Game Over For Crooked Ex-NBA Ref

Tim Donaghy Gets 15 Months In Prison For Basketball Bribery Scandal

(CBS/ AP)  Last summer, NBA referee Tim Donaghy stunned the league by pleading guilty to federal charges he took payoffs from a professional gambler for inside tips on games.

The scandal's final chapter unfolded Tuesday, when a judge sentenced the disgraced referee to 15 months in prison and three years probation. He had faced up to 33 months for his crimes.

Since then, Donaghy has claimed corruption among referees runs deeper, drawing angry denials by the league and demands that he pay hefty restitution. He's also asked for mercy, citing an analysis that found he "would never have committed these offenses if he was not a pathological gambler."

Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2007, to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce.

"By having this nonpublic information, I was in a unique position to predict the outcome of NBA games," he told a judge at the time.

Donaghy didn't stop there: In June, he marred the NBA finals by making fresh accusations that the league routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but discouraged them from calling technical fouls on star players to keep them in games and protect ticket sales and television ratings.

The allegations - contained in court papers arguing that Donaghy deserved leniency for voluntarily disclosing the alleged corruption - included one instance claiming referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to a revenue-boosting seven games.

Though the papers didn't name the teams involved, however, only the Los Angeles Lakers-Sacramento Kings series went to seven games during those playoffs. The Lakers went on to win the championship.

The letter also alleged manipulation during a 2005 playoff series.

"Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's owner complained to NBA officials," the letter said. "Team 3's owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. ... The referees followed the league's instructions and Team 3 came back from behind to win the series. The NBA benefited from this because it prolonged the series, resulting in more tickets sold and more televised games."

In that same series, the letter says "Team 3" lost the first two games of the series and that team owner complained to NBA officials. The letter also alleges that the opposing team's coach later was fined $100,000 after revealing an NBA official informed him of the behind-the-scenes instructions.

That would correspond with the 2005 first-round playoff series between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks, in which Mark Cuban complained to officials and Jeff Van Gundy was fined.

Donaghy's letter said that in the first of several meetings with prosecutors and the FBI in New York in 2007, he named names while describing "various examples of improper interactions and relationships between referees and other league employees, such as players, coaches and management." For example, it said, referees broke NBA rules by hitting up players for autographs, socializing with coaches and accepting meals and merchandise from teams.

NBA commissioner David Stern has called the allegations baseless, saying Donaghy was only "singing" to get a lighter sentence. Prosecutors said though he deserved credit for helping make the case against two co-defendants, nothing else he alleged was criminal.

The league had sought nearly $1.4 million in restitution covering hefty legal bills and a portion of Donaghy's salary dating to 2003. But the last week the judge ruled the claim was excessive, instead ordering the three defendants must jointly pay the NBA $217,266 in restitution.

"It is undisputed that Donaghy dishonestly refereed 16 games during the 2006-2007 season, and a corresponding portion of his compensation for these games is an appropriate measure of the NBA's loss," she wrote.

Also charged were two of Donaghy's former high school classmates: James Battista, the professional gambler who paid thousands of dollars for Donaghy's tips, and Thomas Martino, the scheme's middleman. Both men pleaded guilty and were sentenced last week, Battista to 15 months in prison and Martino to a year and one day.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Donaghy has claimed corruption among referees runs deeper,"


Now we all know this can''t be true.

Only ONE referee can "fix" games.

[mandalay-bay]

I knew something was up with that Kings-Lakers series from 2002.......time for an asteriks next to the title or take it back altogether...

[realpatriot1]

Anyone who has watched the NBA for long knowes it''s been fixed for years. Usually it''s fixed to get the larger market teams in the Finals to up the tv viewership.

The Kings-Lakers was a good example. The Suns-Spurs in 2007 is an even better example. It goes beyond the refs to the league office and to Stern.

Stern should step down.

[sistatee-2009]

If only there was a toilet big enough, the entire NBA could be flushed and forgotten; and the women ain''t far behind.

[deborahcox05]

There are so many "crooked" people in sports; from the refs to the players.

It is very disappointing.

[stn_sage]

I believe he''s being absolutely truthful when he says many referees are crooked and it''s unofficial policy of the NBA that leads back to Stern.

One only has to have seen almost any championship series over the last decade or decade and a half to know he''s telling the truth.

Whereas he deserves the prison time he got, in a way it''s unfair; he goes to jail long after multiple politicians and their staff and appointees commit terrible crimes, they haven''t been charged and probably never will be!

[u2canb1]

This is just ONE MORE example of why I only watch and support college sports.

[meanbiker]

Wanted: people to get involved in a class action law suite against Tim Donaghy for all the money we lost betting on the fixed games..

Personally I will not be able to bet on another NBA game.. unless it is from a island in the Caribbean that I buy from the law suite money..

[edward1975-2009]

Professional sports are getting like Pro Wrestling. Phony. Start advertising them as such. Take gambling out of the equation and maybe they might stand a chance. But as long as betting on games is legal, you will have idiots like this clown tilting the playing field.

[nextgenman]

He looks like a Republican.

[sociald63]

its not over yet - he can still referee the basketball games in prison between the bloods and the crips

[jamjholmes]

to Nexgenman..repub, democrat, doesnt matter. They dont represent the citizens and are destroying the constitution. Quit getting your news from the mainstream media. They are owned by 5 corporations. They are extremely biased when it comes to globalism and this bs war. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

[iuphockey12]

THEY NEED TO LOOK AT THE REFS IN THE NHL! LOOK AT HOW MANY SERIES WERE DICTATED IN THE PLAYOFFS BY BAD CALLS!

[irliberal]

He looks like a Republican.

Posted by nextGenMan at 12:54 PM

You can pretty much bet on that. 8-)

[mbcsmith]

He looks like a Republican.

Posted by nextGenMan at 12:54 PM


Nope, he''s Nobama''s campaign manager

[babooph]

Any place money can be made,the fix is in-might as well watch wrestling.

[louklou51]

I am a high school sports official and this is the end to a sad story, I wish him well and hope he can change his life for the best and may the odds be with him instead of against.

[downtowner97]

Players throw games too. Think about it. You have such a huge lead, you know you''re going to the playoffs, and you''re playing against an insignificant team. If you bet on the other team and have an "off" night, you could make millions. Every time I see a first rate team lose to a team on a losing streak, I wish someone was following the money.

[harp1963]

All the legalized gambling in all the states around America is only going to bring more garbage like this NBA refree and his buddies into our own local communities. Al Capone must be smiling from down below.

[tksk53]

Is everybody in the World crooked????
I guess they are trying to catch up with our Goverment
FAT CHANCE

TKTK53

[jleb956]

Crooks need to pay for their dishonesty. A crooked justice system will just pay lip service.

[u2canb1]

Awww, there there Timmy boy, look at it this way: you can now be a "house mate" on The Surreal Life with has-beens and losers like Brigitte Nielsen, Danny Bonaduce, Flavor Flav, Gary Coleman and Charo.

Hey, maybe you can start your OWN series with a house full of low life lying cheaters like Mike Tyson, Tonya Harding and Ben Johnson.

[u2canb1]

I wish him well and hope he can change his life for the best and may the odds be with him instead of against.
Posted by louk7

Awwwwww, aren''t you just a sweet li''l ole Christian? To save his own lying cheating butt he dimed out players, coaches, managers, other refs. This cute little white boy better hope there are no sports fans in lock up...

[u2canb1]

He should give Micheal Vick a call, see if there''s a little sumthinsumthin he can hook a homey up with on the side...

[bluestardad]

HE CAN APPLY FOR A JOB AT THE BUSH LIBRARY!

[oneworldusa]

He can apply for a job AND a degree at VCU. Then he can work for the crookedest police chief today, Rodney Monroe.

[beehive21-2009]

Yo Guido, who should I bet on ? Ah," Son never bet on a game ,unless you know who fixed it." Famous words from Guido the Bookie.