July 25. 2007
Page B6
S ports
Referee Betting Scandal Rocks NBA
C ommentary
Integrity Lost on
Multiple Counts
P a t G r I Hl.ER
T in P or i lam » O bserver
1 thought I had a no-brainer,
“just write about Michael Vick,”
I said to myself. Then Barry
Bonds and his steroid-induced
body got themselves three home
runs away from breaking Hank
A arons re c o rd . T h en Tim
Donaghy, a 13-year NBA referee
got indicted by the FBI for gam
bling on games, including ones
that he officiated.
I will try- to sum up all three
events the best that 1 can.
The Michael Vick situation is
a bizarre one. For the last two
months the FBI has been investi
gating Vick and three others, and
they were charged w ith competi
tive dog fighting, procuring and
training pit bulls for fighting and
conducting the enterprise across
state lines.
What they allegedly did was
raise and fight dogs on a house
and property owned by Vick.
They are also accused of killing
several dogs by suffocation,
drowning, electrocution and may
have even slammed one against
the ground to kill it. That is a
horrendous crime.
If Vick did this then he is just
a no-good punk. My problem is
Vick hasalready been labeled and
found guilty by the public.
I listen to sports radio a lot and
most of the radio jocks have al
ready labeled and convicted Vick.
A local sports radio show told
people not to wear Nike the day
after news broke about the indict
ment. Show hosts were mad Vick
still had a Nike endorsement con
tract. The Falcons and the NFL
were being lambasted for not
suspending Vick.
I was shocked when the only
person who I agreed with was
Steven A. Smith when he told
people to calm down on the Vick
hating.
Why must we grill Vick in the
media? IfaSafeway manager was
indicted of the same crime people
would not boycott the store and
picket if he was not suspended
from his job.
Innocent until proven guilty.
That used to be what Americans
BY
felt should be the way. But when
it is a rich athlete (and I am not
even going to say black athlete)
gets in trouble, we immediately
assume guilt. Let's give it a week.
Slow it down before we call Vick
the scum o f the earth.
Now Donaghy, that hurts too.
As one of the rare hardcore NBA
fans, it stings when the integrity
of our game is pul on the line.
This man has been connected
not only to betting on basketball,
but to betting on games he offici
ated and to the mob. This is a
gambling conspiracy almost as big
as Pete Rose.
Apparently Donaghy got into
the hole with the mob, and then
they basically forced him to shave
points so they would win their
bets.
Hollywood couldn’t come up
with this. Either Donaghy is going
after the mob and has a best case
scenario featuringachange of iden
tity and a move to somewhere in
God-Knows-Where America, or
he brings down the NBA.
W hat if he brings down cheat
ers and liars and all sorts o f lies
that take place in the NBA? If
there arc more referees, then it is
over. Cheating refs and the offi
ciating in the Spurs-C avaliers
series equals the end of the great
est sport o f all time.
Which brings me to Barroid, 1
mean Barry Bonds. Bonds is get
ting ready to break the all time
home run record in one of the
bigger sports controversies that
we have seen in any sport.
The alleged use of steroids has
placed a dark cloud over Bonds
that does not make too many
people very excited to see him
break the record.
I for one am glad to see him
break it. I like Bonds. Still. I think
he is the best combination of hit
ting, defense and base-running
the league has ever seen and hope
he breaks it and then goes to the
Hall of Fame.
I think he took steroids, it just
does not bother me. I do not think
he does anymore. I think too many
people did and were told to and it
does not really matter. I just hope
I get to see him break it.
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Stern believes
case limited to
one official
(AP) -- NBA commissioner
David Stern said he believed the
betting scandal that has rocked
the league won't go beyond the
allegations against the one ref
eree who resigned. Stem also
called it the "worst situation"
he's experienced in his 23 years
at the helm.
“Mr. Donaghy is the only ref
eree alleged to have bet on NBA
games and disclosed confidential
information toothers," Stern said
T uesday, referring to Tim
Donaghy during a packed news
conference. "I'll say it again, I
understand this isan isolated case."
The FBI is investigating
Donaghy for allegedly betting
on games he officiated during
the last two seasons. He is ex
pected to turn himself in at U.S.
District Court in Brooklyn later
this week or early next week,
according to a person familiar
with the investigation.
A subdued Stern said he felt
betrayed on behalf of NBA fans
in his first public comments since
news of the investigation broke.
Stern said his understanding
is that Donaghy is being investi
gated for betting on games, in
cluding some he officiated, and
for providing insider informa
tion to others so they could profit
Tim Donaghy refereeing a NBA game in 2004
David Stern
by betting on games.
"The current state of what
we're dealing with is betting and
providing information," Stern
said. "I don't know o f any
charges yet or any discussions
yet as to fixing of games."
Dogfight Blood Sport Sidelines Vick
NFL star faces
animal cruelty
charges
(AP) - Michael Vick was
ordered by commissioner Roger
Goodell on Monday to stay away
from the Atlanta Falcons' train
ing camp until the league re
views the dogfighting charges
against him.
W hile it is for the criminal
justice system to determ ine
your guilt or innocence, it is
my responsibility as com m is
sioner of the National Football
League to determ ine whether
your conduct, even if not crim i
n a l, n o n e th e le s s v io la te d
league policies, including the
Personal C onduct P o lic y ,”
Goodell said in a letter to the
quarterback.
The NFL said Vick would
still get his preseason pay and
Goodell told the Falcons to with
hold any disciplinary action of
their own until the league's re
view was completed.
Goodell told Vick the league
would complete its review as
quickly as possible and that he
expected full cooperation.
The Falcons open camp on
Thursday, the same day Vick is
scheduled to be arraigned in
Richmond, Va., on charges of
sponsori ng a dogfighting opera
tion in which dogs were maimed
and killed.
Michael Vick
Vick, the No. 1 overall pick in
the 2(H) 1 draft, last season be
came the first quarterback ever
to rush for more than 1,000
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After his indictment last week,
the NFL’s position was that it
would monitor developments and
allow the legal process to "de
termine the facts."
Since then, pressure has been
mounting on the league and the
Falcons, particularly from ani
mal-rights groups.
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Stern called it the "worst situ
ation I've every experienced
either as fan of the NBA, a
law yerforthe NBA or commis
sioner of the NBA."
Donaghy's lawyer has in
formed the NBA that the former
referee is considering agreeing
to a plea agreement.
The FBI first contacted the
NBA on June 20 to talk about a
referee alleged to be gambling
on games, and the two sides met
on June 21, Stern said. Donaghy
resigned July 9.
"Suffice to say, we would
have liked to have terminated
him earlier, but our understand
ing was the investigation would
best be aided if we did not termi
nate Mr. Donaghy," Stern said.
The June call from the FBI
was not the first time Donaghy
faced gambling allegations.
In January 2005, Stern said,
the NBA investigated a dispute
between Donaghy and a West
Chester, Pa., neighbor. During
the investigation, there were al
legations that Donaghy was
gambling — not on sports — in
Atlantic City. Stern said the
league contacted every casino
in Atlantic City and Las Vegas
and found no evidence of gam
bling by Donaghy.
Donaghy wasn't allowed to
officiate the second round of
the 2005 playoffs because of
the incident with his neighbor,
Stern said.
Authorities are examining
whether Donaghy made calls to
affect the point spread in games
on which he or associates had
wagered thousands of dollars
during the past two seasons,
according to a law enforcement
official. The referee had a gam
bling problem and was ap
proached by low-level mob as
sociates through an acquain
tance, the official said.
Stern also outlined the NBA's
process of evaluating the offici
ating of every game, but con
ceded it had been focused more
on the quality of referees' per
formances than searching for
possible wrongdoing. That will
probably change, he said.
Donaghy earned $260,(XX) as
a referee this past season. Stern
said.
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