Tim Donaghy's New Book...

[I_H8_Crawford]

All just bitter ramblings by a man shamed?

Or is he exposing the dirty laundry of the NBA?

Couple excerpts here:

Star Treatment:

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."

Remember Kings/Lakers in 2002?

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.

More quotes here:

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts...nt-you-to-read

[Clever_Iggy]

Donaghy's a scumbag. I won't buy his book out of principle. I didn't like what Jose Canseco did but at least there's quantifiable proof of steroids in baseball. Conspiracy theories about the refs trying to control the outcome of games at the behest of David Stern is a lame attempt by someone with no credibility to earn a quick buck.

Even those quotes seem contrived. State names, dates, referee's involved, who from the league office, how often... "word came down from the league office"... "one referee would tell the other two." I doubt his book will be either detailed or supported by any measurable evidence.

Crawl back to your hole you degenerate POS.

Don't support this ######.

[malcolmk14]

I would not put much stock into anything this guy says. The league has more to lose than gain by fixing games.

There is plenty of evidence to the contrary that the league fixes calls to get better ratings. The 2005 and 2007 finals immediately come to mind.

[mykalberta]

I agree his is a scumbag but to ignore things in NBA games that happen on a nightly basis, where some players gettign chicken shat calls while star players dont get the same call. Unless every NBA ref is corrupt, its something larger from the league.

In a team sport where you need star players to preform to have a product I dont doubht its in the leagues best effort for Kobe/Lebraon/Wade etc not to fould out of games - yes its those players who are constantly driving and who are supposed to be good defenders who should be getting fouls called for and against them.

[zarrell]

I used to actually like watching basketball, but the reffing in the NBA really turns me off. A foul is a foul, travelling is more than TWO steps without dribbling, not four. And six fouls to foul out is ridiculous. Make it 5 like college and give each team 2 timeouts per half, not 20. The NBA as it is, is completely unwatchable IMO.

[Resolute 14]

He's been accusing the league of fixing games from the day he got caught fixing games himself. His credibility is near zero.

[arloiginla]

I believe a lot of what he says. Basketball is one of the easiest games to fix because of all the foul calls and how subjective they can be.

The Lakers DO get favourable officiating. And star players DO get all the calls.

To go one step further with his accusations, is not that far-fetched.

Canseco II - you guys all call him a liar now, watch and see.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by arloiginla

I believe a lot of what he says. Basketball is one of the easiest games to fix because of all the foul calls and how subjective they can be.

The Lakers DO get favourable officiating. And star players DO get all the calls.

To go one step further with his accusations, is not that far-fetched.

Canseco II - you guys all call him a liar now, watch and see.

Exactly, when Jose came out he got torn to shreds for having no cred. Well looking back years later it turns out that much of what he said was true.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if 90% of what Donaghy is saying is true, perhaps a little exaggerated but true.

[Regorium]

The league really tried hard to make Lakers-Cavs happen last year.

I just remember watching the Eastern finals and just my mind being blown at the amount of bad calls over every single game. One that stuck out in my mind was a 100% clean block on James by Howard, which got called, and happened to be his 6th foul, letting James have 3 free throws.

Of course, James is the anti-clutch and manages to blow his ridiculous amount of free throw opportunities, and the Magic fought through it and won.

That's just one example of a team that managed to fight through the league trying to fix it. Pistons and Spurs did it too because they really were that solid and that good.

2002 between Sac and LA, I'm not quite that convinced, because I remember that Sacramento went something like 55% from the FT line in game 7 while having almost 2x the opportunities as the lakers. That's what cost them the series, not the reffing.

I think that the book is over-exaggerated, but I would not be surprised if it was true.

[flip]

Wow, having read that entire article and all the stuff he says I just don't see how it can all be fake. That would take a hell of a lot of time to make up.

Not really a surprise. It would be scary to know how much of this type of stuff goes on in soccer, hockey, football and baseball.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by flip

Wow, having read that entire article and all the stuff he says I just don't see how it can all be fake. That would take a hell of a lot of time to make up.

Not really a surprise. It would be scary to know how much of this type of stuff goes on in soccer, hockey, football and baseball.

Huh? To me, the book sounds like a ref who's busted, and now just trying to make a quick buck by taking his observations to another level and exaggerating those observations. Why didn't he tell the prosecutors in at the time? Why bring it out through a book? To make a quick buck that's why. You're telling me a huge conspiracy like that where hundreds of people are involved, and nobody has come out with it until now through a book...and of all people, it's this guy? This guy has no crediblity whatsoever. Canseco at least had nothing to gain at the time (aside from the dough) and voluntarily went to congress about his doings. Bad calls aside, this Donoghty guy is picking on ref's individual characteristics more than anything.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Well one way to know if there's any cred to the accusations in the book is if the NBA and the named refs file any law suits.

If this is all made up they can sue his ass off.

If they don't want to allow access to records about his alleged stories they will probably huff and puff, but won't really do anything.

[arloiginla]

Originally Posted by fleury

Huh? To me, the book sounds like a ref who's busted, and now just trying to make a quick buck by taking his observations to another level and exaggerating those observations. Why didn't he tell the prosecutors in at the time? Why bring it out through a book? To make a quick buck that's why. You're telling me a huge conspiracy like that where hundreds of people are involved, and nobody has come out with it until now through a book...and of all people, it's this guy? This guy has no crediblity whatsoever. Canseco at least had nothing to gain at the time (aside from the dough) and voluntarily went to congress about his doings. Bad calls aside, this Donoghty guy is picking on ref's individual characteristics more than anything.

Actually, it makes a lot of sense. Sure tons of people are involved in conspiracies like that but they all have far too much to lose if they come out and bust the whole ring.

A guy like Donaghy who is in jail and will never ref another NBA game anyway, has nothing to lose anyway so he decides to tattle. Why would he tell prosecutors at the time? He gains nothing that way. By writing the book he'll make money, and at the same time drag the others in the ring down with him.

It's brilliant.