NBA Ref Investigated for Gambling

by Tyduffy

This particular newspaper could surely never be accused of BLOWING ITS HEADLINES OUT OF PROPORTION. However, the New York Post may have a genuine scandal on its hands. The FBI has reportedly been investigating a veteran NBA official for gambling on basketball games (including ones he was officiating) over the last two seasons.

The referee is accused of having mafia ties, and specifically making calls to affect the pointspreads of games. He allegedly had a gambling problem, and fell into debt with mafia-connected bookies. The referee, himself, has yet to be named.

The NBA refused to confirm or deny the story stating, "We have been asked by the FBI, with whom we are working closely, not to comment on this matter at this time." An anonymous source to the Post, however, has stated that Commissioner David Stern "is aware of the investigation and has a report about the referee on his desk."

Should this story be true, it would provide a damaging blow to the credibility of the league. The NBA is already accused of subtly manipulating its outcomes through officiating (having different standards for different teams, allowing star players more leverage). This story exacerbates those concerns by a factor of 1,000. Depending upon the referee, his deliberate manipulation of games may have significantly affected regular season outcomes, as well as playoff series.

The NBA has cracked down harshly in recent seasons on referee criticism. Coaches have been fined tens of thousands of dollars for daring to even hint that the performance of a referee may not have been anything but excellent. A new technical foul policy was instituted last season to cut down on referee criticism by players during a game. There have also been the occasional massive fines handed down to Mark Cuban. This scandal undercuts all of these efforts, and leaves the game with an enormous amount of egg on its face.

All sports rely upon officials to arbitrate the game fairly and without bias. Sans that underlying good faith in officiating, the sport loses all credibility in the minds of both the players and the general public. David Stern has a disaster on his hands, with few, if any, amelioration methods available. The only way out, it seems, will be to choke down a considerable portion of humble pie and attempt to weather the storm. Whatever the outcome, it is safe to say that Stern won't be bringing down the hammer or dropping $100,000 fines any time soon.

Want more? Go here.

Ba