The Donaghy scandal grows.

There's never been a commissioner beholden to the owners who wasn't.

 

Not necessarily. Quick history lesson, going back to an earlier scandal that caretakers of the sport were only too eager to cover up:

Baseball was unquestionably the No. 1 sport in the country in 1919-20.

While there is notably more cynicism today, the rumors that "the fix was in" during World Series games in 1903, 1912, 1914, 1918 and, of course, 1919, were about as prevalent as the persistent rumors that the 1985 NBA draft and various playoff games have been rigged over the last two decades. Those rumors didn't often make it into print, but they were out there.

Still, baseball fans, players, owners and the media -- even the ones in the know -- were content to blow off the rumors. There was little outrage, there were few accusations; in short, nobody gave a shit. Same as few people seem to give a shit that there might be more to this NBA scandal than one or two "rogue" referees.

Public outrage is fickle, and it has no teeth. It's going to take a strong outside threat -- either from the government, as with the Grand Jury convened to investigate gambling in baseball 88 years ago, or from some other source -- before we see a resolution in the Donaghy situation. Fans and the league turned a blind eye to the Black Sox for an entire year until one writer from Chicago got the ball rolling and found a sympathetic ear from a power broker who pulled some strings to get that Grand Jury investigation started. Only then did the pressure start to build to find out what really happened, and deal with it.

Don't expect the NBA to deal with it on its own; it's in Stern's best interest to sweep this under the rug. Just like baseball has always done.

 

Good stuff . . . especially since most are wholly oblivious to the 1914/18 possibilities.

I cannot provide the author or a title of the little book in question, but a former Capone henchman dashed off a short tome which included strong aspersions regarding Cubbie honesty against the A's in '29 . . . not excluding Philly's notorious ten-run outburst when down 8-0.

 

As long as NBA mouthpiece ESPN leads the way for television, the supposedly hot medium, it will stay swept under the rug.

 

ESPN and ABC have billions invested in the NBA. If this scandal is ever proven, ratings would take a colossal hit.

 

Wrestling, without Vince McMahon.

Not to mention that if bettors lose all confidence in it, their attention disappears.

 

The NBA gets good ratings?