Ex-referee Tim Donaghy blows whistle on NBA dirty secrets

[mjbulls23]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...stle_on_n.html

Tuesday, June 10th 2008, 4:10 PM

Tim Donaghy, who pleaded guilty to charges of betting on games he officiated, is now airing NBA's dirty laundry.

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy told the feds two refs fixed the outcome of one playoff series - and that officials were told not to eject star players from games for fear of hurting ticket sales.

The bombshell allegations are contained in a court document filed Tuesday by Donaghy's lawyer. It describes the "inner workings" of the NBA in which top league executives used referees to manipulate games.

Donaghy, who pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court to charges of betting on games he officiated, told FBI agents "league officials would tell referees that they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so hurt ticket sales and television ratings," the document said.

Donaghy claims he was told that two refs who were "company men" acting in the interest of the NBA conspired to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.

The referees allegedly ignored flagrant fouls committed by the team that needed to win. They also reportedly called "made-up fouls" against the other team which led to the ejection of two of their players. The team favored by the refs won that night and the next game to win the series.

The document does not name the teams. The Nets were in that playoff series, losing the championship finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Donaghy also claimed a supervising referee told refs that an unidentified NBA executive did not want them to call technical fouls on star players or boot them from the game.

Donaghy told feds the league reprimanded a referee who disobeyed that edict in January 2000 and ejected an unnamed star player from a game in the first quarter.

Lawyer John Lauro filed the four-page letter to Federal Judge Carol Amon because none of the information was included in the government's letter to the judge seeking leniency for Donaghy when he is sentenced next month.

Lauro has gone to war against Brooklyn federal prosecutors for offering plea deals to Donaghy's betting accomplices that give them less time than the disgraced ref, despite his extensive cooperation.

Donaghy claims referees have accepted autographs, free merchandise and meals from team coaches and managers. He told probers one referee used a team's practice facility to exercise and another played tennis with an NBA coach.

"These activities were against NBA rules, indeed, such inappropriate relationships could influence the outcome of games," Lauro wrote.

Lauro said he withheld the names of the teams, referees and league officials because the feds may still investigate the allegations.

[PP34Deuce]

might be that LA SAC series.

refs always make makeup calls. thats nothing new. how many times do they miss a call but reward that player next time.

[nicknamefrank]

whoa thats pretty shocking and crazy stuff
is his word believable or is he just trying to make himself betting games less serious of a crime?

[BIGSHOT]

not surprised.

[Emile]

Nets vs who? Was it the Pacers or the Pistons that year? I don't remember anymore.. Who was it?

Anyway, crazy stuff.

[mike239489]

Damn. Not terribly surprised to hear this accusations...they are probably sadly all true. Just sucks because it makes you lose some respect / legitimacy for the NBA. Obviously the bottom line is that it's just for entertainment and the $$$ (which involves ratings / attendance)...but still man, you want to keep things "fair."

[SHEED_ gangsta]

all I gotta say is...........














I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

[steve]

There was only one playoff series that went to seven games that season.

[SHEED_ gangsta]

I'm oficailly done with the NBA

[xcesswee]

Wow, 2002 series was prob the LA vs SAC series. That's the only 7 game series that i remembered last year where game 6 and 7 were very biased on officiating

[NewYorkUSCtrojan]

all I gotta say is...........














I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED IS GANGSTA!!

[SHEED_ gangsta]

whatch this topic get deleted in a few mintues

[NewYorkUSCtrojan]

I'm oficailly done with the NBA

same here too brotha..SHEED is right..PURE ENTERTAINMENT!!

[Poseidon]

Wow, 2002 series was prob the LA vs SAC series. That's the only 7 game series that i remembered last year where game 6 and 7 were very biased on officiating

Correct. I really hope that Donaghy drops the hammer on Stern and the NBA.

[Lil Bibby]

all I gotta say is...........














I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

I LOVE IT WHEN CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WIN!!!

Where is David Stern's b*tch @ss...?