Sports Nut: Fake Me Out at the Ballgame

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Sports Nut Fake Me Out at the Ballgame Phony Vince Young, phony Derek Jeter, and more of history's greatest and most ridiculous sports impostors. By Matthew J.X. Malady Posted Thursday, Oct 20, 2011, at 11:17 AM ET Stephan Pittman looks nothing like Vince Young. The former is a balding, 33-year-old registered sex offender living in Fort Washington, Md., who's been described in the press as "a little out of shape" and "not that athletic." The latter is a college football legend and the current backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. That disparity didn't stop Pittman from allegedly posing as Young in order to, among other things, pocket phony charitable donations and score free drinks at nightclubs. Pittman, who was arrested a few weeks ago in Maryland, followed a familiar playbook. Scam artists have been impersonating professional athletes for ages, and their tales are marked by two repeating themes. First, the impostors are almost always bumbling and shoddy. Second, the victims are usually willing to suspend disbelief to an outrageous extreme. In 2001, NFL receiver Jacquez Green, whose identity was pilfered by a Florida grifter, set forth a simple one-step plan for foiling sports scammers. "Ask yourself," the wealthy athlete implored, "Why would I need to be asking for money?" And yet, when a supposed pro athlete is in our midst, we seemingly lose all ability to distinguish between a wealthy football player and a random fat guy. In the distant past, when Notre Dame had a good football team and fans packed auditoriums to witness one outrageous basketball trick shot after another, the athlete impostor bit was most often used to obtain free hotel stays. Police arrested Charles A. Hart in the summer of 1963 ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Does the Death of Qaddafi Vindicate Obama's Foreign Policy? NPR Freelancer Fired for Serving as Occupy Wall Street Spokeswoman Saletan: Does Perry Really Believe Christians Should Vote Only for Christian Candidates?	Advertisement
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