 DON’T BET ON IT
It would probably be in the best interest of former NBA referee Tim Donaghy to pack a tube of lube for his 15-month vacation in the Florida jailhouse he will shamefully walk into today.
Who am I kidding? Convicts of his notoriety most likely reside in a cell larger than my 700-square foot apartment with a couch, massage chair, high-definition television and Jacuzzi.
The question is, will they let Donaghy watch basketball games that he may have thrown some coin at on that 52-inch flatscreen? He probably no longer has that Sportsbook.com account.
More than 13 months ago, Donaghy pleaded guilty to providing inside information involving NBA games he officiated to certain parties. He even confessed to placing wagers on some of these contests himself - the count was in the hundreds.
It can be assumed that the “parties” privy to this information were connected to the inner workings of the American mafia. Donaghy wisely didn’t drop any Mafioso names while on the stand, otherwise that breath of freedom he will take when released from jail might have been a brief one.
But Donaghy did attempt to take down accomplices from his occupational circle. He admitted to the court system that some of the games he gambled on happened with the assistance of some of his colleagues. Phone records showed that Donaghy had sent and received multiple text messages from another referee three minutes prior to a game he confessed to fixing.
But the National Basketball Association and federal investigators concluded that Donaghy was a rogue in his illegalities.
So let me get this straight. This guy who lost his job, friends, family and pride readily admitted to doing wrong and wants to and remove all of the bad apples from the system, but the prosecutors say he acted solely in his transgressions?
I’m not buying it. I'm taking the side of the crook that is already going to jail and has nothing to lose. This case reminds me of the Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee saga. The trainer was already in trouble so why would he want to lie and hurt his friend unless he had been required by law to tell the truth, which he did.
Donaghy seems to be in the same situation, but his prosecutors would rather turn a deaf ear than delve deeper into the problem.
The outspoken Charles Barkley, who has a gambling problem of his own, was interviewed on the matter and had this to say, “Once you ruin the integrity of the sport, it is tough to regain it. The basketball family and fans need to know if there's anybody else involved.”
If anyone would know about shady happenings in the league Sir Barkley might be the first and clearly he isn’t buying into the fact that Donaghy was a lone wolf.
The mob has its grubby hands in every sporting league and association in this country. They will find their next Tim Donaghy. It is unfortunate for the governing powers trying to exterminate this corruption that they had a headstart on alleviating the problem, but would rather change the subject.
Will this gross oversight ever be resolved? I wouldn’t bet on it. Although, Donaghy has mentioned writing a book after his time in prison to reveal the entire story. Now that could be a bestseller.
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