The NBA's Biggest Problem With The Donaghy Scandal

Now that the details are starting to come out regarding referee Tim Donaghy's scandal involving gambling and organized crime, we're getting a good idea of how bad it could turn out to be for the NBA.

Forget the games he reffed, or that now the NBA has to have a hand in keeping this guy alive. Think about this tidbit of info that was made public over the weekend.

"The NBA assigned a private investigator on disgraced referee Tim Donaghy more than a year ago, the New York Daily News reported, but then let him work games all season long anyway, friends and neighbors said Sunday."

1 year? One year ago the NBA was suspicious enough about this guy that it hired a private investigator to check up on him. He even went so far as to interview Donaghy's neighbors about his gambling habits.

"Officials had the investigator question neighbors and friends of Donaghy about what they knew about his gambling habits -- especially his penchant for the Borgata in Atlantic City.

"[The investigator] asked, 'Does he gamble?' " said Kit Anstey, 60, of West Chester, Pa. "I said, 'Yes.' "

So someone within the NBA knew that Donaghy was involved with gambling, and that there was a possibility that it was affecting his work for the NBA.

Then, they not only let him referee the regular season, but the playoffs as well. Whether or not his calls in the Game 3 matchup between San Antonio and Phoenix were because of his gambling habits doesn't matter much now because perception is reality, and right now the perception is that Donaghy fixed games to help organized criminals make money. And the worst part is that the current perception is that the NBA knew there was a problem, but they let Donaghy continue to referee games. Hopefully, for the NBA's sake, that perception doesn't become reality.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere - Alcohol Payola Scandal Edition

Since it's Friday, and the end of the workweek for most people, we think that you should be provided with a post that takes the edge off so to speak. Because it's going to be random and hopefully humorous, that means that it won't always be sports related. It will also pop up at any time on Friday.

Weekend plans have hindered posting, but today's "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" post luckily fought its way through. It comes via inspiration from allegedly being involved in a "links for drinks" scandal with Will Leitch at Deadspin.

Apparently, the fine blogger(s) at Stop Mike Lupica believe there's some backroom, or barroom as the case may be, shadiness going on, and that's the reason this wonderful, creative, intelligent blog has been linked so much by Deadspin.

Now, I can't hate on SML too much because he actually called my links "legit posts", though maybe I should be upset because of that(long live mediocrity!). I also had a nice spike in traffic that day. And to tell you the truth, SML was on to something.

Whenever I'm looking to get something linked on Deadspin a huge party breaks out, and the next thing you know me and Mr. Leitch, or "Big Willy" as the strippers at the Spearmint Rhino in Vegas call him(contrary to popular belief there is sex in the Champagne Room if you're rolling with a Deadspin highroller), are surrounded by cash, hot chicks and lots of alcohol. Trust me, bribing "Big Willy" with those three things while doing your best impersonation of a Ying Yang Twins video is a surefire way to get links.



Happy Friday!