<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'> NEW YORK (AP) -- Former referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to two felony charges Wednesday in an NBA betting scandal that rocked the league and raised questions about the integrity of games. </p> Donaghy faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He was released on a $250,000 bond. </p> Donaghy provided recommendations, called "picks," to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Court Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him. </p> The picks included information about games that Donaghy officiated, the government said. </p> The information was not public, the judge said. Donaghy had "unique access," including what crews would officiate at games, the interaction of different officials and players, and the physical condition of certain players. </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="1" align="left"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> He concealed the scheme from the NBA and other referees to avoid detection, the judge said. </p> Donaghy also must pay a $500,000 fine and at least $30,000 in restitution.</div></p> More at the link. </p>
Wow, let the circus begin.</p> It's too bad the NBA was one big more big trade away from having this on the back burner.</p> How long is this going to drag out?</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="8" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="wiretap_key_header">Stern Comments On Donaghy Plea</td> </tr> <tr> <td>August 15, 2007 - 12:58 pm</td> </tr> <tr> <td>RealGM Staff Report - NBA Commissioner David Stern has issued the following statement following the plea agreement reached by Tim Donaghy on Wednesday. “As expected, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty today to betting on NBA games, including games in which he officiated, and providing confidential information to others who bet on NBA games. We will continue with our ongoing and thorough review of the league’s officiating program to ensure that the best possible policies and procedures are in place to protect the integrity of our game.” <font size="1" color="#cc6600">[READ]</font></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="425" height="350"><param name="height" value="350" /><param name="width" value="425" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="flashvars" value="id=D81F2344BF5AC7BB51059998CA19005F7419A04AD684122A" /><param name="src" value="http://www.superdeluxe.com/static/swf/share_vidplayer.swf" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="id=D81F2344BF5AC7BB51059998CA19005F7419A04AD684122A" src="http://www.superdeluxe.com/static/swf/share_vidplayer.swf"></embed></object></div><div>Tim Donaghy in Good Foulers. lol</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (azcentral)</div><div class='quotemain'><h1 class="topHeadline">Donaghy received 1 payment in Phoenix</h1> <p id="mainByline" class="story"> Associated Press Aug. 15, 2007 11:13 PM </p> <div id="mainTextBody" class="story"> Tim Donaghy, the disgraced former NBA referee, pleaded guilty Wednesday to giving inside information to gamblers and taking payments when his information was right. Thomas Martino, one of Donaghy's alleged co-conspirators, is accused of delivering payments to Donaghy in Phoenix in January, Toronto in March, and Washington in April. Donaghy was in those cities to officiate games, though it is not known if he was paid specifically for those games. A look at the games he worked in those locations: Jan. 5: Suns 108, Heat 80 - Phoenix opens as an 18-point favorite and cruises against a Miami team playing without Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and coach Pat Riley. Heat starting guard Jason Williams is ejected by referee Gary Zielinski with 9:07 to play after scoring 14 points. March 11: Raptors 120, SuperSonics 119, OT - Favored by 5 1/2, the Raptors rally to force overtime by outscoring Seattle 35-28 in the fourth quarter. With the teams combining for 90 points in the final 17 minutes, they easily surpass the over/under that had opened at 202 1/2 and moved to 204. April 10: Nets 96, Wizards 92 - Favored by three points, the Nets held on against a Washington team missing Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler when DeShawn Stevenson drove the lane twice in the final minute and didn't draw a foul either time. The officiating crew of Donaghy, Joe Forte and Sean Wright had made plenty of calls before that: The ragged game included 54 fouls and 64 free throws.</div></div><div id="mainTextBody" class="story"></div><div id="mainTextBody" class="story"><font size="1" color="#cc6600">[READ]</font> </div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><div id="headline"> <h1>DIRTBAG DONAGHY HINTS AT OTHER REFS' BIASES</h1> </div> <h3>By MARC BERMAN</h3> <div id="sslideshow"> <div id="slideshow"> <div id="SLIDESIMAGE"> </div> <div id="SLIDESTEXT">FOR BETTOR OR WORSE: John Lauro, attorney for disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, speaks to reporters outside Brooklyn Federal Court yesterday after Donaghy pleaded guilty to two charges related to gambling on games.</div> </div> </div> <div id="artbtns"></div> August 16, 2007 -- 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. </p> 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. </p> In addition, the disgraced former NBA official said he made picks on some games he worked. </p> 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. </p> The NBA's Referees Association was quick to release a statement after Donaghy's court appearance to dispute the integrity issue. </p> 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." </p> 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." </p> 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." </p> Commissioner David Stern would not comment directly on the implication that refs show favoritism, but acknowledged he is investigating all aspects of officiating. </p> "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. </p> John Lauro, Donaghy's lawyer, seemed angered at Stern yesterday, believed to be because of Stern's news conference a few weeks ago in which the commissioner spoke as if Donaghy had already been found guilty of the charges. </p> "I'm sure there are questions that need to be addressed to the league, need to be addressed to Commissioner Stern," Lauro snarled, referring to the referee issue. "As I understand it, he held a press conference previously and is comfortable talking to the press [about this case]." </p> marc.berman@nypost.com</p> </div></p> <font><font size="1" color="#cc6600">[READ]</font></font> </p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="8" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="wiretap_key_header">Arizona</td> </tr> <tr> <td>August 16, 2007 - 5:05 pm</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ESPN - Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy could face charges in Arizona's most populous county if investigations by the league and FBI show that he deliberately miscalled two Phoenix Suns playoff games this year, authorities said. Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has sent letters to NBA Commissioner David Stern and the head of the FBI in Washington, saying he wants to know whether Donaghy gambled on the two Suns road playoff games, provided inside information to gamblers or helped determine the outcome by making bad officiating calls. Thomas said the games in question are the April 29 game against the Los Angeles Lakers and the May 12 game against the San Antonio Spurs . The Suns beat the Lakers 113-110 in the April 29 game, but lost to the Spurs 108-101 on May 12 in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals. Thomas said that if Donaghy "purposely failed to officiate the games properly and his conduct resulted in changing the outcome of the games, such conduct might have violated Arizona criminal statutes and could be the subject of criminal prosecution." <font size="1" color="#cc6600">[READ]</font></td></tr></tbody></table>
