Re: SAVE THE NBA! SPREAD THIS POST!
Something else to think about...
Plenty of warning signs for Stern, NBA
Rick Morrissey | In the wake of the news
Karla Knafel filed a lawsuit in 2002 against Michael Jordan, her former lover, and it was filled with the kinds of juicy revelations that make news cycles dizzy.
One of the details that made a brief appearance and then was largely forgotten is now the most interesting, at least in light of the officiating scandal that is threatening to swallow the NBA.
The lawsuit describes how Jordan and Knafel met:
"In the spring of 1989, Karla was working as a vocalist touring in a band that performed at a hotel in Indianapolis. After Karla's performance, Eddie Rush, an NBA referee, approached her and complimented her about her singing talent. During their conversation, Karla and Mr. Rush talked about the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, who were in town to play the Indianapolis Pacers.
"Mr. Rush told Karla that he personally knew Jordan. To prove it, he telephoned Jordan at Jordan's Indianapolis hotel room and introduced him to Karla over the phone. Karla and Jordan then chatted for a while."
Back in 2002, I wrote about how unsettling it was that a referee was so chummy with an NBA player that he could pick up the phone and, perhaps unknowingly, help launch an affair. What else might a referee be able to do? What might a referee want in return for a favor? I contacted the NBA, which said it would look into the matter. A spokesman talked about the importance of limited contact between referees and players off the court. And then the story went away.
Except it didn't really go away, at least not in the broader sense of what's transpiring as the league wades through the allegations of former ref Tim Donaghy. Besides charging that two officials affected the outcome of a 2002 playoff game, he says that many referees are pals with general managers, coaches and players. He states that officials ask for autographs from players and socialize with coaches. One referee even played tennis regularly with a coach, Donaghy said.
The Jordan-Knafel story involving Ed F. Rush would seem to back up Donaghy's contention that fraternization between refs and players happens. It might even be the norm: business as usual.
One of the absolutes in sports is that the people who officiate the games have to be above reproach. You might be of the opinion that they can't see straight, but you're supposed to believe their failure to see properly is a function of poor eyesight, not gambling debts, bribery or pressure from the league office. Or their friendship with players.
As Commissioner David Stern correctly points out, the ugly allegations are coming from a man who is trying to save what's left of his skin. Donaghy has pleaded guilty to passing along inside information on NBA games to gamblers. Whatever he says should be met with extreme skepticism. When Jose Canseco alleged widespread steroid use in baseball, you could look at the pumped-up bodies of players and admit he might have a point. Donaghy's allegations are subtler.
But Stern knows he has a terrible situation on his hands, one that questions the integrity of his game—integrity being the most important thing of all. The public perception of a conspiracy now exists. And, as Stern also has to know, the perception of a conspiracy might as well be the real thing.
At the heart of Donaghy's allegations about the 2002 Lakers-Kings game is the assertion that the NBA wanted the higher-profile Lakers to win. In the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, the Lakers shot 27 free throws, the Kings nine. The referees in that game were Bob Delaney, Ted Bernhardt and Dick Bavetta. Federal investigators reportedly have been asking other referees about Bavetta's on-court decisions.
Stern challenged reporters to view the tape of the game in question.
"You can watch it, you can look at it again and you could see what we call correct, incorrect and non-call incorrect," he said. "… My guess is it won't be pretty, but it won't be dishonest and it won't be illegal. Of that, I assure you."
Of course, Stern can't assure you of anything right now. And some people don't want to be assured. For many, believing in a conspiracy theory is much more satisfying that believing your team isn't good enough.
There's a reason the league wants its officials to keep their distance from players and gamblers alike. Temptation is everywhere.
The NBA always has struck me as overly chummy. From top to bottom, there's a shared sense of hipness and the feeling that everyone, including some media members, are in it together. It doesn't take much of an imagination to wonder just how in it together everyone is. Would the NBA tell officials to let the Lakers beat the Kings, as Donaghy alleges? Would officials take it upon themselves to extend a series for the good of the league? Are other referees gambling on NBA games? If referees are, would it be such a leap to ask if players and coaches are gambling on games too?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're the NBA's worst nightmare. And you're not alone.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune....4190641.column
Something else to think about...
Plenty of warning signs for Stern, NBA
Rick Morrissey | In the wake of the news
Karla Knafel filed a lawsuit in 2002 against Michael Jordan, her former lover, and it was filled with the kinds of juicy revelations that make news cycles dizzy.
One of the details that made a brief appearance and then was largely forgotten is now the most interesting, at least in light of the officiating scandal that is threatening to swallow the NBA.
The lawsuit describes how Jordan and Knafel met:
"In the spring of 1989, Karla was working as a vocalist touring in a band that performed at a hotel in Indianapolis. After Karla's performance, Eddie Rush, an NBA referee, approached her and complimented her about her singing talent. During their conversation, Karla and Mr. Rush talked about the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, who were in town to play the Indianapolis Pacers.
"Mr. Rush told Karla that he personally knew Jordan. To prove it, he telephoned Jordan at Jordan's Indianapolis hotel room and introduced him to Karla over the phone. Karla and Jordan then chatted for a while."
Back in 2002, I wrote about how unsettling it was that a referee was so chummy with an NBA player that he could pick up the phone and, perhaps unknowingly, help launch an affair. What else might a referee be able to do? What might a referee want in return for a favor? I contacted the NBA, which said it would look into the matter. A spokesman talked about the importance of limited contact between referees and players off the court. And then the story went away.
Except it didn't really go away, at least not in the broader sense of what's transpiring as the league wades through the allegations of former ref Tim Donaghy. Besides charging that two officials affected the outcome of a 2002 playoff game, he says that many referees are pals with general managers, coaches and players. He states that officials ask for autographs from players and socialize with coaches. One referee even played tennis regularly with a coach, Donaghy said.
The Jordan-Knafel story involving Ed F. Rush would seem to back up Donaghy's contention that fraternization between refs and players happens. It might even be the norm: business as usual.
One of the absolutes in sports is that the people who officiate the games have to be above reproach. You might be of the opinion that they can't see straight, but you're supposed to believe their failure to see properly is a function of poor eyesight, not gambling debts, bribery or pressure from the league office. Or their friendship with players.
As Commissioner David Stern correctly points out, the ugly allegations are coming from a man who is trying to save what's left of his skin. Donaghy has pleaded guilty to passing along inside information on NBA games to gamblers. Whatever he says should be met with extreme skepticism. When Jose Canseco alleged widespread steroid use in baseball, you could look at the pumped-up bodies of players and admit he might have a point. Donaghy's allegations are subtler.
But Stern knows he has a terrible situation on his hands, one that questions the integrity of his game—integrity being the most important thing of all. The public perception of a conspiracy now exists. And, as Stern also has to know, the perception of a conspiracy might as well be the real thing.
At the heart of Donaghy's allegations about the 2002 Lakers-Kings game is the assertion that the NBA wanted the higher-profile Lakers to win. In the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, the Lakers shot 27 free throws, the Kings nine. The referees in that game were Bob Delaney, Ted Bernhardt and Dick Bavetta. Federal investigators reportedly have been asking other referees about Bavetta's on-court decisions.
Stern challenged reporters to view the tape of the game in question.
"You can watch it, you can look at it again and you could see what we call correct, incorrect and non-call incorrect," he said. "… My guess is it won't be pretty, but it won't be dishonest and it won't be illegal. Of that, I assure you."
Of course, Stern can't assure you of anything right now. And some people don't want to be assured. For many, believing in a conspiracy theory is much more satisfying that believing your team isn't good enough.
There's a reason the league wants its officials to keep their distance from players and gamblers alike. Temptation is everywhere.
The NBA always has struck me as overly chummy. From top to bottom, there's a shared sense of hipness and the feeling that everyone, including some media members, are in it together. It doesn't take much of an imagination to wonder just how in it together everyone is. Would the NBA tell officials to let the Lakers beat the Kings, as Donaghy alleges? Would officials take it upon themselves to extend a series for the good of the league? Are other referees gambling on NBA games? If referees are, would it be such a leap to ask if players and coaches are gambling on games too?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're the NBA's worst nightmare. And you're not alone.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune....4190641.column
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