NBA: Where Rigged Games Happens

[jerry springer]

Lakers/Sac-town,the fixing starts about 2 min in

[YOUTUBE]y4t5RMFt5u8[/YOUTUBE]

Spurs/Suns

[YOUTUBE]QRp17FCifjc[/YOUTUBE]

typical wade treatment

[YOUTUBE]aySGUzzxjGE[/YOUTUBE]

The NBA night have had its highest ratings finals in 8 years,but the longer the referee scandal goes on the worse its reputation will get.Have to feel sorry for fans and Players of small market teams.Sac-town were just plain robbed.

 

[jerry springer]

Stern finally taking his head out of the sand. The article goes on to say
41% of fans think that games are altered


Basketball Poll: Fans Believe NBA Is Rigged

By Michael Bush, Advertising Age
Jun 18, 2008 LINK

NEW YORK -- David Stern, you have an image problem.

According to a new survey of 907 people released exclusively to Advertising Age Magazine last week, more than one-third (37%) of respondents believe that the NBA somewhat or very likely alters the outcomes of its games.

The YouGovPolimetrix Omnibus Poll found that among "casual" or "avid" fans, an even higher number, 41%, think it's either very likely or somewhat likely that the NBA alters the outcome of games.

Couple that with the fact that only 46% of the poll was aware that an NBA referee was recently investigated by the FBI for receiving cash payments in return for passing inside information along to friends and gamblers, and it's clear the NBA has a lot of cynicism to overcome.

Poll preceded Donaghy scandal

That's especially true when taken together with the fact that the study was conducted on June 2-4, prior to disgraced referee Tim Donaghy's allegations earlier this week that NBA executives and referees manipulated game results to boost ticket sales and TV ratings.

Even so, more than half (55%) of the general respondents and 47% of "avid" basketball fans, when asked if the relationships between officials and players/coaches affect the outcomes of games, responded "yes" or "lean towards thinking yes."

News of Mr. Donaghy's allegations this week generated a ton of bad press in the papers, on sports talk radio and on TV shows like ESPN's SportsCenter and "Pardon the Interruption."

And during Game Three of the NBA Finals, ABC, which is airing the games, spent nearly the entire halftime show talking about Mr. Donaghy's claims.

Coincidentally, more than a quarter (26%) of the general population thinks the NBA played a role in the Lakers and Celtics reaching this year's NBA Finals.

29% of all NBA Fans said the NBA had some role in the Lakers and Celtics reuniting in the finals for the first time in 21 years, while 47% of fans think the NBA either had some role in the championship match-up, or are unsure if the league played a role in the match-up.

Stern tarnished

It has long been thought that NBA Commissioner David Stern, in comparison to the commissioners of the other three majors, has best understood the benefits of good PR

Ted Marzilli, senior VP-general manager of the brand group at YouGovPolimetrix, said that regardless of whether or not Mr. Donaghy was the only dirty official in the league, there's a perception issue and the NBA has to admit that.

"Even if you don't believe he is the most credible person, he is admitting to some wrongdoing and suggesting there's a culture where this sort of behavior can take place," Mr. Marzilli said.

"So even if there's not truth to everything he is saying, I think enough people would probably say there's enough there to lend some suspicion that some of what he is saying might be true."

"The NBA has to take some action by implementing some rules and be visible about it," he added. "Acknowledge there is the perception of an issue, that there may actually be an issue and that you are going to do everything you can to ensure there is a trust between fans and the NBA."

The NBA didn't respond before press time.
__________________


NBA Commish: 'We Have an Issue'
SpursReport.Com
Friday, June 20, 2008


Michael Bush of Advertising Age Magazine has done, perhaps, what no sports journalist has been able to do so far. The business advertising magazine today rolls out a story in which National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern concedes to him that the league has a credibility problem.

"If any one fan legitimately holds some view questioning the integrity of our officials, we have work to do," Mr. Stern said in an interview. "If there's a fan out there that believes [the games aren't clean], and I believe there is, then we have an issue. And when we deal with our brand, there's no such thing as a minor issue."

According to the article, it has become increasingly clear that there's more than one fan out there feeling that way. According to a recent survey, 41% of casual or avid fans think it's either very likely or somewhat likely that the league alters the outcome of games.

Even perhaps more interesting the magazine says that 29% of all NBA enthusiasts believed the league played some role in setting up a Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers Finals matchup.

"What's worse, the poll was done prior to former NBA referee Tim Donaghy's allegations that NBA executives and referees manipulated games to boost ticket sales and TV ratings," writes Bush.

The NBA, is a $3.5 billion franchise that draws hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and sponsorship dollars each year. One reader on AdAge.com said "This 'fixing' of the NBA games has been going on for a very, very long time. The most casual observer can even see it," posted one commenter. "Of course the NBA is rigged. ... Look at the TV audiences that would have been [if] Detroit [had played] San Antonio instead of Boston and Los Angeles," vented another.

"We have to do a better job of communicating what our referees are subjected to," admited Stern. "Next season will also include a variety of activities, not yet decided upon, that will highlight any necessary changes, communications and education we think are important, because there are enormous investments in us on a global scale by some of the most important companies in the world. And we have enormous emotional investment in us by fans who believe in our product, players and referees."
__________________

 

[peternorth]

i wonder what happened to the guys who were holding the nba fixed signs. me thinks they're somewhere under the arizona desert now.

yep, the spurs-suns series. questions must be asked.

 

[frantelle]

woah woah woah

when i heard about the allegations i never thought the reffing could be that bad

and ppl think the swans get the benefit of the doubt

all those were the worst decisions/non decisions i have ever seen in any sport

 

[hamG]

Hawks-Celtics 7 game series: Free throws 220 Hawks - 152 Celtics including 47 to the Hawks in game 6. The only game the Celtics had more was game 7 and that was 16 to 19, and they won the game by like 40 points. refs

 

[ollie73]

Sooky sooky la-la board.

 

[jerry springer]

Sooky sooky la-la board.

not at all.these corrupt refs have favoured my team if anything.this serious issue is going to go gang-busters as this Donaghy scandal gets closer to the courtroom.

he will be taking down as many as his corrupt mates as he can

 

[jerry springer]

Lawyer: NBA wants to financially 'destroy' disgraced ref Donaghy Story

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/06/23/betting.probe.ap/index.html


NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA wants to financially "destroy" disgraced referee Tim Donaghy for embarrassing the league during the playoffs with allegations that outcomes of previous games were purposely manipulated by bad calls, his lawyer charged Monday.

The attorney, John Lauro, asked a federal judge to force the league to produce more evidence supporting its demand Donaghy pay the NBA nearly $1.4 million in restitution as part of the sentence in his gambling case. The amount covers everything from hefty legal bills to the cost of Donaghy's basketball shoes.

"The message from the NBA is quite clear: If you cooperate in a federal investigation against the organization, we will take you out," Lauro wrote in a letter to U.S. District Judge Carol Amon.

Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games himself. He faces up to 33 months in prison at sentencing, set for July 14.

Earlier this month, the case cast a cloud over the NBA finals with 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 -- include one instance in which referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to a revenue-boosting seven games.

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

NBA commissioner David Stern has called the allegations baseless, saying Donaghy was only "singing" to get a lighter sentence.

"No further purpose will be served by responding to Mr. Lauro's repeated misstatements as these matters will be addressed in court," the NBA said in a statement.

In its own court papers filed last week, the NBA argued Donaghy should pay back $577,312 of his salary from 2003 to 2007, covering scores of games on which he either bet or provided inside tips to gamblers.

It also said Donaghy should foot the bill for the legal fees and other expenses related to an internal "risk review" prompted by the case, including a $516,971 tab for a law firm that interviewed 57 NBA referees. Other costs the league wants repaid: $750 it spent on sneakers for the referee, $4,500 for complimentary tickets he received over the years, and other miscellaneous items.

Lauro called the demand purely vindictive.

"The NBA became angry that information about organization practices became public during the playoff season, and it retaliated by seeking to destroy Mr. Donaghy financially and to leave his family destitute," he wrote in the letter to Amon.

A court hearing is set for Wednesday on the restitution issue.

Last week, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, wrote Stern saying he was closely monitoring the case and was prepared to intervene if necessary. The committee oversees sports-related matters.

"At this point, the veracity of Mr. Donaghy's allegations must be viewed with some skepticism," Rush wrote. "Nonetheless, critics have once again renewed their calls for reform, and the NBA is once again facing questions about the integrity of the product on the court."

The NBA said it would cooperate fully with whatever requests Rush makes.

 

[PHX]

Earlier this month, the case cast a cloud over the NBA finals with 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.

Lol, Rasheed Wallace board.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

not at all.these corrupt refs have favoured my team if anything.this serious issue is going to go gang-busters as this Donaghy scandal gets closer to the courtroom.

he will be taking down as many as his corrupt mates as he can

Interesting point Jerry. As we know we both love our teams but it's good you can see the other side. FWIW there's no doubt in my mind the Spurs would feel absolutely sick in their stomachs if any of this were proven to be true as no side wants to win if stuff like that is going on.

Just so, so sad that's people's livelihoods and reputations can be based on something that is being controlled by a third party.

 

[jerry springer]

Interesting point Jerry. As we know we both love our teams but it's good you can see the other side. FWIW there's no doubt in my mind the Spurs would feel absolutely sick in their stomachs if any of this were proven to be true as no side wants to win if stuff like that is going on.

Just so, so sad that's people's livelihoods and reputations can be based on something that is being controlled by a third party.

its a absolute shithouse situation.just shit.i feel for players like webber and Bibby who busted their arse,and the Sac-town fans who would have paid huge money for tickets to follow their team just to have a corrupt league ____ em over.

Even hope that players like Nash, get another crack at the bigtime before their career is over with out dirty refs ruining their chance at a championship

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

its a absolute shithouse situation.just shit.i feel for players like webber and Bibby who busted their arse,and the Sac-town fans who would have paid huge money for tickets to follow their team just to have a corrupt league ____ em over.

Even hope that players like Nash, get another crack at the bigtime before their career is over with out dirty refs ruining their chance at a championship

I agree. As much as I get angry thinking about the Suns/Spurs series I really feel for guys like Divac, Webber and Bibby.

 

[celtic_pride]

LOL the only real problem I have is that Sac-Lakers game 6 West finals game a few years ago ..

Sadly as Steve has said I think on Born in the USA, that was the closest ever the Kings have gotten to win an nba championship (or at least the finals) but there was a perception the NBA didn't want a small market team in the finals ...


I did had to laugh reading some bitter Laker fan's rant on a forum, saying the Refs rigged game 2 of the NBA finals, owing to the amount of FT's the Celtics had compared to LA ..

Far as I'm concerned the Refs had nothing to do with Boston's game 4 comeback or the totaly massacre in game 6 ...

I'm also getting a bit annoyed with Rasheed Wallace's comments that the Celtics are 'TEAM NBA' ... We won two games on their home court in the series, and we proved we were better then them throughout the regular season, I reckon sometimes it gives a perception that Wallace and the Pistons are sore losers ..

But with all this refs scandal, and the apparent disaster that is the Sonics on and off again relocation to Oklahoma City, I think it's time for Stern to resign as commissioner, I just think now that he has too many skeletons in the closet (esp with being good friends with one of the Sonics owners who wants to move them, that is a conflict of interest surely ???)

 

[PHX]

That game 5 wasnt exactly normal either was it?