Donaghy made bets depending on ref crews... - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

mikhail1973 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

In pleading guilty to two felony counts related to gambling yesterday, Tim Donaghy cast a cloud over all referees when he said in federal court that one of his betting tips to gamblers centered on referees' relationships with certain NBA players.

Donaghy also said he made picks based on which referee crew would be working a game, and that he got paid for every pick that was correct.
In addition, the disgraced former NBA official said he made picks on some games he worked.
By acknowledging he used referees' identities as a handicapping tool, Donaghy implied NBA officials show favoritism to some teams and players - a widely held theory that has sullied the league's image.
The NBA's Referees Association was quick to release a statement after Donaghy's court appearance to dispute the integrity issue.
Association spokesman Lamell McMorris said, "We recognize that a cloud has descended upon all referees, but we are committed to showing the public this was an isolated event and NBA officiating is conducted at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and fairness."
Donaghy said in court yesterday, "I was given access to master referee schedules that included the identities of officiating crews for particular games. I was also aware of the manner in which officials interact with players and called games as well as the condition of players prior to a game. By having this non-public information, I was in a unique position to predict the outcome of NBA games."
Donaghy said he used "this non-public information in order to pick NBA teams that I predicted would win particular games and also cover the point spreads set by professional bookmakers."
Commissioner David Stern would not comment directly on the implication that refs show favoritism, but acknowledged he is investigating all aspects of officiating. "We will continue our ongoing review of the league's officials program to ensure the best possible policies and procedures are in place to protect the integrity of the game," he said.

RealGM: Wiretap Archives: Donaghy Hints At Other Refs' Biases
click on [READ] to read the whole article

roscoe36 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 11:17 PM

If the crews were announced in advance, Vegas could better track and adjust the lines for those biases and tendencies.

Just another case of Stern's arrogance coming back to bite him. He knows best, even when he's had the wool pulled over his eyes.

**max** · #3 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 12:55 AM

I was hoping that something like this would come out of it. Force Stern to not ignore it.

16 Mile · #4 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 01:28 AM

Let me get this straight, Donaghy didn't actually have to call the game, he just had to know which ref crew was going to call the game in advance to know which team would cover?

Worst, EVER news for Stern.

Will the owners finally can this clown?

**max** · #5 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16 Mile

Let me get this straight, Donaghy didn't actually have to call the game, he just had to know which ref crew was going to call the game in advance to know which team would cover?

Worst, EVER news for Stern.

Will the owners finally can this clown?

I don't know. It will be very intersting if Congress has that hearing.

The Low · #6 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 06:39 PM

The best news for me is that Donaghy is supposed to name others involved. There is nothing sweeter than Stern having his "fixed" league exposed as actually fixed.

roscoe36 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 07:01 PM

If the league is fixed, maybe it means Flip Saunders is a really good coach.

The Low · #8 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roscoe36

If the league is fixed, maybe it means Flip Saunders is a really good coach.

Does not compute....does not...compute............does.............not..... .comp....

roscoe36 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 08:04 PM

I knew you wouldn't let that one slide. Good response.

16 Mile · #10 (**permalink**) 08-19-2007, 01:56 AM

Up to 20 refs being named? Could the NBA be even worse than professional wrestling?

Scary thing for Stern, Donaghy wasn't just fixing games, he knew how to identify the games that were going to be fixed.