http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-donaghy/nba-turns-a-blind-eye-aga_b_482516.html Are you surprised? I'm not. Ever since excerpts from my tell-all book on the internal improprieties of the NBA began to circulate in early November, the NBA's front office has pretended that the depictions detailed in my book, Personal Foul, are nothing more than the sour grape rumblings of a disgruntled and disgraced former employee. My days as an NBA referee were cut short and ended permanently by federal prison. The NBA wrote me off as a "rogue" referee as a public relations strategy hatched in their front office. But, if you've read my book and applied the content to the current, well-known NBA antics, witnessed by thousands each basketball season, you most certainly know better. While my decision to engage in gambling on NBA games, by using internal NBA information as my guideline, was ill-advised, few can argue with the numerous first-hand stories of favoritism, preferential treatment, bias and discrimination that I detailed in the book. More amazing is that many of the common practices I described still occur on a daily basis and clearly impact the outcome of games. One only needs to know the content of my book and then apply the analysis to many games in the current NBA season to realize that the practices and tactics used in the past are commonplace. The NBA does not intend to change, and its smug attitude of being impervious and invulnerable to outside influence continues to be the mantra by which it moves forward. Rather, it has attempted to trample over, if not completely snuff out insiders like me who are not just speculating on what occurs in the NBA inner circle, but who have actual first-hand experience of the overwhelming forces that control every aspect of professional basketball. So why would the NBA choose to ignore these glaring problems? Simple. Acknowledgment of these issues would open up a pipeline of criticism toward the current NBA structure and administration. Why allow that to occur? Why subject this authoritative organization to criticism that could tarnish the integrity of its own unique adaptation of the game? The fear of raised questions, lost sponsors, an eroding fan base and internal discontent, has paralyzed the NBA from making changes. The threat of lower ratings and less revenue, resulting in a discontent internal circle and an inability to pay astronomical salaries, has proven too much for the NBA to tackle. The real game being played by the NBA is not the nightly administration of traveling violations, double dribbles, fouls, and scoring on the court. Rather, it is the invisible sport called control -- of the players, the networks, the referees, the matchups, the damage, and ultimately, the outcomes. Full control is tantamount to a dictatorship. And we all know that challenging a dictatorship leaves a long trail of frustration, insensitivity, and defeat. To silence the criticism and the subordinates, enables the "rogue" dictator, or organization, to stay in tact, and allows its own mis-deeds to continue. The NBA allocates millions of dollars toward its effort to manage and control its daily operations and image. In contrast, I spent a few hundred dollars to hire Executive Prison Consultants, a top-drawer firm dedicated to helping those facing federal criminal charges, indictment, and imprisonment. The difference? The NBA will continue to squash the negative waves that crash its way regardless of the cost. On the other hand, I will pay the price for my indiscretion for the remainder of my life. My effort to reveal the lack of integrity and honesty that the NBA practices, will be swallowed up into the huge sports entertainment machine and eventually fade away -- at least until the next "rogue" employee has the courage to step out of the shadows and confront the unchallengeable dictator. So, before the message is completely squeezed out of the public eye, take a look at what I've said in Personal Foul. Those with a critical eye toward the NBA repeatedly state, "Donaghy is credible." The FBI went on record to state that "Donaghy Told the Truth." And those who have read it say "you will never watch an NBA game the same way again!" Are you surprised? I'm not! You can buy my book "Personal Foul" here and reach me on Facebook here. ---I think he'd be much more interesting if he broke down exactly what games and plays this season have been affected by league intervention. He could be a sort of anti-analyst and have a youtube channel. After thinking about it I'm not sure this op ed is newsworthy or threadworthy....too late.
Yeah I want to read it too, I know Donaghy lacks some credibility but my gut has always felt the league was shady. And David Stern has always come across to me as a mob boss more than a commissioner.
with the type of control stern exerts over the league (they have to dress a certain way, cant stand up during games, etc)......... it just makes sense that he and the officials would be willing to extend series by favoring one team or another. stern has been about making the nba global, cleaning up its image and, ultimately, making more money. im not a shrewd businessman by any means but i would practice this to make more money for my business
Not to mention the convenient draft lottery results. Patrick Ewing to New York (bent envelope) LeBron James - goes home to Cleveland Derrick Rose - goes home to Chicago
His allegations (which I have no reason to disbelieve) have had little to no effect on my crippling Clutchfans addiction.
Hold on everyone, “I need to buy his book.” all he is basically saying is everything we want to hear; most of which can be inferred by watching any NBA game. 1. Star players get preferential treatment. So blatantly obvious it needs no supporting argument. 2. Refs can call fouls at key times to influence the outcome of the game. If refs called, traveling, palming and contact foul’s at every occurrence there would be a foul every trip down the court. Refs have different styles/blinders, and are instructed by the league to look for different things. This argument leads back to point 1. 3. Teams get preferential treatment due to market/marketability. Do the Timber Wolves, Bobcats, Rockets, Kings get as many nationally televised games as the Lakers, Celtics, Cav’s etc… This also goes to the first point. Star players = money = marketability = TV time = more money & marketability. So now you want to pay for a book that says, “Yea, I’m crooked, but it’s a crooked system. I just gambled a little and otherwise did what I was told. The NBA is rigged! It’s not my fault! Give me your money to validate your suspicions.”
Hakeem Olajuwon gets drafted by his adopted hometown of Houston..... I think it's best to keep SOME things under wraps.
The convenient come-from-behind All Star voting surges to vote out a hobbling, no-games played leading vote getter. Does sound like a little sour grapes. Seems like he's nudging up the league's biased business strategy into it being totally corrupt strategy. Then again, like the D&D thread about corrupt US govt officials selling away nuclear secrets to foreign interests, the media can manipulate AND be manipulated. Media doesnt really do as much deep investigational journalism now, its report-only. How come there arent any TMZ's for government and big business? And no I'm not a conspiracy theorist
don't buy this book new. you should steal it like all the wasted games and hours he stole away from us believing what we was watching was legit.
That referee reminds me of Jose Canseco when nobody believed him when he wrote that book about more than 50% of the players juicing up. 10 years later and Canseco was almost right about everything he wrote on that book. Same goes with this referee, I now the guy is on a mission to discredit the NBA but come on let's not be naive some of these referees and some games in the playoffs are often manipulated by them. When I think of David Stern I think of one if not the most arrogant commissioner in all of major sports. Stern also has one of those monalisa faces " you don't know if he's laughing with you or at you" ... I just don't trust him and his referees.. All I can do as a fan of My Houston Rockets is to hope that the player can overcome bad referees with exceptional shooting..
yea I would like to read his book, I do believe atleast some of it is true in a league that has made crab dribble legal and has changed hand checking, promotes guard play, and now you can see euros calling the nba game softer and less physical... to see all that evolved, you have to know its not about the purity of the game and there is some agenda to promote and inflate stats and stars to create some illusion of a golden age. I'd like to read it, but I don't want to pay this guy money for cheating and then talking about it, any way to read it otherwise(online, dl o something)?
