WHY I DO NOT WATCH PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

The world of professional sports is being rocked to it's very depths by a former referee of the National Basket Ball Association, aka.NBA.
The allegations about the 2002 series were contained in a letter filed by a lawyer for Donaghy, who pleaded guilty last year to felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games himself. Donaghy, 41, faces up to 33 months in prison at sentencing on July 14.

Without identifying anyone or naming teams, Donaghy also claimed the NBA routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but discouraged them from calling technical fouls on star players to keep them in games and protect ticket sales and television ratings FOR WHICH THE LEAGUE RECEIVES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR.

"If the NBA wanted a team to succeed, league officials would inform referees that opposing players were getting away with violations," the letter said. "Referees then would call fouls on certain players, frequently resulting in victory for the opposing team."

Donaghy's lawyer has sought to convince a federal judge in Brooklyn that Donaghy, of Bradenton, Fla., deserves more credit for coming forward before he was charged to disclose behind-the-scenes misconduct within the NBA. The letter, filed Monday, suggests prosecutors have hurt Donaghy's chances for a lesser prison term by downplaying the extent of his cooperation.

Both Donaghy's attorney, John Lauro, and prosecutors declined comment.

The league said the scandal was limited to Donaghy and two co-defendants, both former high school classmates who also pleaded guilty to gambling charges. source: My Way News

The denials are to be expected, but as a professional sports fan who now has switched to the College sports, because I have suspected for more than a few years that professional sports administration( Commissioners) has decided that they are in the entertainment business not he sport business.

As a result the basketball, baseball and football professional game, are filled with alleged criminal associates and people who despite repeatedly violating the laws regarding steroid use, are allowed to continue playing. The career of Ricky Williams, Rodney Harrison,and Shawne Merriman in football, and baseball's current home run king are examples.

Too many games have been decided in the hands of officials. Questionable calls at critical times, usually at a deciding point of the game, has led me to doubt the honesty of the game.

There are billions of dollars bet on professional sports. It is too bizarre to believe that this huge pool of money bet every week has not been tapped into by professional gamblers!

Th players make millions and the officials work for "peanuts". All in the same game, that makes the league administration hundreds of millions each year.Why not give the officials a chance to make a "tidy sum" on critical games? This is the place where organized crime could find an opening!

My point is not that all officials are guilty of "managing" the game. All it takes is few officials who officiate "key" games each week. Games that attract a lot of attention, especially gamblers!

But the players should not be given a free pass either. There are too many instances when good receivers short arm receptions for an incomplete pass at a critical point of the game. Or a missed block on a pass play could result in a fumble or a lose close to the goal line. Players must be included in any investigation of "funny business" in professional sports.

I don't usually advocate government interference, but some independent unbiased agency should look into what I believe has become the biggest attraction for the "mob" since prohibition!