Tim Donaghy opens up on 60 minutes

[nbaman99]

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/60_minutes/video/

Forward about 17 minutes because there is another segment before this, but this is very interesting. we all know NBA is rigged and this certainly shows that. How NBA treat kobe and the rest.

The Denver game i think is one of the rigged games, knowing how many calls they call on us

i wonder spurs taking any action against that.

[sabar]

You gotta beat the whistles on the way to a championship. No excuses.

[baseline bum]

we all know NBA is rigged and this certainly shows that. How NBA treat kobe and the rest.

No we don't. Only conspiracy theorist loons "know" that.

[greyforest]

its not completely rigged but its obviously semi rigged

[TJastal]

its not completely rigged but its obviously semi rigged

+1

Of course it can't be completely rigged because it would be too obvious even for 90% of the fanbase that has little or no brain function. As long as they have the majority bamboozled they are happy

I often wonder if these refs really can see just how biased their foul calling is sometimes or if its just become second nature for them to give certain players/teams the benefit of every call.

I've also defenitely noticed that if your any color but black you will get hosed more often than not. Especially if your Matt Bonner. :lol

[Capt Bringdown]

I don't think it's rigged or I wouldn't watch. However, I think the refs are swayed more by external factors (a team's or individual player's reputation & standing, home crowds, etc) too much.
.4 is a perfect example. There's no way that call stands for any other team other than the Lakers.

[EVAY]

The NBA has every bit as much integrity as, say...professional wrestling.

[z0sa]

The League influences games surreptitiously when the opportunity arises. No more, no less.

[temujin]

Joey Crawford is an NBA referee.

Enough Said.

[urunobili]

Crawford bias against the Spurs is disgusting...

[Spursmania]

You gotta beat the whistles on the way to a championship. No excuses.

:toast

You just have too. So many calls are not going to go your way for various reasons, ref can't stand you or your team, just a shitty blown call, luck, another players stature, etc...

But at the end of the day, you've got to play and win through it. Spurs didn't win 4 Championships because the refs chose them as their favorites. They won because they manned up with team defense, cohesiveness and heart.

[Spursmania]

Crawford bias against the Spurs is disgusting...

I've always hated that fucker.

[PublicOption]

+1

Of course it can't be completely rigged because it would be too obvious even for 90% of the fanbase that has little or no brain function. As long as they have the majority bamboozled they are happy

I often wonder if these refs really can see just how biased their foul calling is sometimes or if its just become second nature for them to give certain players/teams the benefit of every call.

I've also defenitely noticed that if your any color but black you will get hosed more often than not. Especially if your Matt Bonner. :lol

:lol

[EmptyMan]

I really don't understand how the refs could suck so much for so long getting paid 150k-300k per year unless there is an agenda in their calling.

Pay me half of that and I will T up Michael Jordan without giving a shit.


For some reason it has hit me hard this season, but NBA games are freaking unwatchable. Why would I watch an NBA game when it is just free throws every time down the court. :sleep

[Fabbs]

Any chance anyone can post the transcript?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

No we don't. Only conspiracy theorist loons "know" that.

You do agree that the refs do not follow the 'rules' for 'star' players, right?

[TJastal]

The League influences games surreptitiously when the opportunity arises. No more, no less.

That's a good way of putting it. So many of the rules of the league are ambigous at best. Taking charges, hand checks, body bumps,.... its all open to interpretation by the referees and they can hold an extreme amount of influence in the final outcome. It's so easy for them to lean one way or another and 99% of the fanbase never notices.

Otoh, I don't envy their jobs at all it must be pretty hard at times to make the right call when there is so much pressure by the media and the league itself to prop up the "marquee" stars that those entities are promoting.

[Spurs Brazil]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4720724


Donaghy based wagers on refs' biases

NEW YORK -- Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy says he refused to make calls to affect games even if it meant he lost money and it angered the mob.



Donaghy

In one game where he bet on San Antonio, he ejected coach Gregg Popovich midway through the first quarter and the Spurs eventually lost the game. That drew the ire of the mob, which reportedly lost money using his tip.

"I just told them that I wasn't making calls in games to influence the outcome," Donaghy said in an interview on "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday night on CBS. "And I'm not going to be able to obviously predict the winner every night, and they have to accept that's what's going to happen."

Donaghy insisted he made wagers on NBA games based on his knowledge of other officials' biases for and against certain players and teams, and that his officiating was not compromised -- a claim that was backed up by the FBI.

"Watching the tapes, we could see there was never anything outlandish where he called a foul or he omitted a foul because he wanted to see a certain team win" retired FBI special agent Philip Scala told the news show. "We never saw that."

Donaghy made his wagers through a high school friend and used a code to indicate his picks.

"If I wanted them to bet the home team, I would discuss his brother Chuck," he said. "If I wanted him to bet the visiting team, I would mention his brother Johnny."

He claims he was winning 75 percent of the time, which drew the attention of the mob, which he said threatened his family to ensure he provided his insider picks to inform betting on games.

"They basically told me that I needed to give them the picks and if I didn't, that it's a possibility that somebody would go down and visit my wife and kids in Florida," he said.

His connection with the mob caught the attention of the FBI, which overheard something on a wiretap that led them to believe an NBA referee may be involved. After he was caught, Donaghy said he cooperated with investigators because he believed it was in his and his family's best interests.

Donaghy said he then received death threats to his home phone and is still worried about retribution from the mob.

"Certainly it's in the back of my mind, but I'm not going to live my life in fear," he said. "I was informed by the FBI agents that they certainly had an eye on what they called these wiseguys and that if anything would come up they would inform me immediately."

Following the airing of the interview, NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement saying any allegations about officials will be referred to Lawrence Pedowitz, a former investigator in the U.S. attorney's office who led a review of the league's officiating.

"Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy," Stern said.

[phxspurfan]

You do agree that the refs do not follow the 'rules' for 'star' players, right?

I'm pretty sure they called a carry on Melo in the Denver game, so no. NBA refs for the most part are the best in the bball business. Try running our players in Europe and you'll see some real bs calls.

[TJastal]

I'm pretty sure they called a carry on Melo in the Denver game, so no. NBA refs for the most part are the best in the bball business. Try running our players in Europe and you'll see some real bs calls.

Melo is not a guy the league or media promotes ad nauseum. And just because they are good at what they do does not mean they aren't bending the rules to favor certain players or teams.

[TJastal]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4720724


Donaghy based wagers on refs' biases

NEW YORK -- Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy says he refused to make calls to affect games even if it meant he lost money and it angered the mob.



Donaghy

In one game where he bet on San Antonio, he ejected coach Gregg Popovich midway through the first quarter and the Spurs eventually lost the game. That drew the ire of the mob, which reportedly lost money using his tip.

"I just told them that I wasn't making calls in games to influence the outcome," Donaghy said in an interview on "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday night on CBS. "And I'm not going to be able to obviously predict the winner every night, and they have to accept that's what's going to happen."

Donaghy insisted he made wagers on NBA games based on his knowledge of other officials' biases for and against certain players and teams, and that his officiating was not compromised -- a claim that was backed up by the FBI.

"Watching the tapes, we could see there was never anything outlandish where he called a foul or he omitted a foul because he wanted to see a certain team win" retired FBI special agent Philip Scala told the news show. "We never saw that."

Donaghy made his wagers through a high school friend and used a code to indicate his picks.

"If I wanted them to bet the home team, I would discuss his brother Chuck," he said. "If I wanted him to bet the visiting team, I would mention his brother Johnny."

He claims he was winning 75 percent of the time, which drew the attention of the mob, which he said threatened his family to ensure he provided his insider picks to inform betting on games.

"They basically told me that I needed to give them the picks and if I didn't, that it's a possibility that somebody would go down and visit my wife and kids in Florida," he said.

His connection with the mob caught the attention of the FBI, which overheard something on a wiretap that led them to believe an NBA referee may be involved. After he was caught, Donaghy said he cooperated with investigators because he believed it was in his and his family's best interests.

Donaghy said he then received death threats to his home phone and is still worried about retribution from the mob.

"Certainly it's in the back of my mind, but I'm not going to live my life in fear," he said. "I was informed by the FBI agents that they certainly had an eye on what they called these wiseguys and that if anything would come up they would inform me immediately."

Following the airing of the interview, NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement saying any allegations about officials will be referred to Lawrence Pedowitz, a former investigator in the U.S. attorney's office who led a review of the league's officiating.

"Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy," Stern said.

Very interesting. I believe this guy (Donaghy) 100%. He's been made to be the scapegoat by Stern and the other refs who are the real culprits of fixing games.

[maverick78]

Part1

http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/nba/cjYPmx2yPSIb36_Tbjvv1CARmZB42vtR

Part 2

http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/nba/cjYPmx2yPSIb36_Tbjvv1CARmZB42vtR

[stealthjbravo]

Even tho the guy is a scumbag, I believe him