ESPN: Interesting interview with George Karl

[kingsnation]

Jumped out at me:

Asked if he believes Donaghy is the only referee guilty of manipulating games, Karl squirms before he answers. He leans forward, then back. He sighs. He shakes his head and finally offers, "I don't know how to answer that question without getting fined."

"Just because [Donaghy] is a criminal doesn't mean he's a liar," says a former NBA head coach who asked that his name not be used. "If a federal investigation hadn't turned him up, he'd still be refereeing in the NBA. And the league would still be telling us not to question his integrity."

rest of the article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3483237&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos2

 

[tradepeja]

Wow, that last quote is so utterly true.

 

[AriesMar27]

Wow, that last quote is so utterly true.

seriously... they would be backing him with their lives trying to convince fans that all of their refs are honest people...

 

[Gargamel]

He's full of it as usual. He doesn't want to say the wrong thing for fear of ref and Stern repercussions, not piddly fines. He doesn't want to get markcubaned is what it is.

There is a way to suggest that refs do communicate and that they're not robots, but humans (with all the foibles that come along with that). All he would have to do would be to tell the reporter to refer to the plane tix scandal of the late 90s in which 8 refs were involved and in which some got house arrest/suspensions/walking papers.

In that scandal, there was an illegal trade secret that got passed around to others during the refs' private time and the story wasn't broken by a ref with integrity ratting the others out, suggesting that they'll stick together. It wouldn't be a leap of faith in my mind to assume that other ref(s) beside Donaghy and Foster knew about this (or that none of them ratted out either one). That's the part Geo Karl wants to avoid commenting on.

 

[gunks]

Wow, that last quote is so utterly true.

And probably a Rick Adelman one...

 

[tradepeja]

And probably a Rick Adelman one...

I'd like to think so, but the article clearly says "former NBA head coach" something which Adelman clearly isn't.

I'm guessing it was SVG....sounds a bit like him.

 

[DocHolliday]

And probably a Rick Adelman one...

Adelman isn't a "former" coach. He's a current coach.

 

[uolj]

I'd like to think so, but the article clearly says "former NBA head coach" something which Adelman clearly isn't.

I'm guessing it was SVG....sounds a bit like him.

Oops... Isn't SVG the coach of the Magic? Maybe you meant Jeff?

 

[Superman]

"If a federal investigation hadn't turned him up, he'd still be refereeing in the NBA. And the league would still be telling us not to question his integrity."

Great quote.

 

[jacobdrj]

If you are in the media, George Karl is your best friend... I think he is a flawed coach, but I do agree with him on his stance on PC, and it makes for a fun fun interesting and refreshingly honest interview.