Los Angeles--Murder, rape, domestic violence, weapons charges, drug crime and animal cruelty: National Football League stars past and present have accumulated an ever-lengthening rap sheet over the years.
For some, the murder conviction of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez on Wednesday confirms the view that American football is the red light district of professional sport.
Others point to figures that indicate a "crime problem" in the NFL isn't as clear cut as the stream of lurid headlines suggests.
The case of Hernandez, who also faces murder charges for the killing of two men in 2012, is just the latest in a long line to tarnish the image of the NFL.
Former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis was accused of the murder of two men stabbed to death outside a nightclub in 2000 before the charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
Star running back O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife and her friend and today sits in a Nevada prison after being convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in 2008.
In 2007, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick was sent to prison after pleading guilty to running a dog-fighting ring which involved horrific cruelty.
Last year, the NFL was rocked by a scandal after former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended for punching his then-fiance unconscious in an elevator.
The case was the most prominent of several involving domestic violence, and prompted criticism that the sport's managers were not doing enough to tackle the problem.
Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson was suspended for almost the entirety of the 2014 season after being charged with child abuse for beating his son with a tree branch.
He was later fined and placed on probation after pleading no contest.
Retired 2010 Super Bowl winner Darren Sharper, meanwhile, was jailed earlier this year after admitting multiple counts of rape against women in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana.
AFP
