But now that the games are nearing their end, there are even more examples of bad sportsmanship, rule fudging or just obnoxious behavior.

Of course, not every competitor who wins a medal does so honestly, and not every athlete who loses is gracious in defeat, or even tried their hardest. Some Olympians took advantage of the rules and were rewarded with gold, while others were sent home in disgrace. Here are eight athletes who either broke or bent the rules at the 2012 games.

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Consider my friend the Plumber. The Plumber got his nickname because, like a lot of gamblers, he'll bet $200 on a horse, but he won't spend $20 on a pair of pants. He's a 50-ish suburban Jewish man, but his jeans sag like a gangbanger's, his kinky russet hair looks as though it was styled by Beethoven's barber, and he once spent an entire race meet wearing glasses with one stem. When he's low on betting money, the Plumber drives a cab. But he's a happy man, because he's spent his life at the racetrack. "Sure I don't have a lot of money," he says. "But compared to most people around the world, I live like a lord. I've got a roof over my head, I've got heat, I've got indoor plumbing. I always get enough to eat. What more do I need?"

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