Listen Now

It's the Hall of Shame finale and Rachna is going to need Rachel to contain her fury (or not). Just last year, Maine and Temple University were playing a field hockey match at Kent State that was about to go into double overtime. Until they were cut short. For pre-football game fireworks. On an entirely different field. At NOON. The infuriating incident raised questions about gender equity in college sports (and beyond). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna and Rachel want to thank YOU! In the penultimate episode of Hall of Shame season 1, we cover the most requested scandals that you the listener wanted to hear. From Reggie Bush forfeiting his Heisman trophy, to Maradona's controversial "hand of God" goal, to Derek Jeter sending his one night stands Yankee memorabilia gift basket. You'll hear Rachel and Rachna's fresh hot takes on your favorite sports scandal! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel needs Rachna to beware of the internet! In 2009, Manti T'eo was a promising up and coming linebacker playing with the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame, when he fell in love with his girlfriend Lennay Kekua online. But when tragedy struck Manti's life, what started off as young love became one of the most shocking and bizarre scandals in football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is going to need Rachel to keep her hands to herself. Or else. It’s 2003, and the Chicago Cubs are leading the Marlins 3-2 in the National League Championship Series. If they win this game, it’ll be their first league pennant since 1945. Bottom of the 8th. A foul ball to the left field. Cubs left fielder Moisés Alou is this close to catching it…until someone else does. Steve Bartman, the unluckiest Cubs super fan in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel is going to need Rachna to keep it in her pants. You’ve heard of Tiger Woods. You know. The prodigy who appeared in Golf Digest at 5. Who won 14 major championships by 34. Who met Obama and became a billionaire in the same year. Who had 120 extramarital affairs in 5 years. THAT’S the one that brought his reputation to a crashing halt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel and Rachna are going to need you to pour yourself an Arnold Palmer. You’re familiar with our President. The guy who won the office despite…losing the popular vote. Well the Presidency isn’t the only thing Trump cons his way into winning. No, Trump spends your tax dollars cheating at (his own) golf resorts nearly every weekend! And he’s been doing it for decades. Everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Tiger Woods himself has a tale to tell, so cuddle up with your caddy and listen to a few.If you run into any issues voting or witness voter suppression or intimidation, call the voter protection hotline: 1-833-DEM-VOTE — 1-833-336-8683 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is gonna need Rachel to pull on her water wings. It’s the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, and the Hungarian water polo team is distracted. Back home, the Soviets have brutally crushed a popular democratic uprising in Budapest. So when they found themselves going against Russia for the gold, the revolution followed them to the pool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel is going to need Rachna to take off her rose colored glasses. It’s 1985, and the hottest ticket in DC is to see the Washington Football Team. So imagine the joy of the people randomly selected to receive two free tickets and bus transportation to and from a Washington-Bengals game. Not only that — they were treated to a lavish brunch beforehand with the chance to win tickets to the Super Bowl that year as well. It seemed too good to be true! Because it was. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel is going to need Rachna to hold her hair. It’s game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls are tied 2-2 with the Utah Jazz. But after a midnight snack goes awry for MJ, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to play. Until he proves that he most certainly can. But the quick turnaround from incapacitated to unstoppable scoring machine has some eyebrows raised to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is going to need Rachel to grab a tissue and apply pressure. It’s the quarter finals of the 2009 Heineken Cup. The Harlequins are up against Leinster when their star player, Nick Evans, gets injured and benched. But lucky for The Quins' Rugby director, there's a very specific blood rule that allows teams to circumvent substitutions rules. So when Harlequin's full-back Tom Williams starts profusely bleeding on the field, the timing seems a little too good to be true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel is breathing deeply and counting to ten. Athletes — they’re just like us. Except they’re usually bigger. And definitely stronger. And they really REALLY like to win. But sometimes these big, strong, winners don’t get their way. And then you better watch out. Some meltdowns are justified, others notorious, and some just straight up unnecessary. So put on a helmet, hide your hockey stick, and buckle up for some all star tantrums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is going to need Rachel to slip her a $10. In 1919, the Chicago White Sox were favored to win the World Series. But they were also, in their view, criminally underpaid. So who better to supplement their income than the mob? But the gamblers and gangsters that these pros approached wanted them to throw more than just strikes. Come for the corruption, stay for the old-timey nicknames, and buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel is cracking open that beer because football season is back! The 2002 Super Bowl was momentous. It was Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s first with the New England Patriots and with zero seconds left, they upset the St. Louis Rams with a 48 year field goal! This game kicked off a golden age for the Patriots and their game was unstoppable. But as reports started to creep up about the Patriots secretly videotaping opponent's sidelines, questions about their integrity started to arise. As the ol' saying goes: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them; then there's the New England Patriots who are dirty dirty cheats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is going to need Rachel to pack a water bottle. The 1904 Olympics were, to be generous, a catastrophe. Against a backdrop of horrible planning, racist sideshows, and the worst racing conditions in history, a motley crew of unlucky runners lined up for the marathon. Then they started dropping like flies. And when things are such a disaster from the start, the only way to finish is with a little illicit help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Rachel and Rachna sit down with Atlanta Dream’s Elizabeth Williams to reflect on her teams decision to strike, their beef with Senator Loeffler, and the WNBA's history of activism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Rachel says, en garde, Rachna better say fence. In 1976, a Ukrainian pentathlete with a chip on his shoulder arrived at the Olympics in Quebec ready to win the gold. Of the five pentathlon events, Boris Onischenko's specialty was fencing. With the win-at-all costs pressure from the Soviet Union, Boris fenced his little heart out, scoring so many points that his opponents began to raise red flags. Was Boris that good? Or did he have a few tricks up his sword? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna's lacing up those childhood skates. In the early 1990's French figure skater Surya Bonaly didn't fit the "ice princess" mold. From a young age she was surrounded by a strange cast of characters, from her hovering mother, to her coach who pushed to "exotify" her background. Fed up with society's criticisms of who she should be, Surya decided to be herself, and made history along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel and Rachna promise they are great people. Just like the Olympics, the Paralympics are ripe with cheaters. In 1996 the International Paralympic committee introduced the Intellectual Disability Sport classification opening up the games to an entire new group of athletes. But in 2000 along came the Spanish basketball team who were hungry for a gold medal and corrupt enough to win by any means necessary. Think you know how this story goes? Trust, the depravity runs deeper than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachna is going to need Rachel to take off her hat and put her hand over her heart. The US National Anthem is a war song, so why would we sing it before athletic events? Who does the National Anthem really represent and is it still relevant? But more importantly — we share our definitive list of the top 5 most memorable Star Spangled Banner performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel needs Rachna to mind the body grease. In the early 90's Bret "The Hitman" Hart was one of the WWF's (now WWE) biggest stars; he was a five time WWF World Heavyweight Champion and held championships throughout multiple decades. But when WWE chairman Vince McMahon was over it, he decided to screw over his promotion's biggest star in the most unceremonious way. In the wild world of wrestling, no scandal can be taken at face value. Was the screw over real or was it all for show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices