Web of Lies: These Sports Stories Were Too Good To Be True

Marion Jones

Jones became a U.S. icon when she won three Olympic gold medals in 2000. However, she fell foul of the BALCO investigation and proved that her legacy was too good to be true (via MSN).

The Olympic committee stripped her of her five medals and she received a six-month jail sentence. That’s because she lied to investigators and misled the court. It was a shambles but she brought the pain upon herself. She destroyed her reputation because she was too afraid to lose.

Lance Armstrong

Armstrong had one of the most inspiring stories ever because he recovered from cancer to become a seven-time Tour De France champion. The American star put cycling on the map and became a global icon. It was an incredible rise to fame because everybody knew who he was and admired his achievements.

However, it was too good to be true because of what happened next. He was a the forefront of one of the most notorious doping scandals ever. Armstrong was the ringleader of the devious scheme and he lost everything. In recent years he started a successful podcast but he was a persona non grata for a decade (via Reuters).

Sam Allardyce

Allardyce had a golden opportunity to silence his critics when he became England’s head coach in 2016. He believed that people didn’t show him enough respect because they called him a ‘dinosaur.’ This was his chance to prove that he could manage elite players and guide them to glory (via Joe).

But it was too good to be true because the FA sacked him after a single game. A scandal broke after Allardyce spoke to some fake Asian businessmen about loopholes in transfer regulations. Footage emerged of the scam as Allardyce ordered a pint of wine. In the end, he didn’t receive any legal consequences but it damaged his career.

Conor McGregor

McGregor’s rise was one of the most exciting fairytale stories ever. He worked as a plumber in Dublin before quitting to focus on his fighting career. This left him collecting unemployment benefits while he was living with his parents. “The Notorious” famously collected his final chek before his first UFC fight (via SPORF).

He became a two-weight champion and also fought Floyd Mayweather for millions of dollars. But the former folk hero suffered a stark fall from grace as he abused alcohol and drugs. He was arrested for various offenses and became a parody of himself. His story was too good to be true because the fame went to his head.

The Nets Super Team

Here’s the final super team entry on this list and it’s a doozy. Nets fans sat up and took notice in 2021 when their franchise exploded into life. Success appeared to be inevitable after they traded for James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant. They had two weeks of excitement before everything fell apart.

Irving was the biggest unmitigated disaster because of his vaccination scandal and anti-semitism. Meanwhile, his injuries also prevented him from making the impact they wanted. But neither Harden nor Durant succeeded in Brooklyn either. They had so much potential on paper but in the end, it was too good to be true (via The Ringer).

The Blind Side

This 2009 movie became one of the most popular sports dramas ever. Sandra Bullock starred as the foster mother who inspired Michael Oher to NFL greatness. It was an inspiring story but it took a dark twist in 2023. That’s because the former offensive tackle filed a grievance against the Tuohys for allegedly hiding 19 years of financial records.

He also alleged that they tricked him into a lifetime conservatorship and that he never earned a dime from the movie. The Tuohys denied this but the reports shocked the nation. Regardless of the outcome, the movie leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths now. Unfortunately, it seems that the uplifting tale was too good to be true (via Cinemablend).