionwins.com to offer his insights on the fix in NBA. What more do people need to see and hear to realize how crooked this sport is.

Marlon Byrd Tests Positive for Banned Substance

Baseball player Marlon Byrd has been suspended for 50 games for a positive test of Tamoxifen which is on the list of banned substances and classified as a performance enhancing drug by Major League Baseball. Tamoxifen increases testosterone and reduces the side effects of steroid use. Byrd has apologized and stated a medication he took for a previous condition resulted in the positive test. Interesting to note though, Bryd had a close working relationship with BALCO founder Victor Conte from 2008 to 2011.

Lance Armstrong Faces New Doping Charges

Cyclist and triathlete Lance Armstrong avoided criminal charges in February but a new round of doping charges are being brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Due to the new charges Armstrong is now currently banned from participating in World Triathlon Corporation sanctioned events which bans athletes under investigation for alleged doping offenses. If found guilty Armstrong may also face losing his Tour de France titles.

MMA Fighter Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante Tests Postive for Steroids

MMA fighter Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante failed a recent drug test following his win over Mike Kyle in May. The failed test was due to the synthetic anabolic steroid Stanozolol which is commonly used by athletes. The California State Athletic Commission overturned his latest victory on May 19th over Mike Kyle to a no-contest, fined him $2,500 and suspended Cavalcante for a year. Cavalcante's camp has appealed and awaiting a hearing date.

The Day Boxing Died

Crooked judges, top fighters avoiding each other and greedy promoters. Yes I am talking about the further decline in boxing. Last week's split decision victory for Timothy Bradley over Manny Pacquiao has the boxing world in an uproar and for good reason.

Last Saturday's fight saw Pacquiao connect on 253 of 751 punches thrown (34%) while Bradley landed only 115 of 839 (19%). Pacquiao's punches at times stumbled Bradley while Bradley was pretty much ineffective except for staying in the center and challenging his opponent. In a poll of ringside reporters not one gave the decision to Bradley and even Bradley himself admitted to promoter Bob Arum that he came up short just before the decision was announced. Most unofficial judges and reporters gave Pacquiao anywhere from 9 to 11 rounds out of the total 12.

So why then did judges Jerry Roth score it 115-113 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 115-113 Bradley and C.J. Ross 115-113 Bradley? As soon as this was officially announced the boxing world went crazy and even promoter Bob Arum who repped both fighters said, "I'm ashamed for the sport." How can professional judges be that incompetent? I think it's more like corrupted judges. Many are calling for an investigation into this result.

With all the problems boxing already has this definitely worsened things for the sport. With Pacquiao being defeated and aging a match up with Mayweather seems less important. Fans including myself have just had enough.

Match Fixing in Italy's Serie A Soccer League

Last week another Soccer match fixing scandal broke in Italy, this time affecting the top level Serie A league. 19 people including players, coaches and officials have been arrested and the training site of the national team was raided by police. Prosecutors stated that a Hungarian gang with funding from Singapore is likely the group behind recent match fixes at all levels in Italian soccer leagues and elsewhere.

F1 Team McLaren's Costly Penalty

Last month at the Spanish Grand Prix the McLaren F1 team of driver Lewis Hamilton was penalized for a fuel irregularity. Once qualifying is complete all cars require enough fuel to return to the pits and provide a one-litre sample per the mandatory rules of the governing body of F1. Running lower levels of fuel can provide a performance advantage and regardless of that proof Hamilton did initially capture the pole position. After qualifying was complete McLaren ordered Hamilton to stop on the track due to lack of fuel caused by a fueling mistake from the team. The stewards rejected the reasoning and stripped Hamilton of the pole and had him start at the back of the field. Hamilton did finish on the lead lap and finished eight overall for the race but lost out on important season points by not finishing higher. Minimal race car tweaks can make all the difference but you have to make sure to follow all the rules or risk penalty.

Positive HGH Test for Top American Weightlifter

HGH testing is often found to be ineffective due to the limited detection window but technology is catching up. The most recent high profile athlete to test positive for HGH use is the top ranked American weightlifter Pat Mendes. Two positive tests back in February cost him a shot at the Olympics because of the two year suspension he picked up cheating his way to the top.