Some quick updates... first up, the NBA ref scandal:
The NY Daily News has taken a big interest in the Tim Donaghy story, placing the story on its front page for the third time in a week. Today's development is an "exclusive" look at the Tim Donaghy's high school friend James Battista, who is alleged to be one of the two bookies that Donaghy placed bets with. The article had some interesting points:
"There is no evidence he fixed games for his gambling associates, but sources
said he funneled confidential information about which referees would work
upcoming games.
The bookies allegedly threatened to expose Donaghy's gambling and claimed to have contacts in the Mafia, but law enforcement officials believe their ties to the mob were just hot air."
The first point is "there is no evidence he fixed games". If this is true, and all we are talking about here is a referee "funneling confidential info" to "gambling associates", this story will barely be a blip by the time the season gets rolling. For all the hyperbole being tossed around, from bloggers and newspapers picking games that "seemed suspicious" to reports about how this could take down the NBA, it may in fact turn out to be insignificant. We'll see how it plays out, but it is becoming more and more likely....
Also, secondly: the Mafia contacts "were just hot air". For one, this makes those Post stories about how Donaghy's "family were threatened" seem fictionous. Secondly, this also makes me wonder how the Feds really found out about this situation. If it was from monitoring the Gambino family, then the Mafia connections were real. But it might be possible that is just a cover story, and that the Feds actually found this out because they were tipped off by someone else... perhaps another referee, or perhaps Vegas got suspicious?
Commenter JJ made a good point in the last posting:
"Donaghy hired a top flight whistle blowing attorney who was a former fed prosecutor. He must have something he can sing about to save his skin. And as the Feds first found out about him through their mob wiretaps, I think they're looking for those in the basketball world, not in the mob."
Is there something for Donaghy to sing about that can save his skin? If so, then this story might have some legs after....
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SML,
Mike Aldridge of the Phila. Inquirer wrote today on a four step plan to put the league on the right foot....
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/david_aldridge/20070729_On_the_NBA____4-step_plan_to_put_league_on_right_foot.html. , in case you want to read it.
Summary in a nutshell:
1. Blue ribbon panel
2. Rehire Joey Crawford
3. Involve players
4. Take refs out of NBA jurisdiction altogether.
#1...A panel....A politician's favorite suggestion. How many times do panels take months or years to issue a report, only to have it ignored or irrelevant by that point because everyone is sick of the issue?
#2...Rehire Joey Crawford.
I must have missed something...What does this have to do with the whole gambling scandal, and how can this action benefit the league?
Crawford's a loose cannon, His temper can determine the outcome of games and suspensions. Someone astutely pointed out about the NBA that in no other sport can you name so many refs by name as in NBA basketball...why? Because their calls/biases sway the course of a game. How would rehiring Joey Crawford fix basketball?
3. Involve players. They're part of the problem with the league image and have to be part of the solution, I guess. But how do you determine what players to listen to... another panel?
4. Take the ref jurisdiction out of the NBA altogether.
This one could be the best or the worst solution for restoring integrity...I'm not sure which. I wanted to know what everyone thought of this one especially.
Anyway, waddaya think of some of the ideas he's kicked around?