Chess and fishing aren’t the only leagues that have been rocked by a cheating scandal. Professional cornhole is the latest competitive sport to be overrun by cheating allegations after a top-rated team was accused of using illegal beanbags.
The scandal, which has been dubbed “BagGate” by those who watch the sport, started in August during the 2022 American Cornhole League World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Player Devon Harbaugh complained that opponents Mark Richards and Philip Lopez were using bags that weren’t regulation size or weight during the finals.
“I thought the bags were too thin,” Harbaugh said. After inspecting Richards and Lopez’s beanbags, the cornhole officials agreed and confirmed that they weren’t regulation. “They’re too small,” ESPN’s cornhole commentator Mark Pryor said. “That’s going to create some drama.”
Not wanting any other cheating to be going down, the judges also inspected the bags being used by their opponents. It turned out that their beanbags were also not compliant with the rules, which require cornhole bags to weigh 16 ounces and be six inches by six inches when laid flat.
The contest for the $15,000 grand prize was only continued after officials determined the violations were not intentional. “It’s possible” there was cheating, ACL spokesman Trey Ryder said. He added he was “pretty confident that it wasn’t intentional.”
“BagGate” is now sparking more conversations about stricter regulations to insure something like this doesn’t happen again. Pro cornhole players can earn up to $250,000 a year, with some players going to great lengths to beat their opponents. Boiling bags or washing them with vinegar to make them more pliable have been just a few ways to get a leg up on the competition.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cornhole-cheating-scandal-baggate-11667312803