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Ex-referee Tim Donaghy blows whistle on NBA dirty secrets
#1
Quote:Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy told the feds two officials fixed the outcome of a playoff series - and that refs were told not to eject star players from games for fear of hurting ticket sales.

The bombshell allegations are in a court document filed Tuesday by Donaghy's lawyer that describes how NBA execs allegedly used referees to manipulate games.

Donaghy has pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court to betting on games he worked.

According to the document, he told FBI agents, "League officials would tell referees they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so hurt ticket sales and television ratings."

Donaghy claims he was told two refs who were "company men" acting in the interest of the NBA conspired to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.


The referees allegedly ignored flagrant fouls committed by one team and "made up fouls" against the other team, which led to two of its players fouling out. The team favored by the refs won that game and the next to win the series.

The document does not name the teams, but the only series that went seven games that year was between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kings, leading the series 3 games to 2, were whistled for 31 fouls and the Lakers were called for 24. The Lakers outscored the Kings 34-18 at the foul line, winning that game and the next to take the series. The Lakers went on to sweep the Nets in the finals.

He also cites a referee's relationship with a team general manager allegedly leading to an attempt to influence the outcome of a game in 2004.

NBA Vice President Richard Buchanan said Donaghy's allegations are "part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct. The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game. . . . The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy's."

Donaghy also claimed that a supervising referee told refs than an unidentified NBA executive did not want them to call technical fouls on star players or boot them from the game.

Donaghy told the feds the league reprimanded a ref who disobeyed that edict in January 2000 by ejecting an unnamed star player from a game in the first quarter.


Lawyer John Lauro filed the four-page letter to Federal Judge Carol Amon because none of the information was included in the government's letter to the judge seeking leniency for Donaghy when he is sentenced next month.

Lauro has gone to war against Brooklyn federal prosecutors.

He's angry that the feds offered plea deals to Donaghy's betting accomplices that give them less jail time than the disgraced ex-ref, despite his extensive cooperation.

Donaghy claims referees have accepted autographs, merchandise and meals from team coaches and managers.

He told probers one referee used a team's practice facility to exercise and another played tennis regularly with an NBA coach.

"These activities were against NBA rules; indeed, such inappropriate relationships could influence the outcome of games," Lauro wrote.

Lauro said he withheld the names of the teams, referees and league officials because the feds may still investigate the allegations for possible fraud.

The NBA has responded to Donaghy taking his case public by recently demanding $1 million restitution from him for the cost of its internal investigation.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basket..._on_n.html

I am not surprised at all. I always thought that's the way it is. Of course NBA would never accept these accusations.
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#2
Yeah I'm pretty sure it's been like that, and once this dies down it will stay like that.
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#3
I figured. I was actually at that game and the game was ****ing gay because the Kings would of won, and the refs decided to darn it up. I was very disappointed on those refs callin, and I never went to a game reffed by them again. It was just terrible.
[Image: aug282007_kobe.jpg]
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#4
lol your not from boston?

Or did you take a plane all the way to California?
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#5
I'm from Minnesota, I lived in Boston for a few years, now MN.

I flew; at that time; the Kings were my all time favorite team. Not anymore though.

It was a waste of my money, because I knew that this would be the day, and it was, until those refs decided " oh, we're betting, and I want to win, let's rig this up" I knew this would be the day they made it to the Finals, and I was extremely happy giong into the 4th quarter, until the end of the game, I felt very disappointed.
[Image: aug282007_kobe.jpg]
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#6
Quote:NBA defines new role for oversight of referee operations

A United States Army general has been hired by the NBA to the newly created position of senior vice president for referee operations, the league announced Tuesday.

Ronald L. Johnson, a two-star general who recently retired from active duty as deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be responsible for all aspects of the NBA's officiating program, including recruiting, training and development, scheduling, data management and analysis, and work rules enforcement.

Johnson will report to Joel Litvin, the NBA's president for league and basketball operations.

"As I leave the military and return to civilian life, I can't imagine a more interesting and challenging position," Johnson said in a statement. "Although I don't have a basketball background, other than as a lifelong fan, I am confident that my experience as an Army commander and engineer has equipped me to bring leadership and innovation to the NBA's exceptional officiating program."

The announcement of the new role comes as disgraced referee Tim Donaghy's July 14 sentencing looms for his role in a gambling scheme. The 41-year-old Donaghy pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers in the 2006-07 season. He faces up to 33 months in prison.

Johnson's hiring formalizes the separation of the league's referee and basketball operations functions, as previously announced by the league. Stu Jackson will continue as executive vice president of basketball operations and remain responsible for all other domestic and international basketball matters.

"Ron's wealth of leadership and management experience, together with his engineering expertise in areas such as systems analysis, processes, and operations, make him an ideal candidate to lead our officiating program," commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "Our referees are the best in the world but they never stop striving to improve and Ron has made a career out of getting the very best out of people."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3469129

Was it really necessary to hire an Army general? Tongue
Die Liebe wird eine Krankheit, wenn man sie als eine Heilung sieht.
: BASKET-SPOT : - Global Basketball
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#7
Nice find..

Intersting to read that espn article.
[Image: aug282007_kobe.jpg]
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#8
Tim Donaghy 15 months in prison.
Die Liebe wird eine Krankheit, wenn man sie als eine Heilung sieht.
: BASKET-SPOT : - Global Basketball
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#9
It's a real shame to call the game into disrepute like this. Shame on those execs.

Not to mention giving bitter fans an excuse to yell "fix" when their team loases from now on
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