Wow - Stern Questioned on ESPN about the Sac/Laker

[DJlaysitup]

playoff series in 2002......I guess this referee thing is heating up. I heard Kincaid saying flat out on the air on 680 that he couldn't see why a guy would lie to investigators to try and get a lighter sentence if their wasn't some meat to the accusation (meaning something he could prove somehow). Otherwise they would just figure he was playing them and things could be worse for him.

I'm certainly no big Kincaid fan, but he does have a bit of a point.

Everybody loves to make fun of "conspiracy theories"...but sometimes you have to follow the money

[hawkman]

Game Six of that series was just flat out WRONG. I knew it, the announcers knew it, and everybody knows it now. That's the one game that constantly gets referenced when the whole "fixed" game conspiracy comes up. The Kings should have won that game and would have went on to win the NBA Championship that year. Hopefully nothing like that ever happens again.

[GST]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bkn_betting_pro...Fj6hU__1sqs0NUE

[Dexmethylphenidate]

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Game Six of that series was just flat out WRONG. I knew it, the announcers knew it, and everybody knows it now. That's the one game that constantly gets referenced when the whole "fixed" game conspiracy comes up. The Kings should have won that game and would have went on to win the NBA Championship that year. Hopefully nothing like that ever happens again.

What was in 2002. According to the Donaldghy(sp?), there was another instance in 2005. There was probably another one in the playoff this year in the Bos vs Hawks series.

[DJlaysitup]

My Dad was a union man in the 60's in another profession...he knew (and told me) all about "Company men".

"Los Angeles, shot 27 free throws in the final quarter and scored 16 of their last 18 points at the line".

+++++++++++++++

Deep down I knew that game was fixed.

"In one of several allegations of corrupt refereeing, Donaghy said he learned in May 2002 that two referees known as "company men" were working a best-of-seven series in which "Team 5" was leading 3-2. In the sixth game, he alleged the referees purposely ignored personal fouls and called "made-up fouls on Team 5 in order to give additional free throw opportunities for Team 6."

"Team 6" won the game and came back to win the series, the letter said.

Only the Los Angeles Lakers-Sacramento Kings series went to seven games during the 2002 playoffs. And the Lakers went on to win the championship.

At the time, consumer advocate Ralph Nader and the League of Fans, a sports industry watchdog group, sent a letter to Stern complaining about the officiating in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.

The Lakers, who beat Sacramento 106-102 in that game in Los Angeles, shot 27 free throws in the final quarter and scored 16 of their last 18 points at the line

[GST]

Bob Delaney and Ted Bernhardt are evidently the "company men" that are referred to.

[Guest]

We are still within the early stages of this and it is getting interesting. Like always, I want to see how this plays out but my gut is telling me Donaghy is spot on. My only basis for this is just seeing how bad officiating becomes in the post-season and how there are some ridiculous foul calls. It would be nice to see a report that there is a significant jump in fouls called per game or something like that, but 1) I haven't seen one and 2) that doesn't mean there is conspiracy calls.

I am also reminded of the officiating bias that NBA dismissed. They claimed to have extensive information on the referees which showed there was no bias. But, the NBA made up a lame excuse as to why they couldn't/wouldn't release that information. Seems like that data would be very helpful with this Donaghy situation.

[DJlaysitup]

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Game Six of that series was just flat out WRONG. I knew it, the announcers knew it, and everybody knows it now. That's the one game that constantly gets referenced when the whole "fixed" game conspiracy comes up. The Kings should have won that game and would have went on to win the NBA Championship that year. Hopefully nothing like that ever happens again.

Well whether they would have won the championship is always debateable...but I would have bet on them. and they should have been there because they earned it. Crooks.

[GST]

This article was written by an attorney:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=3436503

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Most paperwork in a presentence investigation in federal court is impounded. It is filed in secret and available only to the judge, the lawyers and the probation department. The NBA's letter demanding restitution, for example, was filed in secret. But in a clever use of federal rules and procedures, Lauro filed Donaghy's explosive assertions in a public letter. The purpose of the letter, Lauro said, was to provide "a summary of Tim's cooperation" with the FBI. But its real purpose was to fire back at the NBA after its demand for $1 million in restitution. As a cooperating witness admitting guilt and showing contrition, Donaghy was well on his way to a reduced sentence. Then the NBA makes its demand for $1 million. If Donaghy cannot make restitution, his jail sentence could be extended. Donaghy's plans for a reduced sentence were suddenly in jeopardy as the result of the NBA's demand. If Donaghy was to do additional time in prison, then he could get even by pulling the curtain back on multiple episodes of alleged misconduct by NBA executives, owners and referees.

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The first sign that any of these potential investigations is under way will come July 14. If Donaghy's sentencing is postponed, it will be a clear sign that other investigations are under way on his claims.

[dlpin]

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What was in 2002. According to the Donaldghy(sp?), there was another instance in 2005. There was probably another one in the playoff this year in the Bos vs Hawks series.

Oh, c'mon. Its throwing quotes like this in discussions about legit considerations that makes it easier for the league to just throw all who call for more transparency in officiating "conspiracy nuts." Never mind the FT differential, or the fact that Boston's smallest margin of victory at home was 19 points... In some games refs helped the home team a bit, but to call the series fixed?

Closest thing to fixed series this year have been the was-cle, la-utah and la-spurs series. I dont think the league cared who, among cleveland, boston and detroit, was going to the finals this year against LA, as all match ups had profitable "sub plots" (lebron- kobe, bad boys-magic/kobe blowing up the team in 04 vs the reason it happened, historic dinasty).

The "fix" in the east was in terms of making sure the stars played. When Sheed was a T away from suspension he was going on profanity laden tirades against the refs, throwing towels at camera men, etc, and nothing happened.

[Diesel]

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What was in 2002. According to the Donaldghy(sp?), there was another instance in 2005. There was probably another one in the playoff this year in the Bos vs Hawks series.

Oh, c'mon. Its throwing quotes like this in discussions about legit considerations that makes it easier for the league to just throw all who call for more transparency in officiating "conspiracy nuts." Never mind the FT differential, or the fact that Boston's smallest margin of victory at home was 19 points... In some games refs helped the home team a bit, but to call the series fixed?

Closest thing to fixed series this year have been the was-cle, la-utah and la-spurs series. I dont think the league cared who, among cleveland, boston and detroit, was going to the finals this year against LA, as all match ups had profitable "sub plots" (lebron- kobe, bad boys-magic/kobe blowing up the team in 04 vs the reason it happened, historic dinasty).

The "fix" in the east was in terms of making sure the stars played. When Sheed was a T away from suspension he was going on profanity laden tirades against the refs, throwing towels at camera men, etc, and nothing happened.

Yeah, but why was this the first time that a ref has been pushed (by KG) and no suspension followed? What's the league stance? He did it in the heat of the moment? Aren't all refs pushed in the heat of the moment?

IF KG is removed for game 5, the Hawks win the series in 6.

[dlpin]

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Yeah, but why was this the first time that a ref has been pushed (by KG) and no suspension followed? What's the league stance? He did it in the heat of the moment? Aren't all refs pushed in the heat of the moment?

IF KG is removed for game 5, the Hawks win the series in 6.

What? Boston won game 5 by 25 without any of its starters playing more than 40 minutes, in a game where the hawks shot twice as many free throws. Garnett is good, but not that good.

[Plastic Man]

I would've asked Stern about the Heat winning it all a couple years ago with Wade shooting 86 free throws per game.