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Upon his return to the United States, he was hailed as the "greatest athlete in the world." However, after a newspaper published claims that Thorpe had participated in semi-professional baseball, he faced backlash for violating amateur status rules. While many athletes used aliases during such unauthorized play, Thorpe retained his real name, leading to complaints against him.
Despite the Olympic rules stating that protests could only be lodged within 30 days of the games' conclusion, the committee controversially stripped Thorpe of his medals six months later. This loss also meant he was rendered ineligible for amateur sports, but it opened doors for him in professional athletics.