OT: Source: Gambler claims 13 referees involved in NBA betting scandal

Overall, there's validity in what you say.

Then there are refs that are just plain stupid.

 

The games were already being partly fixed by the league. I watched anyway, with reservations, because there was still some uncertainty to the outcomes and because it was still the best display of basketball available.

I wonder if games being partly fixed by gangsters actually makes a difference.

I would whole-heartedly welcome David Stern being ousted and a new commissioner brought in who placed fair, objective outcomes above marketing.

 

Nice post. The real story isn't about one ref or a couple of corrupt refs. It's about how predictably corrupt the system is. So predictable that with a little insider insight (or as you note, a good mathematician), gamblers could place large bets with a reasonable amount of confidence that they'd pay off.

 

Wherever you find lots of power and/or lots of money and little independent oversight, you are very likely to find corruption. The NBA is no different.

Ever since Stern dissolved the independent referee's union and made the refs answer directly to him a veil of secrecy descended. Not long after that he made any public criticism of the ref's a fine-able offense. The ref's and any auditing of their behavior became a trade secret of the NBA.

Then Donaghy breaks and a former FBI agent says that what Donaghy claims appears accurate (tons of corruption).

So what does the NBA do? Kill the messenger and obsfucate. They smeared Donaghy as much as possible and used the "one bad apple, rogue agent" line.

Sort of like what happened with Linde England over Abu Ghraib. Remember how they said it was just one rogue agent? Linde said it was part of psy-ops program. Then of course we had Baghram Airforce base, European "black sites", Extra-ordinary rendition and of course Guantanamo Bay.

When people roll over you need to listen to what they say and protect them until the story is completely clear. Even more importantly you need to investigate their claims to see if they have merit. The person who rolls over should still be punished, but you need to see if their is a larger criminal activity occurring.

Instead of a transparent investigation by a third party, The NBA went into cover-up, smear, spin, minimize and ignore mode. That looks pretty suspicious.

 

I feel dirty

 

If this is true, he is either incompetent or corrupt (that'd be my guess) and either jailed or simply removed from office. That he has maintained league supervision of the officials rather then allowing them to exist independent of his control as everyone and their mother has recommended suggests he's probably the biggest crook of all.

STOMP

 

NBA's response (as if they even do) would be that why would you listen to convicted fellon's and a mobster? They just want to sell books.

Personally... I don't buy that... but they will be able to use that excuse to continue with the system as is.

 

As much as I hate federal monitoring of things, I do believe an outside party should have some sort of monitoring of a HUGE conglomerate such as the NBA. They do it to most HUGE companies, they should with the NBA. Nothing controlling, but enough of a tap to make sure Stern has to think twice before he makes those "supposed faxes" that has been reported.

 

What do you mean supposed faxes. Are you talking about how Donaghy stated that there were pre-game instructions is that what you are talking about?

 

Yes. Honestly, this shit can't be made up. The way he's been so "on point" all the time. You can't rehearse that type of lie.

 

I agree that this is a good opportunity for the NBA to come clean, replace most of the refs and then take some steps to rid the game of this as well as the 'star' treatment for various players & teams.

I also think this is a problem for Stern. It happened under his nose and because of the 'star' system approved by the league somewhat may have fostered the gambling problems, then Stern's leadership has failed and he needs to resign.

The NBA needs new leadership as well.

 

He went along with it rather than cause a fuss.

 

(big qualifier) IF the allegations (including Donaghy's) are true, the problem isn't just the refs, but the instructions they were being given by the league (aka David Stern). Flushing out the old refs and bringing new ones into the same system won't fix the system.

BNM

 

Remember when everyone laughed at Ralph Nader for requesting a Congressional investigation after the officials handed Lakers the 2002 WCF over the Kings? He doesn't look so silly now.

BNM

 

In related news, a scout for the SacTown Kings has been fired and banned for life for betting on NBA games. Not *fixing* games mind you, just placing bets.

 

Am I reading into this correctly, in that you think that it is at least plausible that there has been shady officiating in the league? The reason why I ask is because over at BBB you and I got into a long debate and you would not even concede that is was possible for the officials to be fixing games. You pretty much accused me of being a tin foil hat wearer. I am not looking for a victory here, but are you now convinced that the officiating, beginning with the "star treatment" and then the "rookie calls" crap opened up the league to letting crap like Portlands game six in LA and Sacs game happen? The no calls in those games were worse than the actual calls that were made.

 

No he doesn't, but he had little credibility because he was only complaining about his home team losing. He needed to dig deeper and get other high ranking people on board with him. He could have gotten the entire state of Oregon on his bandwagon if he had pointed out how disgustingly the 4th qtr officiating was in game six of the WCF in 2000.