Do we realize the magnitude of what ex-NBA referee Donaghy is saying? If the NBA influenced the outcome of playoff games, this is devastating! (If this is true, perhaps wrestling’s Vince McMahon should take over for NBA
Commissioner David Stern)
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As sports fans, all we ask is players give it their “all” and want to win.
There were, and always will be, cheaters. Cheating is wrong.
- Cheating to gain an advantage. A Problem.
- Cheating to lose. A Bigger problem.
- League involvement in cheating. An even BIGGER problem.
(Alleged) Examples of cheating to gain an advantage…
- Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmero, Jason Giambi, Albert Belle (players) – allegedly used steroids human growth hormone, performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage…
- Gaylord Perry, Mike Scott, Joe Niekro (players) – spit balls, scuffing, doctoring the baseball to give it movement and to gain an advantage…
- Bill Bellichick – (coach, team) Spy-gate – The NFL’s New England Patriots break the rules filming other teams and their coaches to gain an advantage…
- Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery (olympic athetes) – used performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage…
Cheating. Wrong. Wanting to win. Right.
(Alleged) Examples of cheating to lose…
- Eight members of the 1919 Chicago franchise were banned from baseball for throwing (intentionally losing) games, giving the victory to the Cincinnati Reds.
- Boxers have often been accused of taking dives. There were multiple instances of George Foreman opponents taking dives.( http://www.randlemanland.com/fix.html )
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Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee said he made NBA bets for four years, even wagering on games he worked. He also admitted recommending bets to high-stakes gamblers and collecting $5,000 if his picks hit.
Donaghy is now accusing the NBA of pressuring referees to influence playoff series.
He is a small time person scrambling to get a shorter sentence, but, if this turns out to be true, it will be devastating to the NBA and professional sports.
A league influencing the outcome of games. I, the sports fan, don’t want to hear it
I would much rather have Barry Bonds, trying hard and using steroids, than teams throwing games or leagues influencing outcomes.
Where is a sports fan to turn?
We need sports. We need to believe in the competition. We can’t start questioning every little thing that the “fix was on”… A missed free throw… A missed putt… An umpire blowing a call…
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Note: While we’re on the subject, there is something fishy about the (potential Triple Crown Winner) Big Brown’s Belmont Stakes Race. Was the horse held back because they already had guaranteed money, and, if the horse was hurt or worse during the race, they would be risking the money. Hmmmm….
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