10 Most Controversial Sports Moments of 2021

#1. Peng Shuai’s Disappearance

After accusing former Chinese Communist Party leader Zhang Gaoili of sexual assault, tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared for 18 days, prompting one of the most intense sporting crackdowns in recent history.

In a since-deleted social-media post, Peng said Zhang forced her into sex in 2018. No one saw or heard from her for over two weeks after that.

Fellow tennis players such as Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Alizé Cornet spoke in Peng’s defence, launching the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai into Twitter’s trends in November.

The WTA, IOC and the White House joined in on the fray, threatening sanctions and event cancellations if the Chinese government failed to provide proof that Peng was safe.

Though an alleged call between Peng and the IOC was arranged, and a video supposedly showing her safe and sound in a Beijing restaurant was released, the WTA announced it was cancelling all events in China on Dec. 1.

#2. Evander Kane's atrocious 2021

To say now-AHL forward Evander Kane has posted a dreadful year would be a massive understatement. A bankruptcy filing back in January was just the beginning of Kane's troubles, as a slew of allegations and legal troubles followed Kane throughout 2021.

Kane's estranged wife, Anna, accused him of betting on his own NHL games — something the NHL looked into before dropping the investigation amid a lack of evidence. Reports then surfaced of Sharks players lobbying management to kick Kane to the curb as he was an obviously unwelcome presence in that dressing room. Kane also faced numerous allegations of sexual assault and battery, while he claimed his estranged wife was physically abusive towards him. Kane was also mired in an abortion for pay lawsuit before being suspended by the NHL for 21 games after submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

#3. Canadians select Logan Mailloux in first round

Former top NHL prospect Logan Mailloux made headlines for all the wrong reasons ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. When it was revealed the then-18-year-old was fined while playing pro hockey in Sweden for sharing a photo with his teammates showing himself and a woman engaged in a sexual act. The photo was allegedly taken without the consent of the woman, who went to local police.

Once details of the incident surfaced — and several teams said they would not select him because of it — Mailloux put out a statement "renouncing" himself from that 2021 draft, saying, “If I were to ever have the honour of being selected, I would want a fanbase to be proud to welcome me to their organization. I know it will take time for society to build back the trust that I have lost, and that’s why I think it is best that I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL Draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend."

Despite a plethora of good, non-controversial options left to choose from with the 31st overall pick, now-former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin selected Mailloux anyways. Bergevin and the Habs were predictably torched relentlessly by hockey fans, media members, and even the Canadian Prime Minister for the selection before being forced into immediate damage control, while Mailloux, who was supposed to return to the OHL's London Knights this fall, was indefinitely suspended by the OHL before being reinstated this week.

#4. Osaka pulls out of French Open

Ahead of Roland Garros, Naomi Osaka made headlines for not wanting to make headlines.

The now-24-year-old tennis star announced in May that she wouldn’t partake in any media duties during the French Open, citing concerns for her mental health. What followed was an outpouring of controversy, support, criticism and even a $15,000 fine.

Osaka withdrew from the tournament after the first round, stating she “never wanted to be a distraction” and admitting her message could have been clearer.

"I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris," her statement read.

A couple of months later, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles drew comparisons to Osaka for pulling out of some Olympic events due to mental-health concerns of her own.

Ultimately, these two elite athletes sparked up a conversation that may change the way we look at mental health in sports – a commendable outcome in and of itself.

Even without all that transpired at Roland Garros, this would have been a pretty eventful year for Osaka. The Japanese-born tennis star lit the Olympic flame in Tokyo and released her very own Netflix docuseries in 2021.

#5. MLB’s sticky situation

As strikeout rates skyrocketed and batting averages plummeted, MLB stepped in with a foreign-substance crackdown in the middle of the 2021 regular season.

Starting June 21, the league announced, pitchers would be ejected, fined and suspended for doctoring baseballs with sticky substances that increase spin rates and induce more swings and misses.

The announcement made for polarizing discussions, mounting frustration and awkward press-conference moments. A little over a month after the rule’s implementation, Seattle Mariners pitcher Héctor Santiago became the first MLB player to receive a 10-game suspension after being ejected for using a foreign substance.

#6. Sha’Carri Richardson left out of Olympics

One positive marijuana test was all it took for star U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson to miss out on the Tokyo Olympics.

Richardson was suspended for 30 days and had her Olympic trial win nullified after her test, but still had the chance to make it to Japan, as her suspension had already run its course by the time the relay competition started.

However, in a polarizing decision, USA Track and Field decided to leave the 21-year-old off its roster, thus ending her chance to compete for gold.

In September, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced it would review its policy on cannabis as a banned substance in 2022. By then, Richardson’s 2021 Olympic hopes had already been crushed.

#7. Blackhawks, Brad Aldrich sexual abuse scandal

In a story that rocked the hockey world this past fall, accusations of sexual assault and abuse were brought forth against former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich, who was with the team throughout its Stanley Cup run in 2010. It was later later revealed and confirmed that members of Chicago's upper-management group — as well as some teammates — were aware of the allegations and did nothing to act on that knowledge.

When the victim, former first-round pick Kyle Beach, revealed himself as "John Doe" in a scathing interview, he made it clear that he believes almost everyone around the team knew about the incident:

Since the allegations rose to the surface a few months back, several big names who were with the Blackhawks at the time — former GM Stan Bowman an ex-head coach Joel Quenneville to name a couple — were "forced" to resign and are currently out of the NHL, but no criminal charges were ever laid despite the fact Aldrich was allowed to move on to a high school hockey team (with a reference from the Blackhawks) where he was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting a minor. Aldrich is currently a sex offender in Michigan, but has suffered no legal fallout from his abuse of Beach.

#8. Jack Eichel, Sabres drama

In early November, the Vegas Golden Knights finally dragged disgruntled superstar Jack Eichel out of Buffalo in exchange for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a first-round draft pick and an additional second-round draft selection — ending a months-long standoff between the team and its former captain.

Most importantly, Eichel was finally allowed to have his preferred surgery to repair his injured neck, something that was the driving force behind the fractured relationship between team and player.

The Sabres wanted Eichel to undergo fusion surgery, but the 25-year-old forward and his representatives sought out second opinions and decided on an alternative: artificial disc replacement. With each side stuck on their preferred method to fix his ailing neck, Eichel and the team hit a stand-still before things got real messy, with Buffalo stripping its former No. 2 pick of the captaincy in September, resulting in the relationship becoming permanently damaged before the eventual trade to Vegas weeks later.

#9. Gruden resigns as Raiders coach

Jon Gruden stepped down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October after a series of emails he sent throughout the past decade contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic language. The leaked emails were part of the investigation into the allegedly toxic culture of the Washington Football Team.

The resignation ended a disappointing return to coaching for Gruden, who signed a 10-year, $100-million contract with the Raiders in 2018.

#10. Djokovic's demands at Australian Open

Right before the Australian Open in 2021, World no.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic reportedly wrote to the CEO of Australian Open Craig Tiley calling for major changes. He asked for fitness and training materials be made available to all players being forced to quarantine in hotel rooms.

He also wanted to see the number of days players have to isolate for to be reduced from 14 with regular testing made available. The Serbian wanted guarantees of good quality food available to those in quarantine as well as permission for them to visit with their coach or physical trainer, as long as they'd both tested negative. And his final request was for players to be moved to private houses with access to tennis courts. The COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Commissioner Emma Cassar slammed the door shut on Djokovic saying that there would be no changes to the conditions that players are dealing with.