Tim Donaghy..Scary..

[WeMadeIt17]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/listenlive.player.html?file=http://ht.cdn.turner.com/si/danpatrick/audio/2010/05/25/DP-Tim_Donaghy-05-25-10_Interview.mp3


Called what has happened in the past two games with the suns and also with the Celtics and Magic. Said that the suns would get the most of the calls would go the suns way and that it would happen in that way so the league could avoid sweeps. Listen in, pretty crazy.

[Prof. Clutch]

Wait, so is this interview from a couple of days ago and he predicted it would all happen before it did?  Or is he just saying now that he knew it all along?

[Roy Hobbs]

I didn't think Game 4 was all that slanted against the Celts.  Later in the game, there were some close calls against us, but overall, both teams both benefited and were hurt by some poor officiating.

[Prof. Clutch]

The last time I felt like there was an officiating bias in the playoffs was early on in the Cavs series where they had shot 40+ more free throws than us through 3 games or something like that.  I think the officiating started to even out after that and I don't think it's been much of a factor since.  I believe in star treatment by referees, I just don't believe in grand conspiracies by the league to force their will upon the game.

The benefit compared to the risk of tampering just doesn't add up for the league to undertake those kind of initiatives.

[Spilling Green Dye]

I didn't think Game 4 was all that slanted against the Celts.  Later in the game, there were some close calls against us, but overall, both teams both benefited and were hurt by some poor officiating.

Donaghy's blanket statement works to people's fears, and so anything that might even feel like a wrong call will automatically be attributed to what Donaghy said.  This is what is so dangerous about what he is saying.  It's almost like reading a generic horoscope.. it become easy to feel that it is catered to your life.

The Celtics blew game 4, and not just in the 4th quarter.  I dind't like some of the calls at the end, but ultimately the Celtics had a chance.  If the refs were corrupt then the Celtics chance to win would have been a lot closer to 0%

[WeMadeIt17]

This was yesterday before the suns lakers game 4 and after the celtics game 4. Not saying I believe it but still pretty crazy..

[Eddie20]

TP! Good find.

Well, if you think about things it makes a lot of sense financially. Below is the schedule for the Finals. Doesn't seem logical to have teams close out early and then not have any NBA basketball for a week and a half.


Thursday, June 3: Game 1, 9 p.m.
Sunday June 6: Game 2, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8: Game 3, 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 10: Game 4, 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 13: Game 5*, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 15: Game 6*, 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 17: Game 7*, 9 p.m.

[looseball]

I think if the refs ARE tampering with the game, it will be more subtle than calling twice as many fouls on one team than  the other.
The timing of the fouls can be crucial (like at the end of the game), or calling fouls against one team in spurts to change the momentum, then calling fouls spread out against the other team to balance the overall numbers, etc.

[Roy Hobbs]

Also, for the record, Donaghy now claims that he never fixed NBA games, and claims that he only gambled on them based upon his instincts and reactions to other refs.

In other words, Donaghy is a liar.

[Bankshot]

Didn't Donagy say that Stern wanted Lebron and Kobe in the finals?

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

TP! Good find.

Well, if you think about things it makes a lot of sense financially. Below is the schedule for the Finals. Doesn't seem logical to have teams close out early and then not have any NBA basketball for a week and a half.


Thursday, June 3: Game 1, 9 p.m.
Sunday June 6: Game 2, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8: Game 3, 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 10: Game 4, 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 13: Game 5*, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 15: Game 6*, 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 17: Game 7*, 9 p.m.

It won't happen now as the Lakers-Suns is 2-2 but had both series ended in 5 games or less the finals start date would have been moved up. I don't remember the exact day but it it would have been a few days earlier.

[Mr October]

I haven't seen any officiating hack jobs against Boston since early in the Cleveland series.

Orlando deserved to win game 4.

I haven't seen enough of the LA-Suns series to make a judgement call there.

[SamuelAdams]

I think if you just look at total fouls and free throws you can underestimate the effect of the whistles. In game 4 anytime we started a run, a 50/50 call was regularly made against us and for Orlando. Momentum was stopped consistently with the whistle. It seemed that there was no way we were going to get close in that game. Maybe it is just an unlucky series of 'the coin landing tails down.'  To deny the effect is to not be aware of what is happening around you.

The greatest moment of game 4 was after the bogus call on Garnett when the crowds energy went through the roof. The Celtics fed off that and played over the refs and brought the game to a tie.

[fairweatherfan]

I haven't seen any officiating hack jobs against Boston since early in the Cleveland series.

Orlando deserved to win game 4.

I haven't seen enough of the LA-Suns series to make a judgement call there.

Agreed on our series - it's a big stretch to say the officials jobbed us on Monday.  The officiating was pretty weak, but there were some bad calls and no-calls all around.

Since the WCF moved to Phoenix the Suns, especially Amare, have been attacking the rim, and the Lakers have been chucking 3s against the zone.  That's the main reason for the FT discrepancy there. 

[coco]

Trusting Cohaghy is like trusting the MAFIA.  This guy is dirty and can never be trusted.  I don't care if he gets it right...he is still a scum.  Who's his employer now-a-days, the Cartels or does he still works for the MAFIA?