FBI file letter of belief that Donaghy is truthful

[paulpressey25]

Old Skool.....given that the FBI has yet to move against the NBA is not proof that the league is free of certain unwritten policies that would favor some markets and players to maximize revenue.

How many years did Al Capone run Chicago before getting caught on a technicality for tax evasion? Finding proof that Bavetta and Stern know how to "handle" games will be an impossibility other than the tremendous circumstantial and statistical evidence presented in the other thread.

Finally, the FBI again knows this is not of national importance. That is why they are most likely not going to pursue anything against Bavetta. But not pursuing this is not a proof of innocence. As support for this, note that to date the FBI has not pursued Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. I'm sure Rowdy Roddy Piper has been deprived of many things over the years.

[old skool]

The FBI did not sit on proof of Capone's guilt while innocent people continued to suffer from his crimes. The FBI could not prove that Capone was guilty of a federal crime. They tried, but couldn't find proof. (Remember that the FBI could not go after Capone on State or local crimes, only Federal crimes. Capone stayed out of jail by paying off the State and local cops and by maintaining alibis for all crimes.)

Vince McMahon does not defraud anyone. He does not pay for wins and losses. He pays for entertainment value. I assume that this is clearly laid out in his employment contracts, and reinforced every time he negotiates a new employment contract. The NBA has established wins and losses and scoring and other performance based stats as a basis for financial reward by virtue of their negotiation over those points.

If Avery Johnson lost out on a chance for a huge contract extension because the NBA conspired to give the NBA crown to Miami, then Johnson has a legitimate claim of damage against the NBA. Ditto for Mark Cuban. Possibly ditto for a marketable free agent. Such fraud would be significant in the marketplace and would warrant the FBI taking action if they had proof of a crime.

oLd sKool

[paulpressey25]

NBA teams aren't going to go against the league on circumstantial evidence. Remember that the teams are not independent corporations in the true sense of competition like Menards competes with Lowes that competes with Home Depot.

This is a collective business entity where owners are granted franchise rights. There are severe penalties for speaking out on anything related to officiating that are imposed by Stern. Remember the old saying, if you are going to kill the King, you better make sure you kill him.

Again, this entire thing can be accomplished very easily by two guys, Stern and Bavetta, with a wink and a nod. Nothing needs to be put in writing. No specific instructions need to be given. All that needs to be said by Stern to Bavetta is that "it sure would be great if we could see Shaq and Kobe in the finals....that would be a fun series for you to work, wouldn't it Dick?"

The only way you kill the king is if Bavetta sings. What are the odds he'll do that? Until that point, no one (i.e. Cuban, Avery Johnson, etc.) are going to try and kill the King.

Besides, if you kill the king, you also possibly kill the game along with it, and devalue your own franchise's worth by $100 million overnight. I'd believe this value can ultimately be re-couped with new league leadership and consistent and fair officiating. But the odds are stacked that anyone in the league will protest or ask the FBI to investigate further.

[NeedsMoreCheese]

Well one thing is for sure in all this, David Stern loves Dick















Bavetta.

[InsideOut]

Are refs paid a salary or on a per game basis? I also wonder what they make per playoff game. I ask because if the refs get paid per game isn't there is a conflict of interest in a series? If these guys can extend a series a game or two, then that practice over the playoffs could lead to them working an extra game or two which could mean thousands of extra dollars. What made me think of this was the fact that a many years back several refs were fired for tax evasion. I seem to recall they were pulling a fast one with airline tickets and or meal money. Now we have a ref fixing games for gambling reasons. I guess it doesn't seem like that much of a stretch to me that if these guys are willing to pull this type of stuff for cash that they may look to extend a series for a chance at thousands of extra dollars. Of course if they are on salary this is a moot point. Either way these guys seem to get in more trouble than the umps/refs in other leagues.