Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleads guilty to felony charges
Posted: Wednesday Aug 15, 2007 1:46 PM
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.
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.
Speaking in code during telephone calls, Donaghy provided recommendations, called "picks,'' to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him $5,000.
The picks, the government said, included information about games that Donaghy officiated - information that was not public. Donaghy had "unique access,'' including what crews would be officiating games, the interaction of different officials and players, and the physical condition of certain players.
Donaghy was fined $500,000 and must pay at least $30,000 in restitution to the government.
Commissioner David Stern said the NBA would "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.''
Donaghy's lawyer, John Lauro, told The Associated Press: "Tim is relieved this part of the proceeding is over and we look forward to completely resolving this matter in the coming months.
I have issues with this. I know I sound conspiratorial, but I totally believe that this is part of the NBA's attempt to completely sweep this under the rug, in complicity with sports writers.
Now, we don't know if Barry Bonds actually has taken steroids, for he has passed every pee in the cup that's been asked of him. YET, the sports writers can seem to find inch upon inch of newspaper ink that they can write about him.
THIS MAN has ADMITTED that he FIXED GAMES. While Bonds may be offending the ' theoretical' purity of his sport; ain't nothing 'theoretical' about Mr. Donaghy. He DELIBERATELY FIXED GAMES.
Where is the outrage? Where are the reems of paper written about this? Where is this being a daily topic on sport shows on ESPN?
WHERE.IS.IT?
Do you honestly believe that Mr. Donaghy acted alone? In a vacuum of silence all by his lonesome? Do you understand the level of seriousness that we're discussing for him even to GET to the level of what he was doing? Of how serious a gambler you have to be in order to involve MOB bookies in what you're doing?
Like my story about the preacher's wife below, I can't escape the feeling that this is but another example of White privilege. When I see how Bonds has been crucified in the sports press, all over this country, for something that hasn't even been proven, and at most, only affects him and the records that HE is going for....with the almost complete lack of attention to this story, outside of the first days, of a issue that brings in the validity of an ENTIRE LEAGUE....one has to wonder.
We'll see how far this Donaghy issue goes, but I'm getting the not-so-nice feeling that this is about to be tied up in a nice little bow as to not threaten NBA, INC.
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