OH....MY.....GOD!

[Smills91]

I want it in the Railyard, too!

We've seen the NFL leave Los Angeles of all places so I don't think leagues negotiating for teams to have structures built is commonplace to begin with.

The last thing that makes me suspisious is that every commentator has addressed this with a prewritten script! They all say the same thing. If ESPN/ABC didn't fear losing a contract over this then I think we would see open debate about it. Even on KHTK it's not too open of discussion. I don't see why the media is afraid to say what is on their mind.

There was an ESPN2 columnist on radio last night and she was probably the most candid of all people. She said basically at a minimum players make it a point to have relationships with referees.

The kicker was Jeff Van Gundy saying I told you so, but don't give Tim Donnagy the time of day. I just would like to take the time to point out the judicial system has worked this way (getting people who have been caught to talk) for YEARS with a high success rate. If that's not enough for you I have a name for you. Jose Canseco. He's supposed to be discreditible, too?

Bottom line is I don't want to see this go away until it is resolved.

I want this resolved too, but please leave congress out of this. I think it's absolutely asenine that congress involves themselves in things like steroid abuse in the NFL/MLB and other pro sports business. It's outside the scope of their jurisdiction. LEt them do something meaningful and maybe the democrat-led congress with an approval rating hovering around 13% (much lower than Bush's approval rating for some time now) and actually do something PRODUCTIVE, like write up a bill to start producing more energy for this nation(namely, drilling ANWR) and let the law enforcement authorities, lawyers and court systems sort out the NBA Fiasco known as fixing game 6 of the 2002 WCF, which EVERYONE who watched that game KNOWS is the truth.

[SacTown Kings]

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I want this resolved too, but please leave congress out of this. I think it's absolutely asenine that congress involves themselves in things like steroid abuse in the NFL/MLB and other pro sports business. It's outside the scope of their jurisdiction. LEt them do something meaningful and maybe the democrat-led congress with an approval rating hovering around 13% (much lower than Bush's approval rating for some time now) and actually do something PRODUCTIVE, like write up a bill to start producing more energy for this nation(namely, drilling ANWR) and let the law enforcement authorities, lawyers and court systems sort out the NBA Fiasco known as fixing game 6 of the 2002 WCF, which EVERYONE who watched that game KNOWS is the truth.

I hear what you are saying about Congress getting involved, but the problem is that other authorities that should be doing something aren't doing a damn thing. So Congress has to step in. Steroids had been going on for a long time in baseball and everyone knew, but nobody did anything so it FORCED Congress to get involved. Ideally your right you don't want Congress to get involved but realistically sometimes they have to.

I am all for drilling ANWR, but that wont solve any problems long term, it is only a temporary fix.

[Tommy Trojan]

I believe the league is fixed by none other then David Stern!

As many have you watched this year

[Biff]

As a Suns fan I've always felt like we could never could get a call in crucial big games. But none of our games were as bad as game 6 that year. Coming from another smaller market that got robbed, I definitely feel your pain. This is terrible.

I really have no idea why I still watch the NBA. Maybe we should boycott the rest of the finals. I wouldn't be surprised if this finals matchup was fixed too.

[SabasRevenge!]

As a Blazers fan I still cringe when I think about that game. I was going to OSU that year and one of my roommates was a Laker fan. I was absolutely fuming because it was so obvious that the Lakers were given preferential treatment and he was just laughing. It was all made worse by memories of giddy excitement turning into despair during game seven of the 2000 WCF. There were some very questionable non-calls during that pivotal fourth quarter (esp. Steve Smith) as well.

We were always rooting for you guys against the Lakers and hopefully we'll be able to see Oden kick them in the teeth for a decade. You guys have great people running your organization and I'm sure it won't be long until you're making deep runs again.

[Smills91]

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I hear what you are saying about Congress getting involved, but the problem is that other authorities that should be doing something aren't doing a damn thing. So Congress has to step in. Steroids had been going on for a long time in baseball and everyone knew, but nobody did anything so it FORCED Congress to get involved. Ideally your right you don't want Congress to get involved but realistically sometimes they have to.

I am all for drilling ANWR, but that wont solve any problems long term, it is only a temporary fix.

No they don't!!!!

This just came out in the public eye and the Feds ARE handling it. It may take months, years, decades to sort out, who knows. But leave it to those within the jurisdiction. The Maloofs should file a lawsuit if anything and let the courts/law enforcement handle it. Congress has NO BUSINESS in the NBA's affairs whatsoever. They constantly ignore the REAL problems - National Security, Illegal Immigration, Energy Production etc, and go after NFL, MLB and waste time questioning the likes of Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and the like.

They have NO business in that, and I don't want my hard earned tax dollars WASTED on asenine question of these people which accomplishes NOTHING for the betterment of this nation.

[BMiller52]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3439554

The FBI has questioned an ex-NBA referee about Dick Bavetta, one of three officials to work Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals, according to The New York Times.



Hue Hollins, who retired in 2003, said the agents, who asked him about former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, also asked if he ever noticed that Bavetta "was making sure that the home team would win, and I told them I had no idea because I didn't work with him a lot," according to the Times.

[basketballdario]

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Are you stupid? THE SPURS GARNER LIKE THE WORST RATINGS !!! You actually think Stern wants that for the NBA? THe NBA is a business first and foremost ppl...

I actually think that Stern just wanted a game 7( why wouldn't he ) ..And at that game 7 , which was at Arco arena , the KINGS LOST ! They bricked so many FT's that game that they could of built a castle later on...

hey there. i'll ask you a question too. Can you read? i said that stern has a close personal relationship with the spurs owner so he won't prevent them from going to the finals. i said nothing about their ratings, i know that they are bad. Makes his behavior even worse imo. Why do you think it was Cuban who got hosed in 2006?

and of course stern wanted a game 7. But there still never should have been one. The kings almost pulled out game 6 playing 5 on 7/8, imagine a fair 5 on 5 contest.

Still, C.R.E.A.M. but i cant believe you are defending this guy, especially with this kind of argument. do you care for the integrity of the sport? at all? you think its ok to arbitrarily extend a series for the sake of money? i know thats why stern did it, but its not ok. i know the kings sucked in game 7 but it never should have happened.

[a-rod]

Can you say free Arena?

The only thing that will satisfy kings fans right now is free Arena or stern resignation.

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These are statements made a year ago, they're just now being released and by who and for what reason I don't know. But these statements are a year old from right now.

Before or after he was arrested?

[SacTown Kings]

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No they don't!!!!

This just came out in the public eye and the Feds ARE handling it. It may take months, years, decades to sort out, who knows. But leave it to those within the jurisdiction. The Maloofs should file a lawsuit if anything and let the courts/law enforcement handle it. Congress has NO BUSINESS in the NBA's affairs whatsoever. They constantly ignore the REAL problems - National Security, Illegal Immigration, Energy Production etc, and go after NFL, MLB and waste time questioning the likes of Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and the like.

They have NO business in that, and I don't want my hard earned tax dollars WASTED on asenine question of these people which accomplishes NOTHING for the betterment of this nation.

I was using baseball as an example. Steroid use went on for years. The commish knew about it, the coaches knew, the players, everyone knew but nothing was ever done until Congress stepped in. If game 5 was rigged in 2002 and another was rigged in 2005 then this has been going on for a while too, probably even back in Jordan's days, and nothing has been done. So the government does have to do something because nobody else will/has. Just because it was recently made public doesn't mean it hasn't been going on for a long time and people in authoritive positions knew about it.

[Smills91]

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I was using baseball as an example. Steroid use went on for years. The commish knew about it, the coaches knew, the players, everyone knew but nothing was ever done until Congress stepped in. If game 5 was rigged in 2002 and another was rigged in 2005 then this has been going on for a while too, probably even back in Jordan's days, and nothing has been done. So the government does have to do something because nobody else will/has. Just because it was recently made public doesn't mean it hasn't been going on for a long time and people in authoritive positions knew about it.

It's not their place. It's out of the scope of their job description. Pro Sports is private sector. Let the leagues sort it out with the help of law enforcement. I don't want my legislative branch policing the private sector. That WHY we have law enforcement. If you don't like how law enforcment does their job, then clean up the law enforcement.

[RoyalCourtJestr]

Shesh. I'm sorry guys. I think the game was horrible, but it's going to take al ot more to convince me the league is fixed then the words of a cheating son-of-a-bitch who I think is just trying to take the league down with him. Find some other ref or some other proof it's fixed first.

[Wolfay]

Shesh. I'm sorry guys. I think the game was horrible, but it's going to take al ot more to convince me the league is fixed then the words of a cheating son-of-a-bitch who I think is just trying to take the league down with him. Find some other ref or some other proof it's fixed first.

If you don't believe there's something shady going on, then you're naive.

[RoyalCourtJestr]

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If you don't believe there's something shady going on, then you're naive.

Any time there's competition, there is suspision of shady things. I'm just saying this completely unreliable and biased scourse is no more real evidence of said shady dealings then we already had.

I'll choose to be naive until someone not in trouble already gives us somethin.

[SacKingZZZ]

As a Suns fan I've always felt like we could never could get a call in crucial big games. But none of our games were as bad as game 6 that year. Coming from another smaller market that got robbed, I definitely feel your pain. This is terrible.

I really have no idea why I still watch the NBA. Maybe we should boycott the rest of the finals. I wouldn't be surprised if this finals matchup was fixed too.

I came to grips along time ago with the fact that the NBA, as well as most all pro sports these days, is ENTERTAINMENT above all else. I thought it was funny that Sheed mentioned something to that effect this year in the playoffs. Understanding that it is I look at the game very differently now than I once did. Just enjoy then entertaining moments for what they are.

[VeeJay24]

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hey there. i'll ask you a question too. Can you read? i said that stern has a close personal relationship with the spurs owner so he won't prevent them from going to the finals. i said nothing about their ratings, i know that they are bad. Makes his behavior even worse imo. Why do you think it was Cuban who got hosed in 2006?

and of course stern wanted a game 7. But there still never should have been one. The kings almost pulled out game 6 playing 5 on 7/8, imagine a fair 5 on 5 contest.

Still, C.R.E.A.M. but i cant believe you are defending this guy, especially with this kind of argument. do you care for the integrity of the sport? at all? you think its ok to arbitrarily extend a series for the sake of money? i know thats why stern did it, but its not ok. i know the kings sucked in game 7 but it never should have happened.

I know this may sound crazy but looking back at it.....you almost have to excuse the Kings for choking away game 7. I mean- first Horry's lucky shot then even worst they get totally hosed by the refs in game 6. They had to get the feeling that it just wasn't in the cards for them.

What I really hate is ESPN and it's lack of integrity and how they go to great lengths to validate Stern and the NBA even putting up the irrelevant information that Delaney was a state trooper? Also, Van Gundy who was fined heavily for his statement about what a ref told him about Yao tries to defend the NBA.

I offer this nugget.......I believe this stuff goes back much further than the Kings. It goes back to the days of MJ who never fouled out but yet was always among the leaders in steals. Who if you just breathed on him received a foul. And this stuff comes from the NBA's hierarchy Stern and his cronies, they want the games officiated like this.

[Smills91]

From the 1985 draft lottery to the 2005 MAvs/Rockets series I can believe ANYTHING was tainted undere Stern.

This accusation does a LOT for me. I feel vindicated. I feel like the truth is out there. I don't think Donaghy is lying here. He has no reason to lie to the feds, it'll only WORSEN his situation, not improve it at all. I feel like since the news came out, I can hold my held probably and state that I WAS RIGHT for 6 years now. IT WAS FIXED. I KNEW IT! I've been saying the Kings would have won that game 5 on 5 and they WOULD HAVE! Now everyone KNOWS it and I'm not crazy for thinking or stating it. We were ROBBED!

[SacTown Kings]

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It's not their place. It's out of the scope of their job description. Pro Sports is private sector. Let the leagues sort it out with the help of law enforcement. I don't want my legislative branch policing the private sector. That WHY we have law enforcement. If you don't like how law enforcment does their job, then clean up the law enforcement.

That's the problem with the NBA, NFL, MLB... they are not entirely a private sector as you say. Many of the arenas, stadiums are built with taxpayers money. If it was a private sector the owners/league would pay for these things themselves. And if the local authorities cannot/will not act on these crooks running things then the more powerful crooks/Feds have an obligation to step in.

[ICMTM]

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I know this may sound crazy but looking back at it.....you almost have to excuse the Kings for choking away game 7. I mean- first Horry's lucky shot then even worst they get totally hosed by the refs in game 6. They had to get the feeling that it just wasn't in the cards for them.

What I really hate is ESPN and it's lack of integrity and how they go to great lengths to validate Stern and the NBA even putting up the irrelevant information that Delaney was a state trooper? Also, Van Gundy who was fined heavily for his statement about what a ref told him about Yao tries to defend the NBA.

I offer this nugget.......I believe this stuff goes back much further than the Kings. It goes back to the days of MJ who never fouled out but yet was always among the leaders in steals. Who if you just breathed on him received a foul. And this stuff comes from the NBA's hierarchy Stern and his cronies, they want the games officiated like this.

"I'm not backing down from my statements, which are the same statements Donaghy made, but you can't give any credit to this guy because he's a criminal!"

Way to go Jeff Van Gundy!

[BMiller52]

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"I'm not backing down from my statements, which are the same statements Donaghy made, but you can't give any credit to this guy because he's a criminal!"

Way to go Jeff Van Gundy!

JVG basically wussed out but hey he's employed by the company the NBA has their TV contract with so I'm guessing higher ups told him to be quiet. Not a great thing if 1 of their announcers is saying their product might as well be a scam.