Aussie cricket opener Chris Rogers is embroiled in a ticket controversy on the eve of an Ashes series...and he's not the first sports star to tumble in this direction.
Rogers has been embarrassed by revelations he attempted to use his allocation of test tickets from Middlesex in expensive corporate packages.There were also suggestions the paying punters would get access to the Aussie players.
Here's' a few other cases of unsporting insider trading.
Earle Caught Robbie Earle, an English club and Jamaican footballer, was sacked from his high-profile TV commentary job in this scandal at the 2010 South Africa World Cup. ITV enabled Earle to buy a whopping 400 tickets, value $160,000, including 40 for the final. This stretched the family and friends concept beyond breaking point and the friend in this case was a ticket tout. The shame was magnified when a swag of the tickets were used for an ambush-marketing scheme.
Wide receiver American football's finest are not shy about making spare change on their big day. Before this year's Super Bowl in Arizona, a Seattle Seahawks defensive player told Sports Illustrated it was common knowledge that players handed some of their tickets to agents. The Seahawks were allowed up to 13 tickets per player and could make around $7000 profit on each. Players are banned from profiting but another told SI: "Somebody's gonna make money off of it, so why shouldn't we."
There's only one John Terry (maybe) The England and Chelsea captain - in the company of a ticket tout - was allegedly caught out in a News of the World sting. Terry was alleged to have enabled a $23,000 cash payment to his acquaintance in the club canteen in return for a tour of the training ground. Chelsea stoutly defended the controversial Terry, saying amongst other things : "John has also organised a number of visits for families with sick children as a result of personal correspondence." But Chelsea immediately clamped down on visitor security arrangements.
You've been Warnered Good old Fifa. Disgraced vice-president Jack Warner and sons, from Trinidad, made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling World Cup tickets, The brothers ended up helping investigators unravel the FIFA scandal which finally came to a head this year. Jack Warner has conducted a public defence via bizarre statements such as claiming he fears for his life. Stay tuned.
You be the judge...no thanks. Outstanding former University of Kentucky basketballer Ed Davender used his star power to sell tickets that didn't exist. A prosecutor claimed he even rang victims asking for money to help pay restitution. The judge who sent Davender to jail in 2010 revealed he used to cheer for him during his playing career.
Aston Smarting Beat the rush people. Aston Villa and England under-19 footballer Nathan Baker tried to make a few quid selling five League Cup final tickets on Facebook. Tickets had not even gone on general sale yet. He was banned from attending the game against Manchester United at Wembley in 2010...and hailed in some quarters as "the new John Terry".
