RSSNBA referee Tim Donaghy Accused of Betting Fears for his Safety (Witness Protection Program?)
Tainted referee receiving some bad calls of his own …
As reported last week, ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy is being investigated by the FBI for betting and possibly point shaving basketball games that he reffed. Now it appears that he fears for his safety as he is reportedly receiving threatening phone calls. One would think that Donaghy is in way over his head and helping the investigation. Can the witness protection program be far away?
“Our concern is for his safety and his family’s safety,” Sheriff’s Lt. Robert McNealy told the newspaper for a story in Monday’s editions. “We are definitely going to share any information we get with the FBI.”
The Donaghy’s family is even urging him to enter the federal witness-protection program, according to one friend interviewed in The New York Post.
“They think he will be killed if he goes to prison, or even if he doesn’t, just because he’s probably talking, cooperating, and that’s ratting on the mob,” the friend said. “I don’t think [the Mafia] would take that very well.
I guess this is the ultimate outcome when one works with the mob to try to may off a gambling debt.
[Relatives] are very concerned for his safety,” the friend added. “I think they knew something serious was going on, but not like this, not this big, whole life-or-death issue with the Mafia. I mean, it’s the Gambinos.”
Mealy declined to reveal more details of the threats against Donaghy, who is being investigated by federal authorities for allegedly working with mobsters tied to the Gambino crime family to fix the scores of NBA games to pay off his gambling debts. (Fox News)
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6 Responses to “NBA referee Tim Donaghy Accused of Betting Fears for his Safety (Witness Protection Program?)”
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Huge I say! HUGE.
See; remember in school being taught every action has a reaction? Greed can be a great motivator or a great
assassinator.
When teams shave points it is often felt to be the work of just one player, why this intense outpouring of emotion just because its the referree who was involved in a point shaving scandal? Don’t tell me that the public thinks the referees are somehow noble.
This is so funny….
WE ALL KNEW THE REFS FIXED THE GAMES IN FAVOR OF THE
RICH FRANCHISES OVER THE LESS RICHE… THE BIG CITIES
THAT COULD BENEFIT LARGER FROM THE POST GAME MARKET
AND IN SOME CASES FOR THE TEAM THAT IS MOST POPULAR
IN THE U.S. IN YEARS PAST IT WAS DONE FOR THE CHICAGO
BULLS AND THE L.A.LAKERS BECAUSE OF THEIR HUGE FAN
BASE.
There are multi-millions of dollars to be made after
the chamionships that add up to a lot more in Chicago
and L.A. than they would in Salt Lake City, Phoenix,
Portland or Seattle.
It’s ALWAYS about money and organized sports, all the way
from pee-wee baseball has a form of corruption that comes
from greed, self-gratification and the desire that comes
from wanting to be the popular.
As far as Donaghy is concerned, I say, let him rat out his
friends, tell everything he knows and give him everything
he needs to go on with his life. The more we know about
what goes on behind closed doors, the better.
Besides, Fair is Fair, Right?
So Las Vegas will wind up with its own franchise? Who actually makes the money in such a system? How does one referee making money on the point spread become a big deal?
Shouldn’t this be the most boring case in history? And how is this one referee’s gambling habits going to affect what you see as a scandal in the peewee leagues?
My opinion is that the BIG games are set, not by point
spread betters in Las Vegas, but by the NBA, itself.
Seeing to it that the teams that win the championship
games assure post game, future profits to be made through
the sale of NBA sponsored products. That is big business,
in and of itself. The more popular the team, the larger
the market base, the better chance of the team making it
through the playoffs and into the championships. I don’t
think that it is just coincidental when a bad call, or two,
determines the winner and loser of a game.
Let’s just see where Donaghy’s allegience lies, with the
gamblers in Las Vegas or with the NBA, itself.