Why is the Huge Story Being Buried? Ref Scandal

[Bankshot]

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/sports/BO130486/

Source: Gambler claims 13 referees involved in NBA betting scandal


7News sports director Joe Amorosino is reporting the following:

BOSTON -- A source tells 7Sports that the gambler at the center of the 2008 NBA betting scandal says 13 referees were involved.

Jimmy "The Sheep" Battista pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transmit wagering information in connection with disgraced NBA official Tim Donaghy and served 15 months in federal prison.

The source also tells 7Sports that Battista claims he has the phone records to prove his contact with these 13 referees.

Donaghy served 15 months in federal prison for providing inside tips on NBA games to a professional gambler in exchange for money.

When the scandal broke in June of 2008, NBA commissioner David Stern called Donaghy a "rogue, isolated criminal."

The source tells 7Sports that Battista says he had a "Big-5" of dependable referees with Tim Donaghy being the "King" as Battista called him, who the gambler says delivered a winning bet 78 percent of the time in games he officiated.

The 7Sports source says that on December 12, 2006, the night before the Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers, Battista says he met with Donaghy and a mutual high school friend.

On that night, the gambler claims they made a deal which according to Battista involved Donaghy supplying information including injury reports and referee assignments and Battista making the bets.

The source says that according to Battista, the first game the two men bet on together was the Celtics-76ers game the following night -- a game Donaghy officiated and one the Celtics covered with ease.

The Celtics were 1 1/2 point favorites, but with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, the score was tied.

The Celtics would eventually go on to win by 20 points.

The source says Battista is making these claims as he works to finalize a tell-all book deal.

(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

I always knew there were more refs involved.  Probably even more than 13.  I always believed this was rampant throughout the NBA.

This story is being buried. No one is talking about it! The only reason I know about it is because I heard them talking about it on WEEI, but they said that wasn't the big story, the Patriots game on Sunday is a bigger story.

Giving this story some serious play is the only way the NBA MIGHT be cleaned up.

[guava_wrench]

Looks like the refs liked the Celtics in that article, despite Heinson's constant victim mentality.

I think investigations of that magnitude aren't done publicly since law enforcement would be involved. Is the league likely to make public statements while criminal investigations are going on?

[RAcker]

Where there is smoke there is fire.  If that many refs are involved, there has to be some of them still actively working in the NBA.  If that is the case, the league is going to have a lot of explaining to do when and if this comes out.

[Brickowski]

Only 13?

[Chris]

Lets wait until the evidence comes out.  If there really are phone records, then this story will explode.  But until then, I put this in the same category as an accusation by Conseco.  The book deal gives him way too much motivation to make stuff up.  I am not saying I don't believe it, but I don't think it matters until there is better evidence.

[nickagneta]

Lets wait until the evidence comes out.  If there really are phone records, then this story will explode.  But until then, I put this in the same category as an accusation by Conseco.  The book deal gives him way too much motivation to make stuff up.  I am not saying I don't believe it, but I don't think it matters until there is better evidence.

Yeah......but wasn't Canseco the only one that wasn't lying?

[hpantazo]

Lets wait until the evidence comes out.  If there really are phone records, then this story will explode.  But until then, I put this in the same category as an accusation by Conseco.  The book deal gives him way too much motivation to make stuff up.  I am not saying I don't believe it, but I don't think it matters until there is better evidence.

Yeah......but wasn't Canseco the only one that wasn't lying?

exactly, everyone dumped on Canseco for telling the truth. I believe there is a lot of stuff going on in this NBA scandal that is true, and people are doing whatever they can to discredit it and keep it from coming out, but it will sooner or later, especially when people start getting thrown under the bus and give pleabargain agreements.

[RAcker]

Lets wait until the evidence comes out.  If there really are phone records, then this story will explode.  But until then, I put this in the same category as an accusation by Conseco.  The book deal gives him way too much motivation to make stuff up.  I am not saying I don't believe it, but I don't think it matters until there is better evidence.

Yeah......but wasn't Canseco the only one that wasn't lying?

Excellent point.

[scottwedman]

Lets wait until the evidence comes out.  If there really are phone records, then this story will explode.  But until then, I put this in the same category as an accusation by Conseco.  The book deal gives him way too much motivation to make stuff up.  I am not saying I don't believe it, but I don't think it matters until there is better evidence.

Yeah......but wasn't Canseco the only one that wasn't lying?

exactly, everyone dumped on Canseco for telling the truth. I believe there is a lot of stuff going on in this NBA scandal that is true, and people are doing whatever they can to discredit it and keep it from coming out, but it will sooner or later, especially when people start getting thrown under the bus and give pleabargain agreements.

Agreed.  I never thought it was just Donaghy.

[thirstyboots18]

Just because Jose told the truth about some things, does not mean everything out of his mouth is the truth...

Chances are there is some truth in these allegations....maybe they are even just  the tip of the iceberg.  Just have to wait to see what is turned up.

[connerhenry43]

Just because Jose told the truth about some things, does not mean everything out of his mouth is the truth...

Chances are there is some truth in these allegations....maybe they are even just  the tip of the iceberg.  Just have to wait to see what is turned up.

what exactly does stern need to do in order to be fired? what more wrong could happen under this buffoon's watch? not to mention he is a bold face liar.

[guava_wrench]

Where there is smoke there is fire.  If that many refs are involved, there has to be some of them still actively working in the NBA.  If that is the case, the league is going to have a lot of explaining to do when and if this comes out.

"Where there is smoke there is fire."

Cliches prove nothing. You can do better than that.

[Tai]

Where there is smoke there is fire.  If that many refs are involved, there has to be some of them still actively working in the NBA.  If that is the case, the league is going to have a lot of explaining to do when and if this comes out.

"Where there is smoke there is fire."

Cliches prove nothing. You can do better than that.

While I agree 200% with cliches meaning nada, there's clearly a problem here that the NBA has to resolve, whether these allegations are true or not.

Connerhenry, I don't think Stern should be fired simply because of what could be. What Donaghy did does not within itself prove 12 other refs did it too.

[scoop]

The source says Battista is making these claims as he works to finalize a tell-all book deal.

[butterbeanlove]

SI's Chris Mannix on Comcast SportsNet pre-game show just said he got "several irate phone calls in the last hour from people in the league office who are irate that this story is gaining traction right now."

Said that the league sources said it's "possible some referees were gambling with Battista" but there's no evidence they were engaged in any illegal activity.

Which ignores the fact that NBA rules prohibit refs from betting on games, of course. Or that that is a gigantic black eye for the league.

So as usual, Commissar Stern is engineering a Col. Klink style cover-up rather than cleaning his own house. I don't trust the man one iota and haven't for a long, long time.