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Fall out of point shaving scandal marks up NBA integrity
By David Zizmor July 25, 2007 |
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One thing should be clear out of all of this mess is that Tim Donaghy will and forever be the poster boy for what wrong with the NBA. Getting a pulse for what has happened so far NBA fans have called on various shows and have said that if the NBA is to survive this thing that better hope that Donaghy doesn't call everyone out and from the sound of it he will and soon. With the FBI involved and asking all the questions about who was the contact people who set up the deals for the points shaving, Donaghy is set to point those people out putting him no doubt in a federal witness protection program. NBA Commissioner David Stern who addressed the media on Tuesday has reportedly been pacing up and down the floor in his NBA offices on Park Avenue out of concern of the future integrity of the league. So far, things are on hold and the FBI has talked with Stern and other NBA security people about Donaghy, and if there was a network of people out there that help orchestrate point shaving. Stern is fully aware that if there was a network the NBA's reputation is toast. Fans have already said that tainted games and thrown games are not what they paid to go see. If two clubs who faced each other during last season said that they played a clean honest game the fans trust is in jeopardy and certainly no one wants to blow a good $75 a ticket to watch a thrown contest. Not only that people are saying that not just one official could throw a ball game he had to have help. Now the NBA and the FBI are looking at some of Donaghy's games and the other officials who worked with him and looking at point spreadsheets from those games particularly playoff games that Donaghy worked. The game is too fast too complex to just have one official blowing the whistle on several players for personal fouls. For Donaghy to work fouls in and hope no one hits that extra free throw that would mess the out come of a perfectly good bet. Although Stern would not say, it on Monday this scandal has the fingerprints of more than one person. People are even questioning the role of the players in all of this. Did the players hold back a little bit or did they run up the score to cover the 12-15 point spread to make the line that night? If this is way beyond the criteria of just Donaghy, the ramifications and fears that David Stern expressed on Monday will go beyond point shaving but will bring the league down. One report has the NBA even losing franchises and maybe star players whoever they maybe to being in on the point shaving if it comes out. If Donaghy who is now becoming a household word in sports circles is part of a bigger network it may not only set back the league but fans and media will start to doubt the creditability of all sports. The investigation is on going and this is only the beginning the biggest revelations are yet to come and the NBA if this goes all wrong will have no where to run and duck for cover. David Zizmor co-hosts Sportstalk on 1690 KFSG Sacramento. |
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