Former Sprinter Ben Johnson Really Might Have Believed Those Were 'Vitamins'

Ben Johnson, the sprinter who in 1988 gave the world it's first real international doping scandal and showed that even the virtuous, law-abiding Canadians can resort to cheating under pressure, is suing the estate of his former attorney, Ed Futerman.

Futerman, unavailable for comment because he is dead, is being sued by Johnson and his new representation for $37 million dollars in damages. The accusations include allegations that Futerman made direct withdrawals from Johnson's trust fund, hired a completely unqualified Toronto area hairdresser as Johnson's agent, and that Futerman hid lucrative business offers from him during his prime.

The central pillar of Johnson's case is an innovative legal tack:

Futerman ought to have known that Johnson was incapable of understanding complex legal documents since psychiatric experts hired by the lawyer – and paid for by Johnson – concluded in February of 1989 that "there is overwhelming evidence that Mr. Johnson is intellectually retarded."

We're ... okay. There were at least seven lines of jokes below this quote, but I've deleted them all for everyone's good. Let's just move on and say how sad this is. Yes, very sad. There will be no jokes here. None. I'm a bad person. I'll just show myself the door now. Yes, that's a good idea, yes. Just stepping out the door. Like a good boy. Quietly.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.