How do we demand the truth about Donaghy/Spurs/Suns playoffs!

[Muggum]

Which journalist can we appeal to to demand the truth about Donaghy's involvement in the key Suns/Spurs playoff game from 2007?

Let me bottom line this: The FBI currently knows whether or not Donaghy had action on that game, and what that action was. They were wire-tapping him at the time.

We, the public, have a right to see the evidence and know the truth. And I'm beyond frustrated that no one among the major media has insisted on hearing it.

I wrote Bill Simmons on ESPN.com asking him to look into it, but never heard back. I'm sure he is deluged with thousands of daily emails.

Who else can take up our cause? WE HAVE TO KNOW. The knowledge that the truth is sitting in some envelope somewhere really, really bothers me.

We can't let David Stern pull a Roger Goodell and simply move on from this.

Muggum

 

[schutd]

And knowing the truth will make you feel better???? Itll most likely break my heart. It is only sports afterall. How bout we move on?

 

[95pro]

i dont know sheet about this, foia...

but the freedom of information act, shouldnt that make crap like this available to the public. the guy has been tried & prosecuted, so should some info be disclosed by now?

 

[scXfreakX]

And knowing the truth will make you feel better???? Itll most likely break my heart. It is only sports afterall. How bout we move on?

It still would be nice to know and would give us some sports closure.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i dont know sheet about this, foia...

but the freedom of information act, shouldnt that make crap like this available to the public. the guy has been tried & prosecuted, so should some info be disclosed by now?

not if there is protected, classified, delicate, or any other type of information that may be tagged as necessary for an ongoing investigation.

 

[95pro]

thats what i was getting at...


ongoing? hmmm...

 

[Andrew]

If y'all can wait until after I am done with school in 3 or so years, I would like to be the journalist that breaks that story.

 

[Chaplin]

On a related note, they replayed the NY Knicks/Phoenix Suns game that went to triple overtime a while back (2005)--back when Amare was out all year.

Raja, Boris, Kurt Thomas and Pat Burke all fouled out of that game. Nobody on the Knicks fouled out. (PFs: 41-27 Suns with more)

I was watching it, and it was certainly exciting, especially knowing that Shawn had his career-high in points and Nash was going on to his career-high in assists (22). And one of the referees was none other than... Tim Donaghy! It was strange to notice him like that knowing that, at the time, none of this gambling and cheating stuff was even thought about.

 

[carrrnuttt]

not if there is protected, classified, delicate, or any other type of information that may be tagged as necessary for an ongoing investigation.

Like the one they're doing on Napoleon, err, David Stern? *praying*

 

[Mr Bottomtooth]

The documents identify the approximate dates of any wrongdoing as ending on or about April 30, 2007. San Antonio fan Cyn points out that is well before Donaghy was involved in that Phoenix vs. San Antonio fiasco, which took place on May 12.

http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop?tag=tim+donaghy

 

[dreamcastrocks]

2 weeks isn't well before. Still very suspect to me.

 

[Mr Bottomtooth]

It can be as suspect as you want, but his actions ended before the Spurs/Suns series. But feel free to put together a case to prove that statement is false.

 

[Irish]

What Stern does not understand is that his efforts to shove everything under the rug means that conspiracy theories are going to get worse rather than fade away. The NBA has a huge credibility issue and the only thing everyone agrees on is that Stern is stonewalling.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It can be as suspect as you want, but his actions ended before the Spurs/Suns series. But feel free to put together a case to prove that statement is false.

first of all, i really no longer care about that game. i hate spurs, nothing will change that.

but more importantly, "documents show" . . . i'm sorry, as an attorney that's just a portion of evidence and does not necessarily reveal the entire truth. we may never know the entire truth. your invitation for someone to put together a case to prove that statement is false is no more powerful than my asking you to put together a case that the statement is true. that's a lame argument.

 

[Mr Bottomtooth]

first of all, i really no longer care about that game. i hate spurs, nothing will change that.

but more importantly, "documents show" . . . i'm sorry, as an attorney that's just a portion of evidence and does not necessarily reveal the entire truth. we may never know the entire truth. your invitation for someone to put together a case to prove that statement is false is no more powerful than my asking you to put together a case that the statement is true. that's a lame argument.

Just about as lame as it was to say that you still believe Donaghy screwed the Suns in the series even though it's been stated that he stopped jacking games before the series? You gotta take it for what it says. There's many reports everywhere saying how he stopped fixing games before the series, so just still believing that he still fixed the series or still skeptical about the Donaghy's officiating during the series doesn't make much sense whatsoever either.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

this thread, like the spurs, just sucks.

 

[Mainstreet]

How do we demand the truth about Donaghy/Spurs/Suns playoffs!

I suppose waterboarding might be an option if it is not banned in the CBA. I understand it is not considered torture by the U.S.

 

[Mr Bottomtooth]

this thread, like the spurs, just sucks.

That didn't make sense.

 

[Greg Popovich]

Arizona law governs what is an open record and not.

For example--a prosecutors closed file is considered open to the extent there are no more prosecutions contemplated.

I would imagine they Arizona has a similar statute. The snag may be that the state or feds would resist by asserting that further investigations stemming from info in this file may be contemplated.

 

[Cheesewater]

Just about as lame as it was to say that you still believe Donaghy screwed the Suns in the series even though it's been stated that he stopped jacking games before the series? You gotta take it for what it says. There's many reports everywhere saying how he stopped fixing games before the series, so just still believing that he still fixed the series or still skeptical about the Donaghy's officiating during the series doesn't make much sense whatsoever either.

I read words like "approximate" and "on or about" in your TrueHoop reference. The difference between April 30 and May 12 falls within that range. You cut a line from that TrueHoop quote, too: "Of course, there is no evidence everything Donaghy did after that period was fine and dandy, but take it for what you will." If it's shown that he was dirty on a particular date or game, you must invalidate every subsequent date or game.

 

[Maligzar]

I like how everyone ignores the fact that even the fixed games, only were fixed to cover the point spread. It's been stated several times that the outcomes of games were never effected.

But carry on please, this makes for much more interesting reading.

I think you guys should write to Kenneth Starr.

 

[S_Nash]

But if team A is favoured by -3.5, it makes it a hell of a lot harder for team B to take the lead if whenever team B gets within 3, team A gets the benefit of some dubvious calls that lead to made baskets and/or freethrows.

 

[Splinters81]

I like how everyone ignores the fact that even the fixed games, only were fixed to cover the point spread. It's been stated several times that the outcomes of games were never effected.

But carry on please, this makes for much more interesting reading.

I think you guys should write to Kenneth Starr.

Edit: just saw your "several of the game" wanted to make it clear I see this, but still but if the team in favor is already winning, no need to fix the outcome, just the spread.

Regardless of what was fixed it was still fixed!! I have a hard time believing that the outcomes were never fixed. If he was being paid to fix them, don't you think the payer would expect the payee to fix it in the right direction?

Anyway, the fact that the word fixed is attached to basketball right now, takes any credibility away from the game. I mean hell, we can almost consider it like pro wrestling. We all know that is fixed. We will find out eventually, just like Pat Tillman was killed by enemy fire....right? (not to mention the family is still trying to get answers about that one) We only know what the government wants us to know.

 

[Mr Bottomtooth]

I read words like "approximate" and "on or about" in your TrueHoop reference. The difference between April 30 and May 12 falls within that range. You cut a line from that TrueHoop quote, too: "Of course, there is no evidence everything Donaghy did after that period was fine and dandy, but take it for what you will." If it's shown that he was dirty on a particular date or game, you must invalidate every subsequent date or game.

But it hasn't been shown yet. So go with the material that we have with us. Anything else would just not make sense.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Excerpts from Donaghy's book are out. Here are some relevant to the Suns.

Relationships between NBA players and referees were generally all over the board-love, hate, and everything in-between. Some players, even very good ones, were targeted by referees and the league because they were too talented for their own good. Raja Bell, formerly of the Phoenix Suns and now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, was one of those players. A defensive specialist throughout his career, Bell had a reputation for being a "star stopper." His defensive skills were so razor sharp that he could shut down a superstar, or at least make him work for his points. Kobe Bryant was often frustrated by Bell's tenacity on defense. Let's face it, no one completely shuts down a player of Kobe's caliber, but Bell could frustrate Kobe, take him out of his game, and interrupt his rhythm.

You would think that the NBA would love a guy who plays such great defense. Think again! Star stoppers hurt the promotion of marquee players. Fans don't pay high prices to see players like Raja Bell-they pay to see superstars like Kobe Bryant score 40 points. Basketball purists like to see good defense, but the NBA wants the big names to score big points.

If a player of Kobe's stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he's hurting the game.

My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to get past the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn't know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes. Nunez was the group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had a rooting interest.

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, "You would love to keep coming back here." He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.

More at http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read