Sheridan - Ref scandal: 3 big questions

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Hadn't seen this posted, but if it has, please delete or merge.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2945745&name=sheridan_chris

Ref scandal: 3 big questions

As we head into a monumental week for the NBA, it's time to look at some of the questions that need to be answered by commissioner David Stern and others concerning the Tim Donaghy case.

Here are three of the biggest ones:

1. How big is this scandal?

The New York Daily News reported Sunday that federal authorities believe Donaghy will cooperate with investigators and possibly name other officials or players involved in the scandal. Stern has already come out publicly and said that Donaghy was the one and only referee under suspicion of affecting the outcome of games he officiated, but if the opposite is true and even more referees are involved, Stern's credibility will take another enormous hit. The Daily News said Donaghy has hired former federal prosecutor John Lauro, who specializes in representing whistleblowers, as his defense attorney.

2. When was the NBA informed that Donaghy was under investigation by the FBI?

The Denver Post reported Sunday that the answer to that question is January, which, if true, would mean the NBA allowed Donaghy to continue refereeing games, including playoff games, despite knowing he might be crooked. Who in the league office signed off on that?

3. What about all the red flags?

According to data compiled by Stats LLC and reported in the New York Post, Donaghy led the NBA in technical fouls called, whistling 177 of them -- 20 more than anyone else. Donaghy also ranked fourth in blowing personal fouls; was third in ordering free throws and second for fouling out players for the 2006-07 season.

The NBA is meticulous in gathering data on its referees and the calls they make, and if it had a referee calling an inordinate number of technicals, you'd expect they'd speak to Donaghy about it, no?

Also, the Post reported that NBA officials knew that Donaghy was gambling on football and ordered him to stop.

Further, the New York Times reported Sunday that since Jan. 1, Donaghy refereed in 11 games in which the consensus Las Vegas line moved two points or more: "The team on which bettors wagered heavily enough to move the line that far won seven of those 11 games. …

"On Jan. 15, the Philadelphia 76ers were originally favored to beat the Toronto Raptors by a point. Bets came in so heavily on the Raptors that they eventually were favored to win by a point instead. The Raptors won in a blowout, 104-86.

"Two nights later, so much money was bet on the Phoenix Suns against the Houston Rockets that the consensus Las Vegas line, which opened with the Suns favored by 4½ points, moved to 8 by tip-off. The Suns won by 9, 100-91."

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This is the link in #2.

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Gambling probe fuel for second-guessing
Source: NBA had its suspicions of ref
By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 07/22/2007 01:30:51 AM MDT

Las Vegas - Anytime a questionable call is made next season, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony might second-guess it now more than ever - for good reason.

The FBI is investigating Tim Donaghy, a 13-year NBA referee, for allegedly betting on games, including ones he officiated over the past two years, NBA commissioner David Stern acknowledged after the New York Post broke the story Friday.

According to a source, the NBA has been aware of the FBI investigation since January and had suspicions regarding Donaghy and gambling.

The NBA has been conducting extensive background checks on referees over the past two years on issues such as DUIs, foreclosures, bankruptcies, child support and investments.

"It's shocking," Anthony said. "It puts thoughts in your head. You're going to start thinking about things that you probably weren't thinking about before. I'm pretty sure they are going to get to the bottom of this."

The league plans to address the Donaghy situation at a news conference this week.

Donaghy officiated 68 games in the 2005-06 regular season and 63 regular-season and five postseason games last season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

He officiated six Nuggets games last season.

Authorities are examining whether Donaghy, who has resigned according to the New York Post, made calls to affect the point spread in games he or associates allegedly bet thousands of dollars on over the past two seasons.

"I was surprised like everybody else," said Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, a former Colorado star. "Everybody had the same kind of reaction whether you played in the league or you were a regular citizen. Surprising."

NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement: "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."

Of the six games Donaghy worked involving the Nuggets last season, the biggest surprise was the Hornets' 114-112 overtime victory on Feb. 7.

The Hornets' Desmond Mason won the game on a putback at the buzzer that was reviewed by officials.

The Hornets overcame a 99-89 deficit with 3:03 left in regulation and a 101-95 deficit with 1:22 remaining in regulation. The Hornets were 6-point underdogs in that game, according the website of Sportsbook Review, sbrforums.com.

The Hornets finished regulation with a 12-4 run that included two successful three-point plays in the final 1:12 to tie the game and send it to overtime.

"I want to see the ending of that game (on tape)," Anthony said. "Of course, what you see now from all games, you're going to think about it. There is nothing you can do right now."

It could take a while for the NBA to recover from the Donaghy investigation.

"From a PR perspective, the NBA now has the prospect of every fan watching each game looking for questionable calls that a referee 'on the take' might make to swing a point spread one way or another," crisis public relations expert Ronn Torossian, president and CEO of 5W Public, said in a statement. "For a league that even the media has always joked conspires to put (a) certain team in the NBA Finals, this could be a tremendous blow."

Irv Brown, a former college basketball referee who worked six men's NCAA Final Fours, said: "It's going to take a bite out of every guy trying to do a good job. There will be a lot of people wondering. If people don't trust you, it's going to be tough."

http://test.denverpost.com/sports/ci_6434030','231

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Like Sheridan asked, though... and I know it's important to the investigation to let it play out, but it's really tough to accept the NBA allowing Donaghy to ref games, much less playoff games, when they know what's going on.

[Shred]

That fact leaves me even more incredulous than the fact a ref was on the take!

[Extra Stout]

Maybe the league is on the take?

[Oh, Gee!!]

That fact leaves me even more incredulous than the fact a ref was on the take!


they wanted Phoenix to lose

[ploto]

A lot of writers have mentioned the Phil-Tor game, but Philly was losing to everyone then and the Raptors were on a roll! Philly lost 8 out of 10 games in that stretch. The Raptors on the other hand had almost beaten Dallas the night before- losing at the buzzer by 1 in a game they led for all 48 minutes.

[Testing]

The problem, especially based off of Anthony's response to this, now it seems that anytime a call is made against a player, he will think and look for a situation similiar to this and believe the ref has an ulterior motive. Some players/fans already thought this, but this just adds fuel to the fire.

Unfortunately, it also will affect how many of the good refs in the league now officiate games, I think.

[barbacoataco]

This story is so huge, I'm not sure that most fans have realized the implications. As a Spurs fan, the 2007 championship might go down like the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series Championship--- the product of a fix. The ridiculous Phoenix fans have fuel for their fire and I am beginning to question the credibility of the NBA. The fact that they let a Ref under suspicion by the FBI for fixing games call a game as important as game 3 of the Spurs-Suns series is CRAZY.

[boutons_]

"It's shocking," Anthony said. "It puts thoughts in your head."

Anthony is gangsta from Baltimore. Crime shocks him? Maybe NON-violent crime shocks him. :lol

[degenerate_gambler]

A line for a basketball game, pro or college, that moves 2 points from where it opened is hardly news.

Another thing...why Sheridan is using examples of Team A was favored by X over Team B and won the game by Y points is off base. Totals are where it's at in this case. If a bookie is in cahoots with a player to fix a game, the outcome is anything but guaranteed. But if he's got his hooks into a referee, it would make it much easier.

What they need to do is go back and look at games this guy worked and look at the 4th qtrs. If, for example, both teams had scored 150 pts after 3 qtrs and the total for the game was say, 205, then they'd need 56 points combined to win. If you're a ref with money on the line, you just call enough fouls to make sure both teams are in the penalty with like 7-8 minutes left. With all the free throws, it's not so hard to have a 56+ point quarter and win your bet.

[T Park]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.

[Extra Stout]

A line for a basketball game, pro or college, that moves 2 points from where it opened is hardly news.

Another thing...why Sheridan is using examples of Team A was favored by X over Team B and won the game by Y points is off base. Totals are where it's at in this case. If a bookie is in cahoots with a player to fix a game, it's anything but guaranteed. But if he's got his hooks into a referee, it would make it much easier.

What they need to do is go back and look at games this guy worked and look at the 4th qtrs. If, for example, both teams had scored 150 pts after 3 qtrs and the total for the game was say, 205, then they'd need 56 points combined to win. If you're a ref with money on the line, you just call enough fouls to make sure both teams are in the penalty with like 7-8 minutes left. With all the free throws, it's not so hard to have a 56+ point quarter and win your bet.
Yes, the O/U is much easier for an official to manipulate, and draws much less attention.

[ploto]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.
I think there is some validity to that and the perception that the Spurs would win game 3 at home anyway. Maybe it was a "safer" game to have him call.

[degenerate_gambler]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.


I'd buy that, but clearly there's no excuse for allowing him to work playoff games.

[Extra Stout]

I'd buy that, but clearly there's no excuse for allowing him to work playoff games.
The mere fact that he worked playoff games, regardless of whether it turns out he altered the outcome or even just fooled with the O/U, taints the playoffs.

[dbestpro]

This story is so huge, I'm not sure that most fans have realized the implications. As a Spurs fan, the 2007 championship might go down like the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series Championship--- the product of a fix. The ridiculous Phoenix fans have fuel for their fire and I am beginning to question the credibility of the NBA. The fact that they let a Ref under suspicion by the FBI for fixing games call a game as important as game 3 of the Spurs-Suns series is CRAZY.
Only a bonehead would equate this with what happened with the Reds. Back then the players threw the games for the championship. This story affects some games but has no reflection on the championship. The Suns shot 20% more free throws in the series as a jump shooting team and still lost. The Cav's were never in the building. Utah and Denver played hard but just were not ready, yet. :dramaquee

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.

But at what cost?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Only a bonehead would equate this with what happened with the Reds. Back then the players threw the games for the championship. This story affects some games but has no reflection on the championship. The Suns shot 20% more free throws in the series as a jump shooting team and still lost. The Cav's were never in the building. Utah and Denver played hard but just were not ready, yet. :dramaquee

Only a bonehead would be so blind as to not recognize the power of public perception and accept that perception can seem like reality more times than not.

[Extra Stout]

Only a bonehead would equate this with what happened with the Reds. Back then the players threw the games for the championship. This story affects some games but has no reflection on the championship. The Suns shot 20% more free throws in the series as a jump shooting team and still lost. The Cav's were never in the building. Utah and Denver played hard but just were not ready, yet. :dramaquee
Well, we don't know how far this goes yet. There might not be a direct analogy to the Black Sox scandal, but if there are multiple officials, coaches, players, and "validators" on the take, then it compromises the integrity of the league to the point where the whole season is tainted.

[boutons_]

July 23, 2007
Sports of The Times

Union Chief Wonders if N.B.A. Was Focused

By WILLIAM C. RHODEN

Last week, Bill Hunter, the executive director of the N.B.A. Players Association, received what, at the time, seemed to be an unusual e-mail attachment from the N.B.A. office.

The document was a questionnaire requesting detailed background information and disclosures from N.B.A. officials. “I was wondering why they sent to me a questionnaire seeking all this background information,” Hunter said yesterday during a telephone conversation from Italy.

Now it all makes sense.

Last Friday, the league acknowledged that the F.B.I. was investigating Tim Donaghy, a veteran N.B.A. official, on the suspicion that he bet on games, including ones in which he officiated.

Hunter said that after he received the inadvertent e-mail message, he called his secretary, who told him that the N.B.A. said the document had been sent to Hunter by mistake; it was intended to go to the referees.

“So I guess they’re now doing this huge background check on every referee,” Hunter said, “asking for their history, credit rating, everything.”

According to law enforcement officials, authorities are examining whether Donaghy made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered over the last two seasons.

For Hunter, the allegations raised issues of where the league spends its energy and resources in marketing, and monitoring, itself. In recent seasons, the league has made a concerted effort to control player behavior on and off the court. Now, in the wake of the F.B.I.’s investigation, the N.B.A. may have a major blind spot.

“When we talk about image,” Hunter said, “the focus has always been on the players, because we have a league that is predominately black, so a lot of other things probably tend to go unscrutinized.

“If anything, this demonstrates that they weren’t fully focused,” Hunter added, referring to the N.B.A., “that they were focusing more on the game in terms of player conduct as opposed to reviewing whether or not the game itself was in jeopardy, in terms of conduct by referees.”

A determination of guilt or innocence has yet to be made, but the mere fact that the F.B.I. is conducting its inquiry forces a league to look at the men and women who enforce games and help determine their outcome.

One of the critical but unanswered aspects of the F.B.I. investigation is how long the N.B.A. and Commissioner David Stern knew that a veteran referee was under investigation.

Yesterday, two people briefed on the investigation said the league did not know of it until after the season ended.

“I don’t know what Stern knew or what he didn’t know,” Hunter said. “He didn’t disclose anything to me. All I know is that David pays people to keep him informed. He makes every effort to know everything there is to know.”

•

Perhaps the F.B.I. informed Stern of the investigation but asked him to refrain from making any moves until it made sure it had a solid case, Hunter said.

Hunter pointed out that Bernie Colbert, formerly a special agent in charge of the Buffalo division of the F.B.I., is now the N.B.A.’s chief of security.

“David pays for information,” Hunter said, referring to the league’s willingness to devote resources to a security staff. “He doesn’t like to be embarrassed. Maybe in this instance he was. All I know is that his chief of security is a former F.B.I. agent.”

Hunter said that none of the players had expressed any knowledge about an investigation, although some players, Rasheed Wallace in particular, had expressed concerns about Donaghy. In 2003, the N.B.A. suspended Wallace, then with Portland, for seven games after he confronted Donaghy on the loading dock of the Rose Garden arena. Donaghy had called a technical foul on Wallace during a game against Memphis.

Hunter said the players union challenged the fines levied against Wallace. “We got most of his money back because we just thought this guy was way out of line when he confronted Rasheed when it was all about the calls that he had made during the course of the game,” Hunter said.

We have yet to hear Donaghy’s side of the story and the F.B.I. has yet to make any arrests. But at a time of plummeting television ratings, the N.B.A. can ill afford a scandal that violates the essence of what the public loves about games: honest and fair competition.

( you mean like drug-free sports? http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif )

•

“It affects us because it affects the image, sanctity and the integrity of the game,” Hunter said. “If in fact that’s going on, I know that Stern has to be extremely concerned.”

( my guess is that extremely few players GAF about "image, sanctity and the integrity of the game". It's not a game, it's a grueling job that pays an average of $5M/year )

Stern, who did not respond to a request for comment last night, said in a statement last week that the investigation was focused on a single referee.

The league can only hope that Donaghy was acting alone among officials and not in a network.

“We’ve got a serious problem as it is,” Hunter said. “But if it penetrates beyond that” — and involves others in the league — “then we’ve got grave problems.” Stern knows how to market. In 2003, in a typical lecture about the importance of preserving the image of the N.B.A., he said that what fans “want to see is basketball, and we’re anxious to show our game.”

Stern has presided over expansion, globalization, lockouts and brawls. But in the wake of a potential scandal, maintaining the public’s trust could be the commissioner’s toughest sell yet.

E-mail: [email protected]

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Right there... conflicting reports from the NYT (end of season) and Denver Post (January) about when the NBA knew about Donaghy. Somebody's source is wrong.

I think the NBA is going to have to prove without a doubt that they didn't know about this until the season concluded or this season just might be in doubt if they allowed Donaghy to ref any game, much less playoff games.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

As far as background checks go and if I remember correctly (our resident officer can give us the solid facts), SAPD won't even hire people if they carry too much debt.

[nkdlunch]

hope Stern resigns. we need new blood.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I'm really at a loss for how little background checking they really do for refs. I realize that the league has been in existence for a while without any big scandal like this but did it really never occur to them that such a thing was a possibility? The article makes it sound like a credit check is not part of the usual procedure. I expect the league is going to be scrambling to cover its ass as well as it can. I'm sure in time we'll know exactly who knew what when, but for now what's coming out does not sound good. It's especially shocking considering how much time and effort they reportedly put into quality control for the refs to have this happen out of the blue.

I just hope this doesn't turn out to be the tip of the iceberg.

[angel_luv]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.


I see your point.

Too bad they couldn't have phased him out after the first round of play offs.

[Dave McNulla]

The only justification I could think of, is that they didn't want to tip anyone off, by just YANKING him out immediately.tip off the publich? i could not buy that one. it's not like we have a schedule of which games the refs are supposed to officiate.

do you mean tip off the mobsters? maybe, but the harm outweighs the good. we didn't tell you that the terrorists were going to bomb your home because we didn't want to tip them off. doesn't make sense, especially for playoffs. the league could just tell him that he didn't qualify based on too many bad calls.