http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/285577.html
NBA Beat: League suffers most from referee scandal
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:46 am PDT Sunday, July 22, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C8
It stopped being about Tim Donaghy before it was about Tim Donaghy, when word of a referee being caught in an FBI mob investigation became public Friday in the New York Post and the story whipped into any league's nightmare even without the identity of the suspect.
It was -- and always will be -- about the NBA. Donaghy reportedly will be arrested as soon as this week, might or might not be guilty of making calls to alter the point spread or the outcome, might or might not be penalized by the courts, and, at some stage, will get on with his life. He won't have to show his face again until the book tour.
The NBA, meanwhile, already has been charged and convicted and will do hard time for this -- Commissioner David Stern acknowledged the perception game when he said in a statement that the league is cooperating with authorities "to bring justice to an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports. ... "
The betrayed former colleagues Donaghy left behind upon his resignation will take the public abuse. It will take until, oh, the first minute of the first exhibition game before someone in the stands yells, "Fix!" Now welcome to the real problem: The league already might have been doing everything possible to prevent this very situation.
Referees receive intense scrutiny, from supervisors who chart their decisions on the court to a security staff filled with former law enforcement officials who monitor potential off-court issues. Rules are in place to dictate that no one will officiate the same team more than nine times in a season and that no referee will work more than one game in the same city within 14 days. Crew assignments are constantly changed.
Referees meet the afternoon before a game to review any issues that might have come up around the league in games the night before. They are required to take online rules tests. They send a report to the league off every game. They are tracked each outing by on-site evaluators. They are tracked a second time by executives from the league office, with each ref's decision logged to contribute to a secret grading system that helps determine playoff assignments for the best officials.
Donaghy got playoff assignments. He was generally regarded somewhere in the middle of the pack among the 60 or so NBA referees, nondescript enough that his greatest moment of attention was being confronted by Rasheed Wallace in an arena loading dock after a game in 2003.
Beyond the obvious image debacle, Donaghy's resignation, no matter what follows in the judicial world, is a setback to a league that is expected to lose one of its better refs, Bernie Fryer, to retirement and is still debating the fate of standout Joe Crawford. Crawford, suspended April 17, wants to return but has yet to be told he is wanted back.
Exceptional
Not to be forgotten in the Seattle SuperSonics' many maneuverings under new general manager Sam Presti, or the Warriors' trade under same-old personnel boss Chris Mullin, is the chance to cash in what is too often overlooked.
Trade exceptions can become valuable chips.
The Warriors got one worth about $10 million when they dealt Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that had enough room under the salary cap to absorb his contract. Now Golden State has a year to acquire someone making anything less than that amount without sending a player in return, enviable flexibility for a team over the cap.
The SuperSonics got one worth about $9 million as part of the sign-and-trade deal that delivered Rashard Lewis to Orlando. Because the Magic had cap space and therefore did not have to send a player in return, Seattle acquired the exception, then used it Friday to get Kurt Thomas and two first-round selections from the Suns, essentially moving the exception to Phoenix.
The Suns now have the ability to make a significant move without giving up a player, which could turn into a major asset for a team aiming for a title. In the meantime, they accomplished the goal of shedding salary. Seattle takes Thomas for the final season of his deal and gets the two draft picks for the trouble.
Missing the point
The losses are coming in the offseason as well for the Miami Heat. The team still has championship aspirations but so far has not had any success in an offseason priority of landing a backup -- or replacement -- for injury-plagued Jason Williams at point guard.
Miami passed on Aaron Brooks and Gabe Pruitt in the draft and missed on Mo Williams, Steve Francis, Derek Fisher and Steve Blake. The remaining likely options are signing Earl Boykins or Brevin Knight or dealing for Juan Carlos Navarro, a 2002 draft pick by Washington who has yet to come from Europe. The Heat obviously would want to get in the middle of any Mike Bibby talks, but it has little to offer except cap relief.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
NBA Beat: League suffers most from referee scandal
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:46 am PDT Sunday, July 22, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C8
It stopped being about Tim Donaghy before it was about Tim Donaghy, when word of a referee being caught in an FBI mob investigation became public Friday in the New York Post and the story whipped into any league's nightmare even without the identity of the suspect.
It was -- and always will be -- about the NBA. Donaghy reportedly will be arrested as soon as this week, might or might not be guilty of making calls to alter the point spread or the outcome, might or might not be penalized by the courts, and, at some stage, will get on with his life. He won't have to show his face again until the book tour.
The NBA, meanwhile, already has been charged and convicted and will do hard time for this -- Commissioner David Stern acknowledged the perception game when he said in a statement that the league is cooperating with authorities "to bring justice to an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports. ... "
The betrayed former colleagues Donaghy left behind upon his resignation will take the public abuse. It will take until, oh, the first minute of the first exhibition game before someone in the stands yells, "Fix!" Now welcome to the real problem: The league already might have been doing everything possible to prevent this very situation.
Referees receive intense scrutiny, from supervisors who chart their decisions on the court to a security staff filled with former law enforcement officials who monitor potential off-court issues. Rules are in place to dictate that no one will officiate the same team more than nine times in a season and that no referee will work more than one game in the same city within 14 days. Crew assignments are constantly changed.
Referees meet the afternoon before a game to review any issues that might have come up around the league in games the night before. They are required to take online rules tests. They send a report to the league off every game. They are tracked each outing by on-site evaluators. They are tracked a second time by executives from the league office, with each ref's decision logged to contribute to a secret grading system that helps determine playoff assignments for the best officials.
Donaghy got playoff assignments. He was generally regarded somewhere in the middle of the pack among the 60 or so NBA referees, nondescript enough that his greatest moment of attention was being confronted by Rasheed Wallace in an arena loading dock after a game in 2003.
Beyond the obvious image debacle, Donaghy's resignation, no matter what follows in the judicial world, is a setback to a league that is expected to lose one of its better refs, Bernie Fryer, to retirement and is still debating the fate of standout Joe Crawford. Crawford, suspended April 17, wants to return but has yet to be told he is wanted back.
Exceptional
Not to be forgotten in the Seattle SuperSonics' many maneuverings under new general manager Sam Presti, or the Warriors' trade under same-old personnel boss Chris Mullin, is the chance to cash in what is too often overlooked.
Trade exceptions can become valuable chips.
The Warriors got one worth about $10 million when they dealt Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that had enough room under the salary cap to absorb his contract. Now Golden State has a year to acquire someone making anything less than that amount without sending a player in return, enviable flexibility for a team over the cap.
The SuperSonics got one worth about $9 million as part of the sign-and-trade deal that delivered Rashard Lewis to Orlando. Because the Magic had cap space and therefore did not have to send a player in return, Seattle acquired the exception, then used it Friday to get Kurt Thomas and two first-round selections from the Suns, essentially moving the exception to Phoenix.
The Suns now have the ability to make a significant move without giving up a player, which could turn into a major asset for a team aiming for a title. In the meantime, they accomplished the goal of shedding salary. Seattle takes Thomas for the final season of his deal and gets the two draft picks for the trouble.
Missing the point
The losses are coming in the offseason as well for the Miami Heat. The team still has championship aspirations but so far has not had any success in an offseason priority of landing a backup -- or replacement -- for injury-plagued Jason Williams at point guard.
Miami passed on Aaron Brooks and Gabe Pruitt in the draft and missed on Mo Williams, Steve Francis, Derek Fisher and Steve Blake. The remaining likely options are signing Earl Boykins or Brevin Knight or dealing for Juan Carlos Navarro, a 2002 draft pick by Washington who has yet to come from Europe. The Heat obviously would want to get in the middle of any Mike Bibby talks, but it has little to offer except cap relief.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
