A look back in history at some of the sporting world’s wackiest characters

Mike St. Jean
Layout & Design Editor

The 2005 Minnesota Vikings “Love Boat”

Let’s be honest, celebrities and their sexual exploits have been a part of gossip since the beginning of time. Professional athletes, who have become role models to millions, find themselves in the same conversations. Long before we heard about Tiger Woods’ infidelities or the exploits of Wilt Chamberlain, athletes have been using their wealth and fame to woo potential partners.
One incident that still remains somewhat of a shock, however, is the October 6th, 2005 sex party involving 17 Minnesota Vikings players that has come to be known as “The Love Boat scandal.”
The incident took place on Lake Minnetonka, and involved several key members of the Vikings, including Daunte Culpepper, Fred Smoot, Mewelde Moore, Pat Williams, Bryant McKinnie, Nate Burleson, Ralph Brown, Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Kevin Williams, Jermaine Wiggins, Lance Johnstone, Moe Williams, Ken Irvin, and Willie Offord.
According to reports, two boats containing a total of 90 people were rented for the party and some, but not all, of the players performed sexual acts on prostitutes from Atlanta and Florida who were hired and flown in for the event.
The scandal created an uproar within the NFL and the sporting world, causing Vikings owner Zygi Wilf to go on a profanity-laced tirade in which he threatened to remove all players involved from the team. Then Viking’s coach Mike Tice echoed the comments made by Wilf, but did not endorse the same punishment as his boss.
Culpepper, McKinnie, Smoot and Moe Williams were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct for their part in the scandal. Charges against Culpepper were dropped in April of 2006, while Williams was found guilty of disorderly conduct soon after. Smoot, who was allegedly the “ring-leader” of the group, and McKinnie both pled guilty to disorderly conduct.
The scandal led to a major change in the freedom of Vikings players off the field, as a 77-page Code of Conduct was soon put in place. The team also hired a former FBI agent and NFL investigator to help keep the players in check at all times.
What is worst of all, however, is that an anonymous former Viking claimed that this is not the first time such an incident took place. The claim caused an even bigger uproar and forced the NFL to take liberties to ensure that their players don’t become too “comfortable” when they aren’t playing football.