Donaghy case poisons fans' faith in games
Source: Blinq (Original Article)
Sadly for the NBA and anyone who really cares about professional sports, the Tim Donaghy case is like a barrel of toxic waste in the well water.
Instead of being critical of an official’s call, fans now openly suspect the NBA (and the NHL and the NFL) of dictating the outcomes of postseason games. Instead of trusting in the fundamental integrity of the games, fans have good cause to wonder whether there isn’t some secret script.
This kind of thinking predates Donaghy’s admission that, as an NBA referee, he worked games he had bet on. The difference now is that conspiracy theorists sound less crazy than the known reality.
So when Joey Crawford is assigned to work Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, San Antonio Spurs fans immediately call shenanigans. Crawford was suspended last season after ejecting Tim Duncan for laughing at a call while he was on the bench, and he called a dubious technical foul on Spurs coach Gregg Popovich earlier in the playoffs.
When Game 4 then ends with a controversial non-call that seals victory for the Los Angeles Lakers, well, it’s easy for partisan fans to add two and two and come up with five.
A more neutral observer (like, say, me; what do I care who wins this series?) can see that Derek Fisher clearly fouled Brent Barry as he set up to attempt the Spurs’ final shot. The foul clearly occurred before Barry’s three-point attempt, and so should have led to two free throws. A neutral observer also would note that such non-calls are all too common at the end of close games.
Conspiracy? Not likely, and here’s why.
First, if David Stern really does send encrypted messages dictating the outcome of games, the last thing in the world the NBA would do is assign Crawford to a Spurs game. The key to a successful conspiracy is to make everything look as if it’s on the level.
Second, if the motive for all this is to set up a Boston-L.A. matchup to boost TV ratings, then why Frequent Flyer Credit Card push the Spurs to the brink …continue reading