Donaghy book canceled over liability

[clevfan]

Donaghy book canceled over liability

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
By By Sam Alipour
ESPN The Magazine

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy's tell-all book has been cancelled by Triumph Books and parent company Random House, the publisher said.

"Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA" was slated for publication later this month. The book was to have covered Donaghy's experience as an NBA referee and the events leading up to his conviction on federal wire fraud charges.

During the process of editing and vetting the manuscript, which Triumph received from Donaghy in the spring, Random House and its imprint made the joint decision to cancel the book out of "concerns over potential liability," according to an e-mail from a Triumph representative.

Donaghy, 42, remains behind bars for a probation violation following his 15 month prison sentence.

A New York judge sentenced Donaghy last year after the referee said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on NBA games -- including games he worked. Donaghy said he was a gambling addict.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce in the tips-for-payoffs scheme.

He was released from a federal prison in Pensacola to a halfway house in June. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24.

But Donaghy was sent back to prison in August when he was accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work, the U.S. Marshals Service said. His lawyer said it was all a misunderstanding.

Sam Alipour is a writer for ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[chairibofjustice]

lol NBA put the smackdown on that book ever getting out

[Scott Landau]

Damn, I was so looking forward to not buying it and not reading it!

[clevfan]

FROM DEADSPIN:

We've obtained a copy of Tim Donaghy's book, Blowing the Whistle, which purports to expose the NBA's "culture of fraud" and which Random House was set to publish next month — until, a source says, the league threatened to sue.

The book is the former referee's account of his time in the NBA and the events that led to his conviction, in 2007, on charges that he relayed inside information on NBA games — including several that he was working — to a professional gambler. Blowing the Whistle falls somewhere between a confessional and an indictment, both of his former colleagues and their employer. In the book, Donaghy alleges, among other things, that referee Dick Bavetta spoke unabashedly about his role as the NBA's "go-to guy." Donaghy cites Game 6 of the notorious 2002 Western Conference finals, between the Lakers and the Kings — a game that NBA conspiracy theorists still talk about as if it were basketball's grassy knoll. Donaghy, who was not assigned to the game, reports that Bavetta "openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7." We'll have excerpts later today.

Donaghy is currently in a federal detention center near Tampa, a week away from his release. About 10 months ago, he shopped the book to Triumph Books, an imprint of Random House, according to a source close to Donaghy. Triumph, the source says, "put forth a huge effort to verify every statement in that book." (Triumph's editorial director, Tom Bast, declined to comment.) Two weeks ago, Blowing the Whistle was ready for printing; 60 Minutes had plans to interview Donaghy in conjunction with the book's publication. Then the NBA came calling. "They came after Random House and threatened a lawsuit," the source says, "and Random House just rolled and decided to not go with it. It's really that simple." To his knowledge, no one at the NBA had actually read the book.

"Which is why," he goes on, "Triumph was so intrigued as to why the parent company decided to not go with it. Because there was no logical reasoning other than an open threat. It just doesn't make sense. If they had come down and said, 'There are some specific things that are flat-out lies or they're wrong and we think there are fabrications or something,' then there'd be some basis to say, 'OK, we need to back up and double-check this.' But this was just an open comment. And so we don't know what the specific basis of that potential suit might've been."

The book no longer has an Amazon page; it's cached here. Meanwhile, Donaghy is looking for another publisher. He may even self-publish. "It's dead right now," the source says. "The whole thing has fallen flat on its face. ... Obviously, the NBA has got some people running scared."


Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read

As promised earlier, here are a handful of excerpts from David Stern's favorite book, Blowing the Whistle, by Tim Donaghy:

To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn't have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees' locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice-he didn't have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.

After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees' locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell.

We had another variation of this gag simply referred to as the "first foul of the game" bet. While still in the locker room before tip-off, we would make a wager on which of us would call the game's first foul. That referee would either have to pay the ball boy or pick up the dinner tab for the other two referees. Sometimes, the ante would be $50 a guy. Like the technical foul bet, it was hilarious-only this time we were testing each other's nerves to see who had the guts to hold out the longest before calling a personal foul. There were occasions when we would hold back for two or three minutes-an eternity in an NBA game-before blowing the whistle. It didn't matter if bodies were flying all over the place; no fouls were called because no one wanted to lose the bet.

We played this little game during the regular season and summer league. After a game, all three refs would gather around the VCR and watch a replay of the game. Early in the contest, the announcers would say, "Holy cow! They're really letting them play tonight!" If they only knew...

During one particular summer game, Duke Callahan, Mark Wunderlich, and I made it to the three-minute mark in the first quarter without calling a foul. We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. The players were exhausted from the nonstop running when Callahan finally called the first foul because Mikki Moore of the New Jersey Nets literally tackled an opposing player right in front of him. Too bad for Callahan-he lost the bet.

I became so good at this game that if an obvious foul was committed right in front of me, I would call a travel or a three-second violation instead. Those violations are not personal fouls, so I was still in the running to win the bet. The players would look at me with disbelief on their faces as if to say, "What the hell was that?"

On star treatment:

Relationships between NBA players and referees were generally all over the board-love, hate, and everything in-between. Some players, even very good ones, were targeted by referees and the league because they were too talented for their own good. Raja Bell, formerly of the Phoenix Suns and now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, was one of those players. A defensive specialist throughout his career, Bell had a reputation for being a "star stopper." His defensive skills were so razor sharp that he could shut down a superstar, or at least make him work for his points. Kobe Bryant was often frustrated by Bell's tenacity on defense. Let's face it, no one completely shuts down a player of Kobe's caliber, but Bell could frustrate Kobe, take him out of his game, and interrupt his rhythm.

You would think that the NBA would love a guy who plays such great defense. Think again! Star stoppers hurt the promotion of marquee players. Fans don't pay high prices to see players like Raja Bell-they pay to see superstars like Kobe Bryant score 40 points. Basketball purists like to see good defense, but the NBA wants the big names to score big points.

If a player of Kobe's stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he's hurting the game.

If Kobe Bryant had two fouls in the first or second quarter and went to the bench, one referee would tell the other two, "Kobe's got two fouls. Let's make sure that if we call a foul on him, it's an obvious foul, because otherwise he's gonna go back to the bench. If he is involved in a play where a foul is called, give the foul to another player."

Similarly, when games got physically rough, we would huddle up and agree to tighten the game up. So we started calling fouls on guys who didn't really matter-"ticky-tack" or "touch" fouls where one player just touched another but didn't really impede his progress. Under regular circumstances these wouldn't be fouls, but after a skirmish we wanted to regain control. We would never call these types of fouls on superstars, just on the average players who didn't have star status. It was important to keep the stars on the floor.

Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford's grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson's team would win or at least cover the spread.

Madison Square Garden was the place to be for a marquee matchup between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks. I worked the game with Derrick Stafford and Gary Zielinski, knowing that the Knicks were a sure bet to get favorable treatment that night. Derrick Stafford had a close relationship with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, and he despised Heat coach Pat Riley. I picked the Knicks without batting an eye and settled in for a roller-coaster ride on the court.

During pregame warm-ups, Shaquille O'Neal approached Stafford and asked him to let some air out of the ball.

"Is this the game ball?" O'Neal asked. "It's too hard. C'mon, D, let a little air out of it."

Stafford then summoned one of the ball boys, asked for an air needle, and let some air out of the ball, getting a big wink and a smile from O'Neal.

On his fellow referees:

Dick Bavetta

Crawford wanted the game over quickly so he could kick back, relax, and have a beer; [Dick Bavetta] wanted it to keep going so he could hear his name on TV. He actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he'd wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.

I remember one nightmarish game I worked with Joe Crawford and Phil Robinson. Minnesota and New Orleans were in a tight game going into the last minute, and Crawford told us to make sure that we were 100 percent sure of the call every time we blew the whistle. When play resumed, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders started yelling at us to make a call. Robinson got intimidated and blew the whistle on New Orleans. The only problem was it wasn't the right call. Tim Floyd, the Hornets' coach, went nuts. He stormed the court and kicked the ball into the top row of the stadium. Robinson had to throw him out, and Minnesota won the game.
[...]
Later that week, Ronnie Nunn told me that we could have made something up at the other end against Minnesota to even things out. He even got specific-maybe we should have considered calling a traveling violation on Kevin Garnett. Talk about the politics of the game! Of course the official statement from the league office will always read, "There is no such thing as a makeup call."

That very first time Jack and I bet on an NBA game, Dick was on the court. The team we picked lost the game, but it covered the large point spread and that's how we won the money. Because of the matchup that night, I had some notion of who might win the game, but that's not why I was confident enough to pull the trigger and pick the other team. The real reason I picked the losing team was that I was just about certain they would cover the spread, no matter how badly they played. That is where Dick Bavetta comes into the picture.

From my earliest involvement with Bavetta, I learned that he likes to keep games close, and that when a team gets down by double-digit points, he helps the players save face. He accomplishes this act of mercy by quietly, and frequently, blowing the whistle on the team that's having the better night. Team fouls suddenly become one-sided between the contestants, and the score begins to tighten up. That's the way Dick Bavetta referees a game-and everyone in the league knew it.

Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan's Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That's a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest "cheating"? The credo of referees from high school to the NBA is "call them like you see them." Of course, that's a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team as opposed to another. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he the ultimate company man, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game most times he was on
the court?

Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to marshal the tempo and tone of a game better than any referee in the league, by far. He also knew how to take subtle-and not so subtle-cues from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the complexion of that series.

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.

In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls-calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.

"If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated.

As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta's crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time.

The 2002 series certainly wasn't the first or last time Bavetta weighed in on an important game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers were down by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter when Bavetta went to work. The Lakers outscored Portland 31–13 in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game and the series. It certainly didn't hurt the Lakers that they got to shoot 37 free throws compared to a paltry 16 for the Trail Blazers.

Two weeks before the 2003–04 season ended, Bavetta and I were assigned to officiate a game in Oakland. That afternoon before the tip-off, we were discussing an upcoming game on our schedule. It was the last regular-season game we were scheduled to work, pitting Denver against San Antonio. Denver had lost a game a few weeks prior because of a mistake made by the referees, a loss that could be the difference between them making or missing the playoffs. Bavetta told me Denver needed the win and that it would look bad for the staff and the league if the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. There were still a few games left on the schedule before the end of the season, and the standings could potentially change. But on that day in Oakland, Bavetta looked at me and casually stated, "Denver will win if they need the game. That's why I'm on it."

I was thinking, How is Denver going to win on the road in San Antonio? At the time, the Spurs were arguably the best team in the league. Bavetta answered my question before it was asked.

"Duncan will be on the bench with three fouls within the first five minutes of the game," he calmly stated.

Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn't the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA's "go-to guy."

As it turned out, Denver didn't need the win after all; they locked up a spot in the playoffs before they got to San Antonio. In a twist of fate, it was the Spurs that ended up needing the win to have a shot at the division title, and Bavetta generously accommodated. In our pregame meeting, he talked about how important the game was to San Antonio and how meaningless it was to Denver, and that San Antonio was going to get the benefit of the calls that night. Armed with this inside information, I called Jack Concannon before the game and told him to bet the Spurs.

To no surprise, we won big. San Antonio blew Denver out of the building that evening, winning by 26 points. When Jack called me the following morning, he expressed amazement at the way an NBA game could be manipulated. Sobering, yes; amazing, no. That's how the game is played in the National Basketball Association.

In a follow-up email to the referee staff and the league office, Crawford railed about the lack of respect players had for referees and the NBA's failure to back him up. Then, in a direct shot at the league's embracing of referees like Dick Bavetta, he fired a sharp rebuke:

"I also told [Stu Jackson] that the staff is an officiating staff of Dick Bavetta's-schmoozing and sucking people's asses to get ahead. Awful, but it is reality."

Crawford also touched on the fact that he was being excluded from working the playoffs that year:

"Look on the bright side everybody, MORE playoff games for you guys and Dick, maybe you will get to be crew chief in the 7th game of the Finals, which is a travesty in itself you even being in the Finals."

Tommy Nunez

My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to get past the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn't know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes. Nunez was the group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had a rooting interest.

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, "You would love to keep coming back here." He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.

Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey

Of course, Stafford had some friends in the league, too. I worked a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden with him on February 26, 2007. New York shot an astounding 39 free throws that night to Miami's paltry eight. It seemed like Stafford was working for the Knicks, calling fouls on Miami like crazy. Isiah Thomas was coaching the Knicks, and after New York's four-point victory, a guy from the Knicks came to our locker room looking for Stafford, who was in the shower. He told us that Thomas sent him to retrieve Stafford's home address; apparently, Stafford had asked the coach before the game for some autographed sneakers and jerseys for his kids. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Referee Jess Kersey was another one of Isiah Thomas' guys. They'd talk openly on the phone as if they had known each other since childhood. Thomas even told Kersey that he was pushing to get Ronnie Nunn removed from the supervisor's job so that Kersey and Dick Bavetta could take over. This sort of thing happened all the time, and I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta, and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!

Steve Javie


And then there was the ongoing feud between Javie and 76ers superstar Allen Iverson. The rift was so bad that Philadelphia general manager Billy King often called the league office to complain about Javie's treatment of Iverson during a game.

Iverson was eventually traded to Denver, and in his first game against his former team, he was tossed after two technicals. Afterward, Iverson implied Javie had a grudge against him, saying, "I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out. His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad." The league fined Iverson $25,000 for his comments, but most of the league referees thought the punishment was too lenient and were upset he wasn't suspended. As a result, we collectively decided to dispense a little justice of our own, sticking it to Iverson whenever we could.

Shortly after the Javie-Iverson incident, I worked a Jazz-Nuggets contest in Denver on January 6, 2007. During the pregame meeting, my fellow referees Bernie Fryer and Gary Zielinski agreed that we were going to strictly enforce the palming rule against Iverson. Palming the ball was something Iverson loved to do, but if he so much as came close to a palm, we were going to blow the whistle. Obviously, our actions were in direct retaliation for Iverson's rant against Javie. True to form, I immediately excused myself and made an important phone call.

Sticking to our pregame pledge, each of us whistled Iverson for palming in the first quarter-we all wanted in on the fun. The violations seemed to affect Iverson's rhythm and he played terribly that night, shooting 5-for -19 with five turnovers. After getting repeatedly whistled all night long, Iverson approached me in an act of submission.

"How long am I going to be punished for Javie?" he quietly inquired.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Allen," I responded.

[stevo]

Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford's grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson's team would win or at least cover the spread.

Why would they not want that out there.

[chairibofjustice]

You I've been following the Donaghy case since the begining and there some rather disturbing conclusions I've come to.

First off, according to the government fixing a game isn't always a crime.

Obviously when you're fixing a game for gambling purposes, that something the government can go after. But when your refs are fixing games, or at least calling games in a certain way for tv ratings, well that's just entertainment and therefore not a crime.

I mean if what the NBA refs were doing was considered illegal, wouldn't professional wrestling be guilty of doing the same thing?

I find it boggling that more people don't talk about this distinction.

[Scott Landau]

Donaghy's got nothing on the New Jersey Nets as far as fixing games goes.

[Michael Cash]

I'll publish this fucker, get my this guys number. This is a sure best seller. Dumb move to cave the NBA's threat. Someone else is gonna pick it up and make a killing. Wish it was me

[Mr Falcone]

Not like anything he says, we don't already know..I mean WTF its the NBA

[howid]

nothing shocking to veteran nba bettors except he actually names names, there could be so many lawsuits anyone who publishes the whole uncensored transcript of the book would be tied up in court for ages.

thanks to deadspin and clevfan for the excerpts.

[analyzer]

I don't think it's much of an extrapolation to extend this to the NFL. Why do so many folks laugh at me, even on this forum, when I suggest the NFL has orchestrated outcomes?

[howid]

I don't think it's much of an extrapolation to extend this to the NFL. Why do so many folks laugh at me, even on this forum, when I suggest the NFL has orchestrated outcomes?

i'm constantly amazed over the years at the bulletin board veterans who believe pro sports aren't fixed lol.

[lone D]

I think the book needs to be published.

[dinque]

Originally Posted by howid

i'm constantly amazed over the years at the bulletin board veterans who believe pro sports aren't fixed lol.

there is a difference between fixed games against a spread or officiating games so home teams or star players get calls.different umps have different strike zonesm is that tixing bb totals?

[clevfan]

Updated: October 29, 2009, 4:08 PM ET

NBA: Integrity questions taken seriously

ESPN

The NBA said Thursday it will review allegations reportedly made in a tell-all book written by former referee Tim Donaghy -- a book that was pulled before publication in the last two weeks.

Among the allegations reportedly made by Donaghy in the book "Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA," Donaghy was able to bet on games based on information on the styles of officials and some of their relationships with certain players and teams.

"In 2008 Mr. Donaghy's allegations were thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office," the NBA said in a statement on Thursday. "We are reassured that the U.S. Government completed its investigation finding that the only criminal conduct was that of Mr. Donaghy.

"We take any question regarding the integrity of our game extremely seriously. At the time Mr. Donaghy's crimes came to light, we appointed Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's office of the Southern District of New York to lead a comprehensive independent review of the NBA's officiating program. Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy.

"As with all allegations concerning the integrity of our officiating program, these latest assertions by Mr. Donaghy will be turned over to Mr. Pedowitz for a complete review."

Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. At trial, he said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on NBA games -- including games he worked, starting in 2003.

"The National Basketball Referees Association is disappointed, but not surprised, with the actions taken by Tim Donaghy," Lloyd Pierson, a representative of the NBRA, wrote in an e-mail to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. "This continues to be the Tim that we know. He repeatedly attempts to highlight himself in the media, but the 59 NBA referees will continue to officiate games with the utmost integrity and the focus will remain on the 2009-2010 NBA Season."

The Web site Deadspin.com released what it said were excerpts of the book Wednesday night.




Also Wednesday, a representative of Triumph Books, a division of Random House Publishing, wrote in an e-mail that the company had backed away from the potential book out of "concerns over potential liability."

Pat Berdan, a senior consultant at Executive Prison Consultants and Donaghy's liaison to the book publisher, told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that the NBA "threatened that they would sue" if the book was published. An NBA spokesman denied the claim, saying the league was aware of the book but had not received or reviewed a copy.

In court papers from the 2008 case against Donaghy, prosecutors said that he gave gambling associates sensitive information, including which crews would officiate games and how the various officials and players interacted.

His actions "compromised his objectivity as a referee because of his personal financial interest in the outcome of NBA games," the government said.

Donaghy said in a court filing that the league routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results, while discouraging them from calling technical fouls on star players.

Donaghy was released from a federal prison in Pensacola, Fla., to a halfway house in June. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24, but Donaghy was returned to prison in August when he was accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work, the U.S. Marshals Service said. His lawyer said it was all a misunderstanding.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report

[clevfan]

Can’t buy his latest call

By Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe Columnist | October 31, 2009

Tim Donaghy is back in the news. Serving time in federal prison, the former NBA official is once again trying to take down the NBA and its corps of referees.

The dirty zebra has written a book - which may or may not be published - and he’s again claiming that the games are not on the level. He’s naming names, and some of the stuff found its way to the Internet. The NBA has delivered Donaghy’s latest allegations to a former federal prosecutor who reviewed league officiating when Donaghy’s crimes first came to light.

There is probably some truth in Donaghy’s new charges. The ref rat claims stars get special treatment - not exactly a “stop the presses’’ bulletin.

It’s not hard to imagine refs playing parlor games regarding who might make the first call of the night. Maybe a guy did T-up Rasheed Wallace in order to make his fellow refs responsible for tipping the ball boys. Some refs don’t like some players. It’s only human.

But fixing games and gambling on games is another matter. Making sure a series goes seven games is corrupt. Helping the Celtics and Lakers at the expense of the Cavaliers and Spurs is consumer fraud. It’s criminal.

And I’m not buying it.

Donaghy is a crook and a rat. He’s also broke and back in prison. And he’s trying to make a buck. His claims got some traction yesterday on the local talk shows. The unsubstantiated charges make great Internet fodder. And I am writing about it because, well, people are talking about it.

But I simply refuse to believe that the games we watch are not on the level.

Call me naive. It won’t be the first time. Certainly those of us who bought into the Sosa-McGwire home run chase of 1998 were snookered. I never thought Pete Rose would have bet on baseball while he was managing the Reds. If I’d covered the 1919 World Series, I’d have probably written at great length about the White Sox choking and underperforming.

But tanking?

Say it ain’t so.

I went to the Garden last night to watch the Celtics and the Bulls. I kept my eyes on Tom Washington, Eric Lewis, and Zach Zarba. I saw nothing suspicious. There are going to be bad calls, suspect calls. I just don’t think the refs are in the bag.

I talked with players, coaches, and ex-players, and naturally no one was buying into Donaghy’s premise. Not on the record, anyway. NBA players are not fools and only a fool would slander the men who make the calls that impact their livelihood.

“I just have faith that everybody is doing what they are supposed to do,’’ said Ray Allen. “The refs are not always perfect. There are a lot of judgment calls. That’s why we, as players, need to have good relationships with them. We try not to let the game get to a point where it’s in the referees’ hands.’’

I asked Allen if he ever felt an official “had it in for you?’’

“Yes,’’ he said quickly. “For sure. Sometimes we may be paranoid, you might think a guy doesn’t like you.’’

Danny Ainge had the same reaction to the question.

“I felt Earl Strom had it in for me when I played,’’ said Ainge. “One time I went up to him and asked him how much longer I was going to have to pay for something I’d done and he looked at me like he didn’t know what I was talking about.’’

We don’t need Donaghy going all Canseco on us to know that stuff happens. In 2007, veteran official Joe Crawford was suspended by the NBA after ejecting Tim Duncan. It was not the first time Crawford was slapped by his bosses. Back in the 1980s, Celtics coach Bill Fitch was under the impression that Crawford had been punished for making too many calls against a team that failed to provide him with tickets for a game. Any time thereafter, when Fitch felt Crawford was foiling the Celtics at the Garden, Fitch would say, “What’s the matter, Joe? Didn’t you get your tickets tonight?’’

None of it is OK. Anything less than total impartiality is unacceptable, and all leagues need to be vigilant.

But game-fixing? Series-fixing? I don’t think so. Too many people would have to be in on it. It would get out.

Bettors and fans who love teams more than their own families inevitably see demons. But I’ve never understood how any fan could make an emotional (or financial) investment in games that are fixed.

You can’t go to the Garden and write a story about officials without checking with Tommy Heinsohn. Part of the NBA since 1956, Tommy has said more about referees than anyone in Greater Boston. He’s battled the whistles from the court, the bench, and the broadcast booth. Did he ever think the games were fixed?

“No,’’ said Heinsohn. “Sometimes it’s subjective. You wonder what a guy thinks of you if he says you’re nothing but a showboat. But I never believed it wasn’t on the level.’’

“I’m not going to believe what a criminal says,’’ said Doc Rivers. “No doubt, there are times we are not happy. It’s a human game, just like those baseball games with the umpires last night. There’s always going to be stuff like that.’’

“I read the excerpts [from Donaghy’s book],’’ said Ainge. “You have to consider the source. It’s easy to write and say things and blow it out of proportion. I just played in too many big games to believe all that. I believe they’re doing the best they can and that the players decide the outcome.’’

Players decide the outcome. If you don’t believe that, why bother watching the games?

[clevfan]

A foul affair for the NBA
Disgraced Donaghy still haunting league

Bruce Arthur, National Post
Published: Wednesday, November 04, 2009

There is a guy who emails me every once in a while, insisting that all major professional sports are fixed. Not gambling-fixed; professional wrestling-fixed. He seems convinced that it is all theatre, designed to boost the chances of the big-market teams to maximize revenues, featuring a cast of thousands.

You can try to tell him all about the New York Knicks and the New York Mets -- oh, and point out that the idea is impossible to execute -- but he won't listen. I've given up trying.

Conspiracy theories, admittedly, can be seductive. And nowhere do they flourish as they do in the National Basketball Association, where tales of mythical malfeasance enliven the long winter nights. And that is where Tim Donaghy comes in. Again.

Today, Donaghy will be released from prison. The former NBA referee was in there for 13 months for wire fraud and gambling felonies. During that time he co-wrote a book, tentatively called Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA.

With a title like that you might think it's about the Toronto Raptors' defence, or about Don Nelson's coaching, but no.

Instead, Donaghy appears to be determined to peddle as much salaciousness as he can write down, whether or not any of it is true.

Random House was set to publish the book but backed out -- presumably after its lawyers pointed out that by publishing completely uncorroborated stories of criminal conspiracy, it would open itself up to a lawsuit or two.

But in excerpts published by deadspin.com,Donaghy makes a mess of allegations. He claims referees favour star players, that some have biases against certain players, that referees manipulate games to please the league. Specifically, he alleges that the infamous Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Final between Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers was indirectly rigged by the league. He names names, too. "Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation," he writes. "[Tommy] Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger," for the referee's alleged favouritism of San Antonio over Phoenix in 2007. Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey were in Isiah Thomas's pocket. On and on it goes.

Now some of this stuff is hardly news. As Charles Barkley said on TNT, "The notion that they give the stars special treatment, they do it in every sport. The notion that certain officials don't like certain guys, knock me over with a big old feather."

Indeed, personal conflict or star-struck bias is a natural outcome of any venture involving humans. So, for that matter is incompetence -- just look at the mess of the post-season made by baseball's umpires, one of whom called a guy safe when he was tagged while standing three feet away from a base. As in the NFL and the NHL, basketball has gotten so ungodly fast that the guys charged with keeping the beast under control can screw it up more easily than ever.

But however much truth there is to this toxic bit of storytelling -- and it says here that there are probably elements of truth in there, but that the game-fixing is exceedingly unlikely -- it is clear that Donaghy is a very canny customer. He has selected stories that sound plausible, whatever their worth. He has made a lot of he-said/she-said allegations. And some people believe.

"Hey, it lets people know that I ain't a liar," Boston Celtics forward and longtime referee antagonist Rasheed Wallace told The Boston Herald last week. "I mean, that's pretty much all I got to say about that. Everybody thought I was crazy and militant, but, hey, it came to light."

Of course, Wallace was the same guy who was suspended seven games for allegedly threatening Donaghy on the loading dock after a game in Portland in 2003.

Oh, and after his Detroit Pistons lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, Wallace said "This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment. It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."

Come to think of it, maybe he's the guy who has been emailing me.

Donaghy's book seems a longshot to be published, if only because employing two dozen extra lawyers would be tough in today's economy. But that doesn't mean it can't do damage to the league, which has launched a second review of the new charges. (The first review found Donaghy acted alone, which satisfied none of the conspiracy mongers.) Whatever the league finds, this is a blend of poison that can stay in the league's bloodstream indefinitely.

The closest allegory for this would be Pete Rose. Rose signs apology baseballs now -- "I'm sorry I bet on baseball" -- two decades after being banned from the game. The Hit King will sell anything he can, even his crimes against baseball; he has been a thorn in baseball's thumb for 20 years. He bet on baseball, he bet on his team, he lied about it, and the game excluded him. And he has been trying to make a buck off the whole thing ever since.

Donaghy, broke and disgraced, will presumably do the same.

But Pete Rose was a lone gunman; Donaghy might have been a lone gunman, but he was working for the government. It's the difference between believing Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy, and believing it was a conspiracy. Unlike Rose, there was never any question of Tim Donaghy being excommunicated from the NBA. It doesn't mean he can't come back to haunt them, though.

[howid]

that all major professional sports are fixed.. Not gambling-fixed; professional wrestling-fixed.

how else do you describe the jazz-mavs game last night... ''the call comes in from vegas'' before the 4th q and the jazz start clearing a lane for nowitzki every possession while throwing up nothing but long range bricks or turning the ball over. and the charade continues until the mavs don't just get the game but the spread cover as well lol.

[Scott Landau]

That was a weird game, a team laying 6.5 trailing 67-52 after 3Q and then covering. Mavs failed to reac 20 in 3 the first 3 Quarters, and then wins 4Q 44-18. But I think the majority of bettors played DAL. So who knows? Questionable ending for sure.