Tweet
From: Gonzalez, John
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
In an HBO Real Sports interview last night, a gambler named Jimmy Battista said he talked to former NBA ref/ward of the federal prison system Tim Donaghy before every game Donaghy officiated.
"We bet every game," Battista said. He added that the NBA never contacted him to discuss the Donaghy situation.
The book Donaghy wrote suggests that NBA refs were making side bets with each other on almost anything, and that those bets were tied to the actual game (who would call the most fouls, who would call the first foul, etc.). Is it possible that the NBA doesn't want to dig into this any further because it's afraid of what it will find?
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
When I was on the NBA beat, I was on the road just before a holiday and had a cross-country red-eye flight after the game. One of the refs was on the same flight and I said to him before the game, "Yeah, we should make it, as long as there's no overtime or anything." He said, "I wouldn't worry too much about that." The game was mayhem. They might not have called five fouls all night. The clock never stopped. Guys were killing each other. And, that's right, no overtime.
That story has nothing to do with your subject, except for the fact that referees are human. I believe everything.
From: Gonzalez, John
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
Kinda makes me want to be an NBA ref. Sounds like fun.
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
I think you'd be very good at it, John. You don't have to be accurate and you don't have to be nice. You just have to sell your version of the truth with a great deal of bluster and noise. It's right up your alley.
From: Gonzalez, John
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
So true. Gonzoimmoral (beat you to it, Buttons) would be a great NBA ref. What I love about those guys is that they think they're bigger than the athletes or the game and they have huge chips on their shoulders. It's just like Page 2.
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
Officials, and I hesitate to go down this road, are somewhat like cops. Some of that same peacekeeping mentality. Maybe that's a bad analogy. Maybe they're more like tiny, little bouncers.
From: Fox, Ashley
To: Gonzalez, John; Ford, Bob
Subject: Bet on it
Sorry, I've been live chatting with the people. And look at the fun I missed here. Part of me thinks I should put on the stripes and officiate you two, but the other part of me thinks I should treat this like the night before a holiday and let you duke it out. For the record, my money would be on Bobby.
You Talkin' to Me? Dishonesty, gambling and NBA referees | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/25/2009
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
In an HBO Real Sports interview last night, a gambler named Jimmy Battista said he talked to former NBA ref/ward of the federal prison system Tim Donaghy before every game Donaghy officiated.
"We bet every game," Battista said. He added that the NBA never contacted him to discuss the Donaghy situation.
The book Donaghy wrote suggests that NBA refs were making side bets with each other on almost anything, and that those bets were tied to the actual game (who would call the most fouls, who would call the first foul, etc.). Is it possible that the NBA doesn't want to dig into this any further because it's afraid of what it will find?
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
When I was on the NBA beat, I was on the road just before a holiday and had a cross-country red-eye flight after the game. One of the refs was on the same flight and I said to him before the game, "Yeah, we should make it, as long as there's no overtime or anything." He said, "I wouldn't worry too much about that." The game was mayhem. They might not have called five fouls all night. The clock never stopped. Guys were killing each other. And, that's right, no overtime.
That story has nothing to do with your subject, except for the fact that referees are human. I believe everything.
From: Gonzalez, John
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
Kinda makes me want to be an NBA ref. Sounds like fun.
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
I think you'd be very good at it, John. You don't have to be accurate and you don't have to be nice. You just have to sell your version of the truth with a great deal of bluster and noise. It's right up your alley.
From: Gonzalez, John
To: Ford, Bob; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
So true. Gonzoimmoral (beat you to it, Buttons) would be a great NBA ref. What I love about those guys is that they think they're bigger than the athletes or the game and they have huge chips on their shoulders. It's just like Page 2.
From: Ford, Bob
To: Gonzalez, John; Fox, Ashley
Subject: Bet on it
Officials, and I hesitate to go down this road, are somewhat like cops. Some of that same peacekeeping mentality. Maybe that's a bad analogy. Maybe they're more like tiny, little bouncers.
From: Fox, Ashley
To: Gonzalez, John; Ford, Bob
Subject: Bet on it
Sorry, I've been live chatting with the people. And look at the fun I missed here. Part of me thinks I should put on the stripes and officiate you two, but the other part of me thinks I should treat this like the night before a holiday and let you duke it out. For the record, my money would be on Bobby.
You Talkin' to Me? Dishonesty, gambling and NBA referees | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/25/2009
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