Ref Under Suspect by FBI and League!

[spurscenter]

this MO FO LOOKS LIKE HE RUNS THE FUCKING MOB

http://www.probasketballrefs.com/Portals/0/Graphics/RefPics/Head%20Shots/Delaney.jpg

BOB DELANEY. lol

Testified before Congress in 1981 during hearings on Organized Crime led by Senator Sam Nunn.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74427

[Shred]

Jul 21, 6:22 AM EDT


FBI probes whether NBA ref bet on games

By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

A point-shaving scandal is an enormous problem in any sport. This one, which might involve an NBA referee, has the potential to permanently scar the league.

The NBA acknowledged Friday the FBI is investigating Tim Donaghy for betting on games, including ones in which he officiated.

"It's a shame," the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant said. "It's just unfortunate. ... Like I said, it's a very serious issue."

According to a law enforcement official, authorities are examining whether the referee made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered thousands of dollars over the past two seasons.

The referee had a gambling problem and was approached by low-level mob associates through an acquaintance, said the official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Gambling long has been a problem in sports, and leagues have made a point of educating players of the potential pitfalls. The NBA, for example, discusses gambling at rookie orientation, even bringing in former mobster Michael Franceze to speak.

And the NBA dealt with negative stories about its officials earlier this year when an academic study detailed a bias by referees against players of the opposite color. The league requires its officials to file reports and defend or discuss every questionable call they make in a game.

Donaghy, who reportedly has resigned, was an NBA official for 13 years. He officiated 68 games in the 2005-06 season and 63 games in 2006-07, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also worked 20 playoff games, including five last season - Pistons-Magic on April 23; Warriors-Mavericks on April 27; Suns-Lakers on April 29; Nets-Raptors on May 4; and Spurs-Suns on May 12.

Those studying Donaghy's games might have noticed some trends.

When the home team was favored by 0-4 1/2 points, it went 5-12 against the spread in games officiated by Donaghy this season, according to Covers.com, a Web site that tracks referee trends. Home underdogs were 1-7 against the spread when it was 5-9.5 points.

Donaghy was part of a crew working the Heat-Knicks game in New York in February when the Knicks shot 39 free throws to the Heat's eight, technical fouls were called on Heat coach Pat Riley and assistant Ron Rothstein, and the Knicks won by six. New York was favored by 4 1/2.

Defense attorney John Lauro confirmed Donaghy is under investigation, but refused to comment on the allegations or the case.

"They are serious allegations," the leader of the referees' union, Lamell McMorris told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's an ongoing federal investigation. And we don't really have much more to say about it, and neither do the referees."

In Bradenton, Fla., a woman came to the door of the home where Donaghy lives and shouted through the door: "We have no comment."

Donaghy is perhaps best-known previously as one of the referees in the 2004 game at Detroit that ended with Indiana Pacers players fighting with Pistons fans, among the biggest black marks in league history.

This could top it.

"We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again," commissioner David Stern said in a statement.

Stern's statement said the FBI is investigating allegations a "single" referee bet on basketball. But the law enforcement official said other arrests are expected.

NBA players in Las Vegas for USA Basketball minicamp were surprised and disappointed to learn of the accusations.

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony said he was confident the NBA would sort it out.

"I'm pretty sure they're going to take care of it when they find out what's going on, so I leave it up to them," he said. "It's shocking. I'm pretty sure they're going to get to the bottom of it."

Nevada gambling regulators were not involved in an investigation and had no information about the allegations, said Jerry Markling, enforcement chief for the state Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board.

Veteran oddsmaker John Avello, at the Wynn resort on the Las Vegas Strip, said that without specific information it would be difficult to identify wagering irregularities over the last two seasons.

"At this point, it's too early to know if any games were affected," Avello said.

The law enforcement official said the referee was aware of the investigation and had made arrangements to surrender as early as next week to face charges.

The investigation was first reported Friday by the New York Post.

"I'm shocked, terribly shocked," said Gary Benson, an NBA official for 17 years who retired two years ago.

Benson said he didn't work with Donaghy much.

"You have a lot of acquaintances and very few friends. ... I probably worked a handful of games with him overall, just a handful."

Donaghy's neighbors in Bradenton also knew little about the man who has grabbed the attention of the NBA and FBI.

Bob Girard, who lives near Donaghy in a gated community along a golf course, said he only noticed one thing out of the ordinary about his neighbor.

"His house just went up for sale," said Girard, who recalled Donaghy moving into the neighborhood less than a year ago.

When Girard saw the news of the NBA betting scandal on TV, he wondered whether it might involve his neighbor, the NBA referee with daughters who sometimes sold lemonade in front of their house for five cents a cup.

"They've got a nice family," Girard said. "They seem to be a pretty normal family to me."

---

Associated Press Writer Pat Milton in New York, AP Writer Ken Ritter in Las Vegas, AP Sports Writers Noah Trister in Little Rock, Ark., and Fred Goodall in Bradenton, Fla., contributed to this report.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

The Link (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BKN_BETTING_PROBE?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

[spurscenter]

FUCK HIM

I hope his daughter paid taxes on that lemonaide or else the IRS should come down on her.

[CubanMustGo]

Here shred, you need some of this:

http://www.maddox.xmission.com/crybaby.gif

[xmas1997]

This is really reaching since the only game it specifically mentions is the Heat-Knicks game.
If you're going to say the Spurs-Suns game, then you have to say EVERY game he worked.
It will all come out in the trial.
Until then, kindly refrain from preposterous alligations, please!

[Shred]

This is really reaching since the only game it specifically mentions is the Heat-Knicks game.
If you're going to say the Spurs-Suns game, then you have to say EVERY game he worked.
It will all come out in the trial.
Until then, kindly refrain from preposterous alligations, please!

I'm not a M.D., but a colonoscopy would probably help you locate your head.

[CubanMustGo]

Spoken like someone who knows all about having their head stuck firmly up their ass.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm not a M.D., but a colonoscopy would probably help you locate your head.

Kind of ironic considering that's where all Suns fans appear to have theirs.

[xmas1997]

I'm not a M.D., but a colonoscopy would probably help you locate your head.

How old are you, 15 or 16?????????
Just the sort of immature childish remark I would expect from someone of your limited intelligence!
Can you say, "intelligence challenged"?
Nope?
Thought so!
Why don't you try posting something worth reading for a change.
Geeez, no wonder the Suns fans have such a bad rap around the league!

[medstudent]

How old are you, 15 or 16?????????
Just the sort of immature childish remark I would expect from someone of your limited intelligence!
Can you say, "intelligence challenged"?
Nope?
Thought so!
Why don't you try posting something worth reading for a change.
Geeez, no wonder the Suns fans have such a bad rap around the league!

I'm an MD, and in my professional opinion, we should have a colonoscopy scheduled stat.

[xmas1997]

Wasn't this the same Ref who ejected the Spurs Coyote?????????????? :dizzy

[LakerLanny]

McCallum weighs in, some interesting stuff about Donaghy's personality in this one:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jack_mccallum/07/20/ref.scandal/

[Spurs Brazil]

McCallum weighs in, some interesting stuff about Donaghy's personality in this one:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jack_mccallum/07/20/ref.scandal/

One NBA coach called him "absolutely the worst referee in the league"

Pop?

[GSH]

Stern's statement said the FBI is investigating allegations a "single" referee bet on basketball. But the law enforcement official said other arrests are expected.

I remember all the shit I took from people who said that "no NBA ref would intentionally fix a game"... or that they "couldn't affect the outcome of a game" with a few bad calls here or there... or that "the bad calls go equally both ways, so quit talking about the refs." And the people with those opinions get almost violent about it. Why? Because they need to believe it so badly. If the outcome of NBA games is not being determined by the players, it turns into the same thing as the WWF - entertainment, but not a sport.

When Stern suspended Joey Crawford, it got so much attention that most people completely missed the fact that there were at least two different Boston Celtics players talking about how they had tanked games last season in an attempt to get the top lottery pick in the draft. Stern managed to get them silenced about that subject, and it basically went under the radar - which he desperately needed to happen. Considering the "character" of a lot of the cretins playing in the NBA, he didn't want anyone even considering the possibility of them fixing the outcome of a game. Because if they would tank a game to help get a better lottery pick (when they might not even be on the team next year) why wouldn't they fix a game for a chunk of cash?

Joey Crawford's little stunt of kicking Duncan out for laughing on the bench was enough to send the message that an NBA ref could, and would, take over the outcome of a game. It didn't mean that Crawford did it for money, but it didn't have to. Just the appearance that the game might not be determined by the players is a death sentence to a sport. The fans will forgive legitimate bad calls. But if they ever start believing, "We lost that game because the ref wanted us to," it's all over. Whether it is due to a personal vendetta, or a payoff, is immaterial. Because if one exists, the other can exist. And if it can, it probably does.

I have seen calls in NBA games over the past several years that were beyond inexplicable. (And no, not just against the Spurs.) Calls that were so egregious that I said, "There is no way that a referee at that level could possibly make that call." Not just "poor vision", but calls that go completely opposite the rules. And very often those calls come right in the middle of a "miracle" comeback, by a team that was getting blown out of the game all night. At times, it has borne entirely too much resemblence to the WWF, where one guy gets beaten senseless for most of the match, and then suddenly comes alive to win.

Anyone who believes that a ref cannot directly change the outcome of an NBA game is an idiot. (And there were several of them on this forum.) A few well-placed fouls can totally chage the momentum of a game. Making it impossible for one team to play defense, while handing out offensive fouls on the other end? A ref can create a 10-12 point swing in a matter of a minute or two. I'm not going to debate whether it did happen in this game or that game. But I don't see how anyone could deny that it could happen.

I don't think they would make this kind of arrest unless they were damned sure the guy helped fix games. And when they say "more arrests are likely", it makes me think that other refs have been involved, whether they can absolutely prove it or not.

[braeden0613]

Stern's statement said the FBI is investigating allegations a "single" referee bet on basketball. But the law enforcement official said other arrests are expected.

I remember all the shit I took from people who said that "no NBA ref would intentionally fix a game"... or that they "couldn't affect the outcome of a game" with a few bad calls here or there... or that "the bad calls go equally both ways, so quit talking about the refs." And the people with those opinions get almost violent about it. Why? Because they need to believe it so badly. If the outcome of NBA games is not being determined by the players, it turns into the same thing as the WWF - entertainment, but not a sport.

When Stern suspended Joey Crawford, it got so much attention that most people completely missed the fact that there were at least two different Boston Celtics players talking about how they had tanked games last season in an attempt to get the top lottery pick in the draft. Stern managed to get them silenced about that subject, and it basically went under the radar - which he desperately needed to happen. Considering the "character" of a lot of the cretins playing in the NBA, he didn't want anyone even considering the possibility of them fixing the outcome of a game. Because if they would tank a game to help get a better lottery pick (when they might not even be on the team next year) why wouldn't they fix a game for a chunk of cash?

Joey Crawford's little stunt of kicking Duncan out for laughing on the bench was enough to send the message that an NBA ref could, and would, take over the outcome of a game. It didn't mean that Crawford did it for money, but it didn't have to. Just the appearance that the game might not be determined by the players is a death sentence to a sport. The fans will forgive legitimate bad calls. But if they ever start believing, "We lost that game because the ref wanted us to," it's all over. Whether it is due to a personal vendetta, or a payoff, is immaterial. Because if one exists, the other can exist. And if it can, it probably does.

I have seen calls in NBA games over the past several years that were beyond inexplicable. (And no, not just against the Spurs.) Calls that were so egregious that I said, "There is no way that a referee at that level could possibly make that call." Not just "poor vision", but calls that go completely opposite the rules. And very often those calls come right in the middle of a "miracle" comeback, by a team that was getting blown out of the game all night. At times, it has borne entirely too much resemblence to the WWF, where one guy gets beaten senseless for most of the match, and then suddenly comes alive to win.

Anyone who believes that a ref cannot directly change the outcome of an NBA game is an idiot. (And there were several of them on this forum.) A few well-placed fouls can totally chage the momentum of a game. Making it impossible for one team to play defense, while handing out offensive fouls on the other end? A ref can create a 10-12 point swing in a matter of a minute or two. I'm not going to debate whether it did happen in this game or that game. But I don't see how anyone could deny that it could happen.

I don't think they would make this kind of arrest unless they were damned sure the guy helped fix games. And when they say "more arrests are likely", it makes me think that other refs have been involved, whether they can absolutely prove it or not.
:clap :clap Great post.

[Clutch20]

As far as any fan can tell, there are few checks and balances in how NBA games are reffed. It's varies widely from game to game and within a game when the refs finally decide they want to control it. There are special rules for the last few seconds when you get much more physical.

I think the NBA needs to move from reffing as an art form and get to work on getting the calls right and consistent from ref to ref, game to game, quarter to quarter, and between first quarter and crunch time. In baseball, strikes and balls are closely scrutinized by MLB. This year I've noted that they are calling checked swing strikes much more consistently. However, I won't be holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

Yep.......having a training center of sorts that will teach basics to younger refs, then taking those lessons out to a full sized court to let them apply those classroom lessons as they are overseen by a veteran staff of refs practice-calling a real game at their facility, having the practice game taped, taking the recordings back to the classroom for the breakdown.

Oh, and invite a few BB fans to sit and watch, and bait the refs with name calling and gametime crap, just like the real games.

The money's there, it would be good PR for the NBA to show the next logical step to be taken in the evolution of the game. Players have gotten bigger and faster, also there's a whole lot more money being made these days than back in the day when 5 bucks got you in plus paid for dogs and suds. Officiating basically hasn't changed much since those nickel and dime days.

Le'ts all move on and improve.

[LakerLanny]

Stern's statement said the FBI is investigating allegations a "single" referee bet on basketball. But the law enforcement official said other arrests are expected.

I remember all the shit I took from people who said that "no NBA ref would intentionally fix a game"... or that they "couldn't affect the outcome of a game" with a few bad calls here or there... or that "the bad calls go equally both ways, so quit talking about the refs." And the people with those opinions get almost violent about it. Why? Because they need to believe it so badly. If the outcome of NBA games is not being determined by the players, it turns into the same thing as the WWF - entertainment, but not a sport.

When Stern suspended Joey Crawford, it got so much attention that most people completely missed the fact that there were at least two different Boston Celtics players talking about how they had tanked games last season in an attempt to get the top lottery pick in the draft. Stern managed to get them silenced about that subject, and it basically went under the radar - which he desperately needed to happen. Considering the "character" of a lot of the cretins playing in the NBA, he didn't want anyone even considering the possibility of them fixing the outcome of a game. Because if they would tank a game to help get a better lottery pick (when they might not even be on the team next year) why wouldn't they fix a game for a chunk of cash?

Joey Crawford's little stunt of kicking Duncan out for laughing on the bench was enough to send the message that an NBA ref could, and would, take over the outcome of a game. It didn't mean that Crawford did it for money, but it didn't have to. Just the appearance that the game might not be determined by the players is a death sentence to a sport. The fans will forgive legitimate bad calls. But if they ever start believing, "We lost that game because the ref wanted us to," it's all over. Whether it is due to a personal vendetta, or a payoff, is immaterial. Because if one exists, the other can exist. And if it can, it probably does.

I have seen calls in NBA games over the past several years that were beyond inexplicable. (And no, not just against the Spurs.) Calls that were so egregious that I said, "There is no way that a referee at that level could possibly make that call." Not just "poor vision", but calls that go completely opposite the rules. And very often those calls come right in the middle of a "miracle" comeback, by a team that was getting blown out of the game all night. At times, it has borne entirely too much resemblence to the WWF, where one guy gets beaten senseless for most of the match, and then suddenly comes alive to win.

Anyone who believes that a ref cannot directly change the outcome of an NBA game is an idiot. (And there were several of them on this forum.) A few well-placed fouls can totally chage the momentum of a game. Making it impossible for one team to play defense, while handing out offensive fouls on the other end? A ref can create a 10-12 point swing in a matter of a minute or two. I'm not going to debate whether it did happen in this game or that game. But I don't see how anyone could deny that it could happen.

I don't think they would make this kind of arrest unless they were damned sure the guy helped fix games. And when they say "more arrests are likely", it makes me think that other refs have been involved, whether they can absolutely prove it or not.

^That is a great post and I completely concur.

It is the "wanting to believe" so bad that makes people so violently against any talk of referees unduly rigging or fixing outcomes of games.

I have been saying it for years also and have taken my share of flak as well. It isn't a team thing, it is a fair play thing and it has been obvious for a long time that something is seriously wrong with many NBA officials, not just Donaghy.

[judaspriestess]

No but by responding you show just how insecure you are about the whole asterick thing, which wasn't even meant to be serious. Good job

your little ponies are the redheaded step children of the Texas teams, its fun beating ya'll down. Last time I checked there is still a rivalry with the teams or you wouldn't be posting comments like you did garnering the responses you got. Its simple elementary. anyway



ESPN just showed a clip of Nash talking about if he won the series for the Spurs.

Nash is still cryin.... sad

is this recent?? on edit: if it is recent, that is just pathetic.

[FromWayDowntown]

Stern's statement said the FBI is investigating allegations a "single" referee bet on basketball. But the law enforcement official said other arrests are expected.

I have assumed this to mean that the FBI is investigating those with mafia ties who were betting along with Donaghy. I would think that if it meant that the FBI expected to arrest other NBA officials, the stories would have been about investigations of NBA officials. To this point, there's been no suggestion that this goes beyond Donaghy on the NBA side.


I remember all the shit I took from people who said that "no NBA ref would intentionally fix a game"... or that they "couldn't affect the outcome of a game" with a few bad calls here or there... or that "the bad calls go equally both ways, so quit talking about the refs." And the people with those opinions get almost violent about it. Why? Because they need to believe it so badly. If the outcome of NBA games is not being determined by the players, it turns into the same thing as the WWF - entertainment, but not a sport.

I don't think that NBA officials decide outcomes. I just don't. In any event, to the extent that I might fall within the ambit of those you are implicating in this paragraph -- and I have been outspoken here about my belief that NBA officials don't determine outcomes -- I remain steadfast in that belief. Mostly, my argument has been (and remains) that teams have so many other things within their power that to blame the outcome of a game on the officiating is ALWAYS a weak take. I don't think this situation changes that.

* * * *


Joey Crawford's little stunt of kicking Duncan out for laughing on the bench was enough to send the message that an NBA ref could, and would, take over the outcome of a game. It didn't mean that Crawford did it for money, but it didn't have to. Just the appearance that the game might not be determined by the players is a death sentence to a sport. The fans will forgive legitimate bad calls. But if they ever start believing, "We lost that game because the ref wanted us to," it's all over. Whether it is due to a personal vendetta, or a payoff, is immaterial. Because if one exists, the other can exist. And if it can, it probably does.

But Crawford's little stunt didn't decide that game. If you'll recall, the Spurs had a lead late into the 4th quarter, but didn't make a basket for an extended period of time and the Mavericks finally broke through and scored enough to take the lead. It's a monumental leap of logic to say that Crawford decided that game -- he hurt the Spurs, but he didn't leave the Spurs without a chance. When an official clearly leaves a team without a chance by his acts, then you might have an argument. But Joey Crawford's antics didn't do that.


I have seen calls in NBA games over the past several years that were beyond inexplicable. (And no, not just against the Spurs.) Calls that were so egregious that I said, "There is no way that a referee at that level could possibly make that call." Not just "poor vision", but calls that go completely opposite the rules. And very often those calls come right in the middle of a "miracle" comeback, by a team that was getting blown out of the game all night. At times, it has borne entirely too much resemblence to the WWF, where one guy gets beaten senseless for most of the match, and then suddenly comes alive to win.

That you perceive things that way doesn't make those of us who disagree with you idiots. I've got no idea about your knowledge of NBA rules. I've gone to and watched my fair share of NBA games and I'm certain that officials get calls right at an amazing rate. Fans boo sometimes (or think a team has been screwed) by calls that are perfectly legitimate according to the rulebook.


Anyone who believes that a ref cannot directly change the outcome of an NBA game is an idiot. (And there were several of them on this forum.) A few well-placed fouls can totally chage the momentum of a game. Making it impossible for one team to play defense, while handing out offensive fouls on the other end? A ref can create a 10-12 point swing in a matter of a minute or two. I'm not going to debate whether it did happen in this game or that game. But I don't see how anyone could deny that it could happen.

See above. I think good teams overcome officiating. I think that knowledgable fans don't blame officials for their team's losses.


I don't think they would make this kind of arrest unless they were damned sure the guy helped fix games. And when they say "more arrests are likely", it makes me think that other refs have been involved, whether they can absolutely prove it or not.

Again, I think "more arrests are likely" is talking about mobsters, not officials. You choose to see it otherwise, but as we can see from the remainder of your statements, you're predisposed to believe that just about every official in the league is corrupt.

That's certainly your prerogative -- I just disagree.

[FromWayDowntown]

^That is a great post and I completely concur.

Now THERE's a surprise. The author of the ridiculous "Circle of 7," a Laker fan, whose team would be in the pre-eminent position to benefit from superstar calls and big market favoritism, and who is absolutely convinced that 4 jumpball violations in the NBA Finals is proof positive of a conspiracy to screw the Lakers, somehow believes that all NBA officials are corrupt and that all games are fixed?

:wow

[LakerLanny]

Now THERE's a surprise. The author of the ridiculous "Circle of 7," a Laker fan, whose team would be in the pre-eminent position to benefit from superstar calls and big market favoritism, and who is absolutely convinced that 4 jumpball violations in the NBA Finals is proof positive of a conspiracy to screw the Lakers, somehow believes that all NBA officials are corrupt and that all games are fixed?

:wow

No offense, but you subscribe quotes to me out of context.

I have never said all officials are corrupt and all games are fixed.

But to think that at least some of the outcomes of NBA games in the last several years haven't been manipulated through the use of corrupt officials is naive in my opinion.

This guy just got caught because he has a gambling problem. Imagine the ones who just get paid off and don't have a gambling problem.

The bias is just too obvious in certain games to be written off as "missed calls" or even "incompetence" as they end up slanting only against one side in the fight.

No offense, but you really are not intelligent enough or form enough well thought out opinions to converse productively with me on this topic.

[FromWayDowntown]

This guy just got caught because he has a gambling problem. Imagine the ones who just get paid off and don't have a gambling problem.

Do you have any proof of that?

Of course not.


The bias is just too obvious in certain games to be written off as "missed calls" or even "incompetence" as they end up slanting only against one side in the fight.

Says you. Of course, you admit that you're inclined to see things that way, so it's hardly surprising that you see bias when you watch games. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, don't you think?

I wonder, if you're so convinced that things aren't on the up-and-up, why you even bother to watch the NBA. I'm sure you have some glib answer for that, too.


No offense, but you really are not intelligent enough or form enough well thought out opinions to converse productively with me on this topic.

Why? Because I don't drink the same conspiratorial Kool-Aid that you do? Because I'm unwilling to make up facts to support my arguments the way that you do (i.e., the Spurs having the greatest free throw shooting differential of any NBA champion ever in 2003 -- debunked and shown to be not even remotely close to being true)?

I understand that you believe there's some vast conspiracy. For so long with you, it was Stern's minions who were doing his bidding. It's curious to me that with the Donaghy news, your tenor has immediately changed and there's now an intimation that the puppetmaster isn't the league but some outside influence who's willing to pay officials off. It's convenient for your argument, I'm sure. Personally, I'd be bothered by the inconsistency, but then again, I'm not trying to blame my team's failures on officiating.

[Dave McNulla]

Playoffs
May 12 2007, PHX @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20070512/PHXSAS/boxscore.html)
May 4 2007, TOR @ NJN (www.nba.com/games/20070504/TORNJN/boxscore.html)
Apr 29 2007, PHX @ LAL (www.nba.com/games/20070429/PHXLAL/boxscore.html)
Apr 27 2007, DAL @ GSW (www.nba.com/games/20070427/DALGSW/boxscore.html)
Apr 23 2007, ORL @ DET (www.nba.com/games/20070423/ORLDET/boxscore.html)

Regular Season
Apr 18 2007, WAS @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20070418/WASIND/boxscore.html)
Apr 15 2007, NYK @ TOR (www.nba.com/games/20070415/NYKTOR/boxscore.html)
Apr 11 2007, PHI @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20070411/PHIBOS/boxscore.html)
Apr 10 2007, NJN @ WAS (www.nba.com/games/20070410/NJNWAS/boxscore.html)
Apr 8 2007, CHA @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20070408/CHAMIA/boxscore.html)
Apr 7 2007, MEM @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20070407/MEMORL/boxscore.html)
Apr 1 2007, DEN @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20070401/DENSEA/boxscore.html)
Mar 30 2007, LAC @ SAC (www.nba.com/games/20070330/LACSAC/boxscore.html)
Mar 28 2007, MIN @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20070328/MINUTA/boxscore.html)
Mar 26 2007, Spurs @ GSW (www.nba.com/games/20070326/SASGSW/boxscore.html)
Mar 23 2007, CHA @ PHI (www.nba.com/games/20070323/CHAPHI/boxscore.html)
Mar 21 2007, LAC @ MIL (www.nba.com/games/20070321/LACMIL/boxscore.html)
Mar 18 2007, ORL @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20070318/ORLMIA/boxscore.html)
Mar 14 2007, WAS @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20070314/WASIND/boxscore.html)
Mar 11 2007, SEA @ TOR (www.nba.com/games/20070311/SEATOR/boxscore.html)
Mar 8 2007, Spurs @ SAC (www.nba.com/games/20070308/SASSAC/boxscore.html)
Mar 6 2007, NOK @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20070306/NOKDEN/boxscore.html)
Mar 4 2007, CHA @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20070304/CHASEA/boxscore.html)
Mar 2 2007, ATL @ WAS (www.nba.com/games/20070302/ATLWAS/boxscore.html)
Feb 26 2007, MIA @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20070226/MIANYK/boxscore.html)
Feb 25 2007, HOU @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20070225/HOUORL/boxscore.html)
Feb 23 2007, PHI @ CHA (www.nba.com/games/20070223/PHICHA/boxscore.html)
Feb 21 2007, MIL @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20070221/MILIND/boxscore.html)
Feb 14 2007, NJN @ TOR (www.nba.com/games/20070214/NJNTOR/boxscore.html)
Feb 12 2007, ATL @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20070212/ATLUTA/boxscore.html)
Feb 10 2007, SAC @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20070210/SACSEA/boxscore.html)
Feb 7 2007, NOK @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20070207/NOKDEN/boxscore.html)
Feb 5 2007, CHA @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20070205/CHAMIA/boxscore.html)
Feb 3 2007, LAL @ WAS (www.nba.com/games/20070203/LALWAS/boxscore.html)
Feb 2 2007, LAC @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20070202/LACBOS/boxscore.html)
Jan 30 2007, SEA @ DAL (www.nba.com/games/20070130/SEADAL/boxscore.html)
Jan 29 2007, POR @ NOK (www.nba.com/games/20070129/PORNOK/boxscore.html)
Jan 26 2007, ATL @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20070126/ATLORL/boxscore.html)
Jan 24 2007, PHI @ CLE (www.nba.com/games/20070124/PHICLE/boxscore.html)
Jan 22 2007, CHA @ TOR (www.nba.com/games/20070122/CHATOR/boxscore.html)
Jan 19 2007, NOK @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20070119/NOKSAS/boxscore.html)
Jan 17 2007, PHX @ HOU (www.nba.com/games/20070117/PHXHOU/boxscore.html)
Jan 15 2007, TOR @ PHI (www.nba.com/games/20070115/TORPHI/boxscore.html)
Jan 6 2007, UTA @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20070106/UTADEN/boxscore.html)
Jan 5 2007, MIA @ PHX (www.nba.com/games/20070105/MIAPHX/boxscore.html)
Jan 1 2007, MIN @ CHA (www.nba.com/games/20070101/MINCHA/boxscore.html)
Dec 30 2006, MIA @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20061230/MIAORL/boxscore.html)
Dec 29 2006, MIL @ CLE (www.nba.com/games/20061229/MILCLE/boxscore.html)
Dec 26 2006, MEM @ WAS (www.nba.com/games/20061226/MEMWAS/boxscore.html)
Dec 23 2006, LAC @ HOU (www.nba.com/games/20061223/LACHOU/boxscore.html)
Dec 22 2006, IND @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20061222/INDATL/boxscore.html)
Dec 20 2006, DAL @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20061220/DALSEA/boxscore.html)
Dec 18 2006, WAS @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20061218/WASDEN/boxscore.html)
Dec 16 2006, DET @ NJN (www.nba.com/games/20061216/DETNJN/boxscore.html)
Dec 13 2006, BOS @ PHI (www.nba.com/games/20061213/BOSPHI/boxscore.html)
Dec 11 2006, PHX @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20061211/PHXORL/boxscore.html)
Dec 8 2006, UTA @ MIN (www.nba.com/games/20061208/UTAMIN/boxscore.html)
Dec 6 2006, PHI @ CHI (www.nba.com/games/20061206/PHICHI/boxscore.html)
Dec 2 2006, IND @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20061202/INDDEN/boxscore.html)
Dec 1 2006, ORL @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20061201/ORLPOR/boxscore.html)
Nov 29 2006, MEM @ LAC (www.nba.com/games/20061129/MEMLAC/boxscore.html)
Nov 25 2006, CHI @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20061125/CHINYK/boxscore.html)
Nov 24 2006, TOR @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20061124/TORATL/boxscore.html)
Nov 21 2006, MIA @ NOK (www.nba.com/games/20061121/MIANOK/boxscore.html)
Nov 18 2006, PHX @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20061118/PHXUTA/boxscore.html)
Nov 15 2006, MEM @ SAC (www.nba.com/games/20061115/MEMSAC/boxscore.html)
Nov 15 2006, PHI @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20061115/PHISEA/boxscore.html)
Nov 14 2006, TOR @ GSW (www.nba.com/games/20061114/TORGSW/boxscore.html)
Nov 12 2006, DAL @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20061112/DALPOR/boxscore.html)
Nov 7 2006, PHI @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20061107/PHIIND/boxscore.html)
Nov 4 2006, DAL @ HOU (www.nba.com/games/20061104/DALHOU/boxscore.html)
Oct 31 2006, CHI @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20061031/CHIMIA/boxscore.html)



Playoffs
May 10 2006, NJN @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20060510/NJNMIA/boxscore.html)
Apr 30 2006, Spurs @ SAC (www.nba.com/games/20060430/SASSAC/boxscore.html)

Regular Season
Apr 19 2006, MIA @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20060419/MIABOS/boxscore.html)
Apr 17 2006, CHI @ ORL (www.nba.com/games/20060417/CHIORL/boxscore.html)
Apr 16 2006, UTA @ DAL (www.nba.com/games/20060416/UTADAL/boxscore.html)
Apr 14 2006, CHA @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20060414/CHAATL/boxscore.html)
Apr 12 2006, CLE @ DET (www.nba.com/games/20060412/CLEDET/boxscore.html)
Apr 5 2006, TOR @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20060405/TORIND/boxscore.html)
Apr 1 2006, WAS @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20060401/WASSAS/boxscore.html)
Mar 29 2006, SEA @ HOU (www.nba.com/games/20060329/SEAHOU/boxscore.html)
Mar 27 2006, IND @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20060327/INDMIA/boxscore.html)
Mar 23 2006, LAC @ MEM (www.nba.com/games/20060323/LACMEM/boxscore.html)
Mar 18 2006, POR @ MIL (www.nba.com/games/20060318/PORMIL/boxscore.html)
Mar 17 2006, DET @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20060317/DETNYK/boxscore.html)
Mar 14 2006, NOK @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20060314/NOKSAS/boxscore.html)
Mar 11 2006, MIN @ PHX (www.nba.com/games/20060311/MINPHX/boxscore.html)
Mar 9 2006, DAL @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20060309/DALPOR/boxscore.html)
Mar 8 2006, MEM @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20060308/MEMSEA/boxscore.html)
Mar 6 2006, ORL @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20060306/ORLUTA/boxscore.html)
Mar 3 2006, SAC @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20060303/SACATL/boxscore.html)
Feb 27 2006, PHX @ HOU (www.nba.com/games/20060227/PHXHOU/boxscore.html)
Feb 25 2006, TOR @ DAL (www.nba.com/games/20060225/TORDAL/boxscore.html)
Feb 22 2006, CLE @ PHI (www.nba.com/games/20060222/CLEPHI/boxscore.html)
Feb 14 2006, ORL @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20060214/ORLMIA/boxscore.html)
Feb 12 2006, Spurs @ IND (www.nba.com/games/20060212/SASIND/boxscore.html)
Feb 10 2006, POR @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20060210/PORBOS/boxscore.html)
Feb 8 2006, GSW @ WAS (www.nba.com/games/20060208/GSWWAS/boxscore.html)
Feb 5 2006, HOU @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20060205/HOUNYK/boxscore.html)
Feb 3 2006, DET @ PHI (www.nba.com/games/20060203/DETPHI/boxscore.html)
Jan 30 2006, Spurs @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20060130/SASUTA/boxscore.html)
Jan 27 2006, LAC @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20060127/LACDEN/boxscore.html)
Jan 24 2006, MEM @ MIA (www.nba.com/games/20060124/MEMMIA/boxscore.html)
Jan 14 2006, WAS @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20060114/WASATL/boxscore.html)
Jan 12 2006, DET @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20060112/DETSAS/boxscore.html)
Jan 10 2006, PHX @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20060110/PHXDEN/boxscore.html)
Jan 8 2006, MIA @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20060108/MIAPOR/boxscore.html)
Jan 7 2006, LAL @ LAC (www.nba.com/games/20060107/LALLAC/boxscore.html)
Jan 2 2006, PHX @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20060102/PHXNYK/boxscore.html)
Dec 28 2005, HOU @ NOK (www.nba.com/games/20051228/HOUNOK/boxscore.html)
Dec 27 2005, IND @ Spurs (www.nba.com/games/20051227/INDSAS/boxscore.html)
Dec 23 2005, DAL @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20051223/DALSEA/boxscore.html)
Dec 21 2005, WAS @ DEN (www.nba.com/games/20051221/WASDEN/boxscore.html)
Dec 19 2005, DET @ MEM (www.nba.com/games/20051219/DETMEM/boxscore.html)
Dec 16 2005, NYK @ ATL (www.nba.com/games/20051216/NYKATL/boxscore.html)
Dec 14 2005, CHA @ NJN (www.nba.com/games/20051214/CHANJN/boxscore.html)
Dec 10 2005, LAL @ MIN (www.nba.com/games/20051210/LALMIN/boxscore.html)
Dec 8 2005, HOU @ SAC (www.nba.com/games/20051208/HOUSAC/boxscore.html)
Dec 7 2005, PHX @ GSW (www.nba.com/games/20051207/PHXGSW/boxscore.html)
Dec 4 2005, UTA @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20051204/UTAPOR/boxscore.html)
Dec 2 2005, CLE @ SEA (www.nba.com/games/20051202/CLESEA/boxscore.html)
Nov 30 2005, PHI @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20051130/PHIBOS/boxscore.html)
Nov 26 2005, MEM @ DAL (www.nba.com/games/20051126/MEMDAL/boxscore.html)
Nov 19 2005, MEM @ UTA (www.nba.com/games/20051119/MEMUTA/boxscore.html)
Nov 18 2005, GSW @ POR (www.nba.com/games/20051118/GSWPOR/boxscore.html)
Nov 16 2005, NYK @ LAL (www.nba.com/games/20051116/NYKLAL/boxscore.html)
Nov 15 2005, MIL @ LAC (www.nba.com/games/20051115/MILLAC/boxscore.html)
Nov 9 2005, LAL @ MIN (www.nba.com/games/20051109/LALMIN/boxscore.html)
Nov 6 2005, GSW @ NYK (www.nba.com/games/20051106/GSWNYK/boxscore.html)
Nov 4 2005, DET @ BOS (www.nba.com/games/20051104/DETBOS/boxscore.html)
Nov 2 2005, MIL @ NJN (www.nba.com/games/20051102/MILNJN/boxscore.html)

[GSH]

I don't think that NBA officials decide outcomes. I just don't.

Nothing harder to argue with than a close mind.

Most of your comments are non-sequitir, at best. Like {he hurt the Spurs, but he didn't leave the Spurs without a chance.} He directly affected the outcome of the game, and did so knowingly. It doesn't mean the Spurs absolutely would have won, any more that it means they could not have won with Duncan in the locker room. But to say that he didn't affect the outcome of the game? Sorry...ignorant. And for the record, I think David Stern would disagree with you as well.

Give me a whistle, and I could manufacture a 10 point swing in nearly any NBA game, in less than two minutes. And turn a 15 point blowout into a 5 point nail-biter. And I mean nearly any NBA game, because the talent level in the league is just too high, even on the bad teams.

No, I don't believe that "just about every official in the league is corrupt". Just the opposite, in fact. (But don't be surprised if one or more of the other 3 refs from Cardinal O'Hara high school is named before this thing is done.) Calling a basketball game is a difficult prospect, at any level. But the NBA moves so fast, and there is so much contact, that nearly any missed call can be excused. And that presents a perfect opportunity for a few rotten apples to shape a game here and a game there. And remember, all they really have to do is beat the spread.

[QUOTE=FromWayDowntown]I've gone to and watched my fair share of NBA games and I'm certain that officials get calls right at an amazing rate.QUOTE]

No shit? Ya think so? If they didn't get most of the calls right, nobody would watch it. You somehow have the idea that it would take an incredible effort to massage the outcome of a game.

I never said "vast conspiracy". I never even hinted at vast conspiracy. Because I don't believe in a vast conspiracy. But I've been convinced for some time that points are being shaved on occasion. And I'll go one better. I'm convinced that a few of the players are, on occasion, shaving points.

It doesn't have to happen all the time to make it a disaster for the league. If people find out it happens ever, then every single game, every single call will start drawing cries of wrongdoing and conspiracy.

[FromWayDowntown]

Nothing harder to argue with than a close mind.

Et tu, brute? If my mind is closed to the possibility of corruption, isn't yours equally closed to the possibility that things are on the up-and-up?



Most of your comments are non-sequitir, at best. Like {he hurt the Spurs, but he didn't leave the Spurs without a chance.} He directly affected the outcome of the game, and did so knowingly.

No -- he didn't. If he directly affected the outcome of a game, then he would have ensured a particular result. That demonstrably isn't true of that game in Dallas. He didn't leave the Spurs without a chance; his decision undoubtedly made the Spurs' task more difficult, but that's very different than saying that he affected the outcome. If the Spurs had won that game -- and they should have even without Duncan -- you couldn't say that Crawford had affected the outcome.


It doesn't mean the Spurs absolutely would have won, any more that it means they could not have won with Duncan in the locker room. But to say that he didn't affect the outcome of the game? Sorry...ignorant. And for the record, I think David Stern would disagree with you as well.

David Stern and you can believe whatever you wish. I think that only very weak fans ever blame results on officials. You obviously disagree with me about that. Fair enough.


Give me a whistle, and I could manufacture a 10 point swing in nearly any NBA game, in less than two minutes. And turn a 15 point blowout into a 5 point nail-biter. And I mean nearly any NBA game, because the talent level in the league is just too high, even on the bad teams.

And you somehow assume that this is occuring with some regularity in the NBA? I don't see any evidence of that.


No, I don't believe that "just about every official in the league is corrupt". Just the opposite, in fact. (But don't be surprised if one or more of the other 3 refs from Cardinal O'Hara high school is named before this thing is done.)

Why should this be somehow an issue of where the officials went to high school. I've seen absolutely no proof whatsoever that Mike Callahan is manipulating games in any fashion -- in fact, I'm convinced that Callahan is probably the official in the league who is most often correct with his calls, that he's an official who is highly respected by coaches because he's so often correct, and because of all of that I am certain that Callahan is completely clean.

Joey Crawford is far too much of a maverick (not Maverick) to ever take instructions from someone outside of the game.

Ed Malloy is a young official who misses lots of calls, but that's not unusual for an official with just a few years of experience at this level, since, as you acknowledge, "Calling a basketball game is a difficult prospect, at any level. But the NBA moves so fast, and there is so much contact, that nearly any missed call can be excused."


And that presents a perfect opportunity for a few rotten apples to shape a game here and a game there. And remember, all they really have to do is beat the spread.

Sure, and we have one. I don't see any reason to believe that this goes beyond Donaghy. Really, what makes you think that "other arrests" means other NBA officials? It's purely conjecture on your part. Nothing else.

[spurscenter]

Courting danger

NBA behemoths don't faze ref Bob Delaney. They're not the mob.

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published October 31, 2006
ADVERTISEMENT
photo
[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]
Bob Delaney, a 20-year NBA referee, doesn't tremble when facing down 7-footers. He's hardened from his years undercover infiltrating the mob.
Part Two: An inside job

BRADENTON -- Even from a distance, you can pick him out in a heartbeat. Inside the crowded basketball gym where he runs his referee school, the man with the black NBA polo shirt, matching black sweats and stylishly slicked-back graying hair has his gaze fixed on the mob in motion - young hotshot players and student officials racing up and down the hardwood.

Right away, you realize Bob Delaney is considerably taller than he looks on national TV when he's maintaining order alongside the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and so many towering pro players.

The 20-year veteran of countless NBA battles - a respected crew chief known for his hard-nosed, fearless style - stands 6 feet 1 with an athletic, 188-pound physique that most 55-year-old men would envy. There is also a distinctive presence about him, emanating from his streetwise New Jersey accent and calm blue eyes that have stared into much worse than the frequent glares of angry multimillionaire players and coaches.

On this morning, the Bradenton resident can be found courtside by a yellow 20-foot scaffold. It is the final session of an intensive, four-day program of his Officiating Academy in IMG's spacious basketball gymnasium, part of the sprawling Nick Bollettieri sports complex that is home turf to such marquee athletes as tennis player Maria Sharapova and golfer Paula Creamer.

He is busy talking into a miniature mike attached to a long wire that winds its way to a video camera high above the fast-paced action. All his comments and insights are recorded, so graduates can return to their referee jobs in high school, college and the pros with a personalized DVD critique from the master.

"Very good, very good," Delaney, head of IMG's entire sports officiating program, says encouragingly into the mike when one of his pupils makes a proper call. "But I wouldn't get into a big smiling thing about it. You don't want to be smiling when you're making a call, as if it's a joke. This is business."

In another lifetime, long before he entertained thoughts of becoming an NBA referee, Delaney blew the whistle in a considerably different kind of business.

And he worked with a far different type of wire.

He wore one.

A game of life and death

There were no jocks in this world, except the one he put on to hide the tiny tape recorder inside the plastic cup, and the second jockstrap he would wear over that as an added precaution. One wire ran from the recorder up the side of his body under an arm, the other he pulled through the inside of his pants pocket so he could easily activate the record button.

You see, for nearly three years in the 1970s, Bob Delaney was Bobby Covert, an undercover cop for the New Jersey State Police on a special mission: infiltrate the mob.

His 21/2-year investigation of large organized crime families in New Jersey and Philadelphia, at a time when the mob was at the height of its power in America, could have been straight out of the Sopranos. Amid rumors that he had gone bad, he literally disappeared from the force to work with the state police and FBI. He became the fake president of a fake trucking company with a fake rap sheet. And gradually, he earned the trust of some of the most ruthless criminals in the Northeast.

In that realm, it was Delaney's ability to blend in, not stand out, that made him so successful. It kept him alive when one slip would have meant a bullet to the head. And the experience ultimately led to his future in the NBA and the heights he has achieved there.

Most stories about sports figures at the top of their games require a look at formative athletic moments and impressive stats in high school, college, the pros. In this one, the stat that mattered most was 30 - the number of indictments brought against members of the Genovese and Bruno crime families, the result of Delaney's undercover duty.

Most such stories involve the names of big sporting influences along the way. In this one, the high-profile moniker is Donnie Brasco - the alias used by fellow undercover cop Joe Pistone, whose story was made into the 1997 movie Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Delaney and Pistone crossed paths in a tense episode during the course of their investigations, and neither had any idea the other was actually with law enforcement.

"Myself and another undercover went to a sit-down to help mediate this beef with another family and Bobby was there," says Pistone, who spent six years in New York City infiltrating the Bonanno crime family. "He was very convincing. I was impressed, because if he loses the beef, he ends up dead."

Delaney's story is a study of a man forever changed by the hazardous duty of his early 20s, how he grappled with the unexpected psychological burden of living two lives simultaneously, how he refused to let fear hold him back in bitterness or seclusion in the years after.

And how the intimidation tactics he faces on an NBA court don't faze him in the slightest.

"Nothing," Delaney says with a half smile on his made-for-Hollywood face, "compares to what I lived through."



The making of an undercover cop

He grew up tough and confident in an Irish-Italian working class neighborhood in Paterson, N.J. And though he loved playing basketball, police work was always in the back of his mind.

His father, Robert Delaney, was a distinguished 30-year veteran of the New Jersey state trooper force and a captain in the 1970s. Back then, the agency not only patrolled the highways in uniform but sent a large number of officers into the field in plain clothes to do all manner of crime-fighting - from narcotics to murder investigations to busting up mob activity.

Delaney was a basketball standout for three years at Jersey City College but left before his senior year to join the state police in 1973. "My dad gave me my badge," he says. "It was a great moment that you remember your whole life."

Just 21, and with such a strong trooper background, Delaney seemed to have a terrific future. He was partnered with a veteran who had seen about everything on the job, Bob Scott, and was assigned to the rural area of Flemington, where there was no local police department. They lived with other troopers in a barracks, 15 days on, 15 days off.

"I had just come off turnpike duty when Bobby came in as a young recruit," Scott, now retired, says. "He was a big, tall, handsome, tough kid and very energetic. I made a lot of arrests as a trooper and I liked Bobby because he was a go-getter. I just took him under my wing and tried to teach him."

Much of their work dealt with domestic disputes, drunken drivers, bar fights and break-ins in six different townships. To stay in shape, Delaney worked as a referee at junior varsity and community basketball games. Three months into the job, Delaney experienced something that opened his eyes to a gut-wrenching facet of the work. He was called in to investigate the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl from her family's farm. He and Scott eventually discovered her sexually mutilated body - a crime later attributed to a man who had stopped to tell her one of her cows had gotten loose.

"For a 21-year-old kid, all of a sudden reality sets in," he says. "You realize there are some bad people in this world, and the bad can be really bad. So my understanding of victimology started at that point, and so did my understanding of bad guys."

A month later, another important lesson: He was called to investigate a break-in that occurred days after the homeowner was killed by a drunken driver. Delaney thought he had done a good job scrutinizing the scene, only to watch a senior detective find the case-breaking clue - paint chips on the fence that had been brushed by the getaway car. The thieves, having read the obituary, robbed the house during the funeral. "That reinforced how bad some people are," he says. "But it also reinforced to me the importance of attention to detail."

His big challenge came after one year on the job. The state police had joined forces with the FBI to embark on a six-month investigation of organized crime on the Jersey waterfront. Project Alpha would involve five undercover agents, three from the FBI, two from the state police.

Delaney was approached by a trooper sergeant, Jack Liddy. "He just walks over and says, 'You ever think of working undercover, I want to talk to you. If you ever tell anybody I'm talking to you, you won't have a shot at this job.' "

The young cop wanted in.



Attending your own funeral

A clandestine meeting at a diner followed, and soon the competition for one of the two trooper spots was heating up. And Delaney, with his poise, people skills and knowledge of the state, looked good.

There was one last step in the process, however: a meeting with the major in charge of the project. It was set for noon, but hours before the session, Liddy told Delaney it had been pushed to 2. So the sergeant took the candidate to lunch. "As soon as we hit the restaurant, Jack says, 'Whaddya want to do kid, eat it or drink it?' " Delaney recalls. "I say, 'Whatever you do boss.' So we go to the bar and he puts like three beers in me. And pretty soon, he says, 'Okay, let's go see the major.' "

Delaney had a fairly decent buzz on as he sat down for the meeting. It began badly. The major expressed concern that Delaney's father was a state police captain and there might be heat from the union if his son went undercover on a highly dangerous assignment.

"I got my back up a little," recalls Delaney. "I said, 'Excuse me sir, I've never asked for anything because my father is in the outfit, but I sure don't want to be held back because of it. If that's the case, maybe you're telling me I need to go find another job.' "

Delaney had passed the final exam he didn't even realize he was taking. The major liked the moxie the kid displayed in standing up to him. Further, Delaney learned that the meeting had been scheduled for 2 p.m. all along. His superiors just wanted to see how he would handle himself in a high-pressure situation under the influence of alcohol - a spot he would constantly find himself in with the mob.

Soon after, a car arrived in the middle of the night at the station house where Delaney and other troopers lived. He slipped out and left in the car, while another trooper went in and removed his uniforms. The next day, April 9, 1975, a personnel order was issued stating that Delaney had resigned.

Aside from those involved in Project Alpha, only Delaney's parents and sister knew the truth. His mentor and partner, Scott, had been away for the week and returned to the barracks to hear the stunning news. "Somebody said, 'Did you hear about Delaney?' " Scott recalls. "I said, 'No, what happened?' And they said that he and a buddy went to Florida and got arrested for murder. I could picture Bobby - he didn't take any s--- from anybody and maybe somebody gave him some. I felt really bad about it."

Other stories swirled: he'd gotten jammed up in a criminal investigation, he had smacked a woman around, he'd gotten into drugs confiscated on busts. His parents stopped going to state police functions because of all the whispering.

Scott talked it over with his wife, Fran. Though they had four small children and lived on a modest trooper's salary, they would offer all their savings to Delaney to help him out. Scott called Delaney's father. To his shock, Delaney answered.

"I thought he'd be in jail in Florida," he says. "But I told him I wanted to help him out, and that I'd go to Florida to serve as a character reference in court - even though that probably would have gotten me fired for breaking the state police rules."

To Scott's dismay, Delaney barely reacted.

"He just said, 'Okay, thanks a lot. I'll see you.' And he hung up," says Scott. "I had just offered him my life. I never heard from him. He never called back. And I never could figure it out."

For Delaney, having to stay mum with Scott was torture. He couldn't let him know that the offer of assistance had brought tears to his eyes.

"It was like being at your own funeral," he says. "Just like that, I was gone from the face of the earth."

-- Dave Scheiber can be reached at 727 893-8541 or [email protected].

>> Tomorrow: Into the shadows, onto the court

"He didn't take (bleep) from anybody. He was one of the refs that was marked who you couldn't talk (bleep) to. As a matter of fact, even if you raised your voice, he would turn around and look to give you a technical. He'd make a point to look back and see if you were going to try to argue or throw a fit. And because he always stayed like that, then you knew just not to do that."

Matt Geiger, former Philadelphia 76ers center, below

"I think he's tough, but fair. He's somebody you can talk to. He definitely draws the line when enough's enough. He doesn't hold grudges. He calls it like he sees it and if he thinks he misses a call, he says that. And the players respect that. But he's a no-nonsense guy, a guy who does a good job of controlling the game and ultimately lets the players play. I think once the story came out that he was an undercover police officer, he got a lot more respect. Everybody called him Donnie Brasco and things like that. But once you're in the heat of battle, you don't think about that stuff."

Grant Hill, Orlando Magic forward

"For a 21-year-old kid, all of a sudden reality sets in. You realize there are some bad people in this world, and the bad can be really bad. So my understanding of victimology started at that point, and so did my understanding of bad guys."

Bob Delaney

"He's a very tough ref; he doesn't take anything from anybody. He's a guy that when you go to him, you've got to go to him the right way. You just know that every time he comes in to ref a game, he is going to be fair. I respect him off the court for what he has done and what he did for his profession."

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat guard

[exstatic]

Courting danger

NBA behemoths don't faze ref Bob Delaney. They're not the mob.

How many thread are you going to post this in, asshat?

[spurscenter]

How many thread are you going to post this in, asshat?

it belongs with each topic I post it in

no one reads all the posts and it goes with that conversation.

Perhaps combine all the refs posts into one then.

Asshat? what is that? seriously asshat? im insulted.

oh this?

http://ijsm.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2004/asshat.jpg

Thank you! I just had it stuffed.

[FromWayDowntown]

it belongs with each topic I post it in

no one reads all the posts and it goes with that conversation.

Perhaps combine all the refs posts into one then.


I'm not sure what Bob Delaney's past as an undercover cop has to do with allegations that Tim Donaghy was affecting the scores of games. Yeah, Delaney busted mobsters, but are you trying to suggest that he might also be in on the same stuff that Donaghy was allegedly doing? I'd find it really hard to believe that Delaney would go from exposing mobsters as a cop to cooperating with them as an NBA official. As such, I'm not sure what Delaney's past has to do with this story.

[bigzak25]

The NBA...

It's a trap!



:lol

[conqueso]

Most of your comments are non-sequitir, at best. Like {he hurt the Spurs, but he didn't leave the Spurs without a chance.} He directly affected the outcome of the game, and did so knowingly.

No -- he didn't. If he directly affected the outcome of a game, then he would have ensured a particular result. That demonstrably isn't true of that game in Dallas. He didn't leave the Spurs without a chance; his decision undoubtedly made the Spurs' task more difficult, but that's very different than saying that he affected the outcome. If the Spurs had won that game -- and they should have even without Duncan -- you couldn't say that Crawford had affected the outcome.

FWD, I don't think you're getting the point. You can directly affect the outcome of a game without determining it. E.g. you could say that before Timmy got ejected, the Spurs had a good chance of winning, but after he was ejected, they had almost no chance. Right there, Crawford affected the outcome of the game without being the sole producing cause. Yes, the Spurs went minutes without a bucket, and yes, had they gotten hot they could have still overcome the hole that they dug for themselves (with Crawford handing them the shovel). But none of that changes the fact that a bullshit call probably changed the outcome of that game.

Now, Crawford's situation is a lot different from Donaghy's. But the point is that a ref has the definite power to significantly impact the outcome of the game, even if he couldn't solely determine it. I disagree with people like LakerLanny et al who say that refs do this intentionally a lot, or even a little, but it does happen, and it really is kind of illogical to say that they couldn't and haven't. While I typically agree it's lame to blame the refs for your team losing, sometimes the refs really are to blame, even though the players are ultimately the ones making or missing the shots. For instance, a ref can put a team in a losing situation by making incorrect calls against a player putting him in foul trouble and relegating him to the bench. In such a situation, a team could still shoot 100% and overcome this disadvantage (because anything's possible), so the ref can't ensure that they're going to lose. But he can make it damn near impossible for them if he wanted.

We won't know if Donaghy did any of that type of shit for awhile. As far as we know, it was point-shaving, which isn't really a BFD to me. I mean, fire him, that's fine, but it's not like he was fixing outcomes (as far as we know). In that case, it only affects the gamblers, not the fans or the players, and I don't really have any mercy for gamblers being exploited. But then again, I think Pete Rose betting on his own team to win (if that's the full extent of it) is a non-issue. This is all just residual backlash from the Black Sox I think.

[FromWayDowntown]

FWD, I don't think you're getting the point. You can directly affect the outcome of a game without determining it. E.g. you could say that before Timmy got ejected, the Spurs had a good chance of winning, but after he was ejected, they had almost no chance. Right there, Crawford affected the outcome of the game without being the sole producing cause. Yes, the Spurs went minutes without a bucket, and yes, had they gotten hot they could have still overcome the hole that they dug for themselves (with Crawford handing them the shovel). But none of that changes the fact that a bullshit call probably changed the outcome of that game.

I get the point that GSH is trying to make. I just fundamentally disagree that any sort of affect that officials have on games is intentional -- and I don't think it ultimately determines the outcomes of games. Again, I think the Duncan-Crawford example is a horrendous one for your side of the argument, frankly, because it was clear to anyone who watched that the Spurs had wonderful opportunities to win that game without Duncan. What affected the outcome of the game was the Spurs' inability to score in the late parts of the game. Crawford created a potential excuse, but he didn't affect the outcome.


Now, Crawford's situation is a lot different from Donaghy's.

I'm glad you recognize that.


But the point is that a ref has the definite power to significantly impact the outcome of the game, even if he couldn't solely determine it.

I'll concede that that is certainly a possibility in the abstract; I just don't see that it ever actually happens in the NBA.


I disagree with people like LakerLanny et al who say that refs do this intentionally a lot, or even a little, but it does happen, and it really is kind of illogical to say that they couldn't and haven't.

Again, I don't see that officials are affecting outcomes except by doing what they think they're supposed to do under the rules. I suppose that Crawford is an example to the contrary in a sense, but we saw that the league punished him severely for acting beyond the rules in that instance.

Ultimately, officials are human -- they miss calls. I don't think that they miss calls intentionally and I don't think that they decide to favor one team over another or anything like that.

Absent clear proof that officials are manipulating outcomes, though, I'm not sure why my argument is the illogical one. I'm not the one who's inferring motive from acts that are readily explainable in neutral terms.


While I typically agree it's lame to blame the refs for your team losing, sometimes the refs really are to blame, even though the players are ultimately the ones making or missing the shots.

As long as the players are the ones taking and making shots, as long as they're the ones playing defense or not, as long as they're the ones rebounding or getting owned on the glass, I'm comfortable in my opinion that the players are the only thing deciding the game and in my refusal to ever blame officiating for losses (or crediting officiating for wins -- you have to admit that if you're going to blame officiating for losses then you must also credit officiating for certain wins; it can't always go one way, logically, eh?)


For instance, a ref can put a team in a losing situation by making incorrect calls against a player putting him in foul trouble and relegating him to the bench. In such a situation, a team could still shoot 100% and overcome this disadvantage (because anything's possible), so the ref can't ensure that they're going to lose. But he can make it damn near impossible for them if he wanted.

Sure, that's possible. But if the player is putting himself into position where officials are dealing with close calls and might miss them, isn't the player at least partially at fault for his plight and its affect on his team? I would think so.

I don't see officials frequently making calls against players -- particularly against difference-making players -- when that player is completely away from the play. I'd be interested in examples of that phenomenon.


We won't know if Donaghy did any of that type of shit for awhile. As far as we know, it was point-shaving, which isn't really a BFD to me.

See, I think Donaghy's misconduct is the biggest story in sports right now because, unlike all of the other conjuecture that you're offering me, it's (seemingly) concrete proof of an official affecting the integrity of the game -- the first proof that I'm aware of.


I mean, fire him, that's fine, but it's not like he was fixing outcomes (as far as we know). In that case, it only affects the gamblers, not the fans or the players, and I don't really have any mercy for gamblers being exploited. But then again, I think Pete Rose betting on his own team to win (if that's the full extent of it) is a non-issue. This is all just residual backlash from the Black Sox I think.

I think it goes deeper than just affecting gamblers, specifically because it leads to discussions like this one in which my argument that officials aren't corrupt is the minority viewpoint.

[conqueso]

I get the point that GSH is trying to make. I just fundamentally disagree that any sort of affect that officials have on games is intentional -- and I don't think it ultimately determines the outcomes of games. Again, I think the Duncan-Crawford example is a horrendous one for your side of the argument, frankly, because it was clear to anyone who watched that the Spurs had wonderful opportunities to win that game without Duncan. What affected the outcome of the game was the Spurs' inability to score in the late parts of the game. Crawford created a potential excuse, but he didn't affect the outcome.

It's different to say that refs are intentionally effecting the outcome of the game and refs are directly effecting the outcome of the game. You claimed originally that refs don't directly effect the outcome of the game, and I think that's illogical. Whether or not they have that effect intentionally is obviously a different matter, and Crawford and Donaghy show that some in fact do. In Crawford's case, it was pretty clear he had a personal score to settle with Tim and intentionally found fault with otherwise unobjectionable conduct in order to eject him. With Donaghy (if this shit turns out to be true), he's intentionally making incorrect calls to determine whether or not a team covers the spread.

As for the Dallas game, while opportunities to win a game are ALWAYS there, the Spurs, without Duncan, are a mess. You know that, everyone knows that...that's why he's the best PF of all time, because he's the "cornerstone of the team" and "makes everyone around him better" and all the other shit people say about him. While I think the Spurs could have won that game without him (just like ANY team can win ANY game on ANY given night), it's completely ridiculous to say they weren't at a severe disadvantage. And acknowledging that fact, it's not unfair to also conjecture that had Duncan been there and the rest of the team had played exactly the same way as they had without him, the Spurs would have won. So, you see, Crawford's decision potentially had a direct and material impact on the game; but for his egregious conduct, the Spurs would have won the game. In other words, even if the rest of the Spurs had experienced that same scoring drought that you say was the real reason they lost the game, with Duncan on the floor to get stops and scores, that drought wouldn't have mattered. You can't fault the players for not playing above the level they would have ordinarily played at when their key difference-maker is ejected for an admittedly bullshit reason. And you can't exonerate Crawford because the Spurs didn't do better than they ordinarily would have in order to overcome the fault of a referee.

I hear your point that great teams learn to play past the refs...that's a true statement. But I don't think the Spurs this year were that kind of "great" team, and I don't think we've seen a "great" team that can play past the refs since, well shit, maybe the '95 Rockets. And I don't think that the horrible negligence of the refs should be excused by saying "this team deserves what they get because they weren't talented enough to win despite the refs fucking them."

I know you keep closer tabs on the refs that anyone else here, and I know that despite your intimate knowledge you think they're right on most of the time. I'm not going to challenge your assessment of the general temper of the refs because I also think that generally, they're fairly decent. But there are some individuals (not just Donaghy and Crawford) who just aren't very good at their job, at least if their job is making accurate calls. If their job is something else (as Bavetta seems to think it is), then maybe they're succeeding.



Ultimately, officials are human -- they miss calls. I don't think that they miss calls intentionally and I don't think that they decide to favor one team over another or anything like that.

Well, now we've got an example of a ref missing calls intentionally. I don't see how you can watch any game that Bavetta calls and think he doesn't favor certain team (home or away for example) in certain situations. I mean, seriously, are you just saying this because you don't want to sound like some whiny Suns fan who blames the failure of his team on extrinsic forces? If that's what it is, I commend you, because Suns fans blow, but you still have to be open to the possibility that sometimes, the refs do fuck the Spurs.

And BTW, it doesn't have to be conscious to be intentional. At the risk of sounding like LakerLanny, it's very reasonable to say that in the back of every referee's mind is the fact that when the NBA makes more money, they make more money. And it's no mystery what makes the most money for the NBA: superstars doing amazing things in big games. Even if Crawford (for example) isn't going out there thinking "I'm going to let Dwayne Wade travel to his heart's content and every time his misses a shot, I'm going to call a late foul," it doesn't mean he isn't being controlled by his subconscious desire to be a part of a memorable, exciting game, and to reap the benefits of the league making more money as a result of the occurrence of memorable, exciting games. Or perhaps these junior refs know that they are the first to go if the NBA starts losing money and cuts back on staff.


Absent clear proof that officials are manipulating outcomes, though, I'm not sure why my argument is the illogical one. I'm not the one who's inferring motive from acts that are readily explainable in neutral terms.

Crawford and Donaghy's acts can be explained in neutral terms? Let's see you try.


I think it goes deeper than just affecting gamblers, specifically because it leads to discussions like this one in which my argument that officials aren't corrupt is the minority viewpoint.

Tons of people have thought the NBA officials were corrupt for years. This Donaghy revelation is only slight confirmation of something that lots of people have felt for a very long time...something is rotten in Denmark. I don't know what, but it wouldn't surprise me if Donaghy isn't the only one.

[wildbill2u]

(I haven't read the whole thread so pardon me if this has been brought up.)

In the 'old' days when the NBA was a very junior league in terms of money, the fans and sportswriters marveled at how bad teams were able to stretch the elite teams to seven games in almost every series.

The implied--and sometimes outright allegation--was that the refs stretched the limits and influenced the outcome because they got paid by how many games they refereed.

I think the league finally ended that practice and increasing the income of the refs helped too. But the possibility of influencing the point spread is real and relatively easy to do.

Therefore suspicions arise when certain things in control of the refs such as fouls appear to be out of the norm. I remember two playoff games which Spurs fans thought they got jobbed. One was a Laker game where we got 24 fouls to something like 2 for the Lakers in the first half and the game was lost after that. The second was the foul in the last seconds against Washington when the Spurs were on the verge of becoming the first ABA team going to the Finals.

[FromWayDowntown]

So then tell me, conqueso, which games did officials give to the Spurs last season. If they affect the outcomes, surely they're not just affecting outcomes negatively for the Spurs. That would be illogical. So, again, tell me in which games the officials benefitted the Spurs. After all, for every team that's screwed over by officials who are affecting outcomes, there has to be a team that benefits.

[cherylsteele]

They'll be beating teams they're supposed to beat.
Like the Tarheels??:D

[cherylsteele]

This is old news. What breaking news is next? That boxing may also be controlled by the mob?
The WWF is fake!!!

[tlongII]

FWIW, on ESPN they reported that more arrests were expected and there is a possibility that Donaghy will cooperate with the feds and implicate other referees. Referees do affect the outcome of games regardless of what FWD says.

[td4mvp3]

can we have one on who all thinks this scandal stops with just the one ref as far as it relates to the nba (i'm sure a number of mob crooks will be brought in)?

[xmas1997]

And on KENS TV news sports they said the same thing as ESPN (Donaghys' cooperation with Feds to implicate more Refs) plus impicating some players as well.

It makes you wonder how long this has been going on.
And it makes you wonder if the Spurs might have well won more titles over the years!

[UV Ray]

And on KENS TV news sports they said the same thing as ESPN (Donaghys' cooperation with Feds to implicate more Refs) plus impicating some players as well.

It's over Johnny.

[CubanMustGo]

And on KENS TV news sports they said the same thing as ESPN (Donaghys' cooperation with Feds to implicate more Refs) plus impicating some players as well.

And wouldn't it just be rich if one of the players allegedly involved was a Sun? You would see some furious backpedaling here by many of our trolls; either that or deathly silence.

EG why did Amare play so stupidly in the series? Because he was on the take throwing games.

[xmas1997]

This could quickly spiral into a "witch hunt" catagory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stern's going to have a heart attack!

Tim Donaghy, can you spell "witness protection"????????????

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Howabout we just ban anyone who starts another referee/gambling thread instead...

[jag]

Howabout we just ban anyone who starts another referee/gambling thread instead...

Agreed.

[td4mvp3]

Howabout we just ban anyone who starts another referee/gambling thread instead...
or anyone responding to one only to complain about another one existing? :blah

[Despot]

BS on the talk about exposing other Refs, too many peep hear about "other arrests" and assume they are NBA refs or players when it is most likely bookies and mobsters they are talking about.

I do think Donaghy will get a slap on the wrist, assuming he is turning witness.

[UV Ray]

BS on the talk about exposing other Refs, too many peep hear about "other arrests" and assume they are NBA refs or players when it is most likely bookies and mobsters they are talking about.

I do think Donaghy will get a slap on the wrist, assuming he is turning witness.

WPP for Donaghy

[FromWayDowntown]

I do think Donaghy will get a slap on the wrist, assuming he is turning witness.

That might be true, but he's also going to have to assume a new identity and move to some locale selected by the federal government; you'd better believe that if he rats out mobsters, he's going to be a marked man.

[Despot]

That might be true, but he's also going to have to assume a new identity and move to some locale selected by the federal government; you'd better believe that if he rats out mobsters, he's going to be a marked man.

It would be hard for him to hide, he could become one of the most hated men in the country, besides, what about delaney?

[Dave McNulla]

maybe we can do another scola thread instead?

[E20]

How about we all just get along?

[td4mvp3]

geez, for the next schmuck who doesn't understand how this works, if the moderators think a thread is repetitive, they'll take care of it. if you think a thread is repetitive, don't click on it and i'm sure your keen insight will be shared by others and eventually the thread will die a natural death. the more you insist on chiming in on how goofy a thread is, the more the thread remains. carry on.

[td4mvp3]

and as an addendum, how about a poll on how many other refs/players end up involved in all this? anyone? anyone? bueller?

[Fabbs]

and as an addendum, how about a poll on how many other refs/players end up involved in all this? anyone? anyone? bueller?
Eeeewwww *The Feds* are investigating. :lol :lol
Those spineless clowns are probably in on it.

Steroids in baseball including Bonds are *being investigated*.

Nothings going to become of this other then a sacraficial handslap followed by Sternfish gloating how a great crisis was averted.

[Mister Sinister]

How about we all just get along?
Fuck all that shit.