12/21/24
August 15, 2007
NBA Ref Tim Donaghy Pleads Guilty to Gambling Charges: This morning, the disgraced ref pled to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information to other individuals and will cooperate with investigators. He bet on games he officiated and conspired with others to do the same, allegedly for members of organized crime. The charges bring up to 25 years in prison.
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:40 AM - 6 comments
I don't think it's closed at all, especially if this turns out to be a kind of plea-bargain. (He is cooperating with prosecutors now. Who knows what's to come.) If he turns in the people he was working with, whoever they may be, he'll see far less than that much jail time, and if other referees turn out to be involved, then this really threatens the alleged legitimacy of the league. Really, though, the NBA has been more about the show than the final score at least back to since Dr. J was in short shorts. There isn't a damned thing wrong with that, but the wink-and-nudge about it being otherwise is kind of disingenuous. This was a logical progression from that, and honestly, even if all these things are true, it doesn't change my opinion about where the men's game is headed.
posted by chicobangs at 11:15 AM on August 15, 2007
posted by catfish at 03:24 PM on August 15, 2007
Conveniently for the NBA, Donaghy doesn't mention any influence that his gambling had on his officiating. Sounds like bullshit to me.
posted by bperk at 04:16 PM on August 15, 2007
I'm giving 4 to 1 odds he gets probation...
posted by irunfromclones at 06:45 PM on August 17, 2007
Sports stations are saying that Donaghy will implicate up to 20 others refs who gamble with bookmakers. While they supposely did not bet on NBA games, can we trust that they are not in the same situation as Donaghy? The NBA has major credibility problems right now.
posted by sportsdeacon at 11:25 PM on August 17, 2007
We'll still never see American Pro Sports officiating the same way again. We all sorta knew that someone was on the take like this, but now that it's been confirmed? I just feel for the few honest refs out there trying to call a good game every time out. Any questionable call and they're gonna catch hell even if they don't deserve it. Anyway, this chapter of the "Summer of Sin" is now closed, at any rate.