Sadly, horrifically, our suspicions have become a dark reality today.
The ugliest word in sports -- F-I-X -- is in the house.
The league's ethical and moral foundation, already shaken by arena violence and off-court criminal issues, has been rocked by allegations that 13-year official Tim Donaghy bet on NBA games the last two seasons. If it's true Donaghy fixed the point spreads of games he officiated while under pressure from organized crime -- a practice that allegedly began last December -- Stern will face an integrity crisis that may take years to overcome. Leagues can survive almost any scandal these days, from steroids to Pete Rose to dogfighting, but the scab that never heals is when a fan no longer trusts the official who controls a game. The manipulation of outcomes by a ref poisons the very core of why people invest their money, time and energy into sports.
For their family-of-four, $350 investment, consumers should expect an honest product above reproach. Without that trust from league-employed officials, pro basketball might as well be pro wrestling. The embattled Stern, who is fighting a losing battle in trying to protect the image of his troubled enterprise, can't deny the blood that gushes from his biggest public-relations mess yet.
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The ugliest word in sports -- F-I-X -- is in the house.
The league's ethical and moral foundation, already shaken by arena violence and off-court criminal issues, has been rocked by allegations that 13-year official Tim Donaghy bet on NBA games the last two seasons. If it's true Donaghy fixed the point spreads of games he officiated while under pressure from organized crime -- a practice that allegedly began last December -- Stern will face an integrity crisis that may take years to overcome. Leagues can survive almost any scandal these days, from steroids to Pete Rose to dogfighting, but the scab that never heals is when a fan no longer trusts the official who controls a game. The manipulation of outcomes by a ref poisons the very core of why people invest their money, time and energy into sports.
For their family-of-four, $350 investment, consumers should expect an honest product above reproach. Without that trust from league-employed officials, pro basketball might as well be pro wrestling. The embattled Stern, who is fighting a losing battle in trying to protect the image of his troubled enterprise, can't deny the blood that gushes from his biggest public-relations mess yet.
1 Comment Add this link to... Bury
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