“Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison Tuesday for setting off a gambling scandal that tarnished the league’s reputation and raised questions about the integrity of its officiating.”

This case has been a nightmare for the NBA who’s been experiencing a PR problem with everything from the Sonic’s move to Oklahoma City, to the former Knick General Manager, Isiah Thomas’s, sexual assault of a co-worker, to current players leaving the league for Europe, to the new “flopping rule,” to numerous player arrests on drug charges, etc, etc.  Bottomline the NBA is in trouble and the Donaghy case hasn’t helped.

Donaghy’s claim that other referees were in collusion with the league on throwing certain games so that big market teams would win or that series would go to 7 games to make more revenue for the league, only adds fuel to an already smoldering fire. “League commissioner David Stern has repeatedly denied Donaghy’s claim that corruption among referees goes beyond him.”

CNNSI reported that, “Donaghy pleaded guilty last August to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce for taking payoffs from a professional gambler for inside tips on games. Donaghy didn’t stop there: In June, he marred the NBA finals by making fresh accusations that the league routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results, but discouraged them from calling technical fouls on star players to keep them in games and protect television ratings.”

Donaghy claimed that game 6 of the 2002 playoffs against the Sacramento Kings and LA Lakers was rigged in favor of the Laker’s by the NBA with help from the refs in the game which include Donaghy.  As a Kings fan this allegation is very easy to believe.  “The Lakers attempted 40 free throws to the Kings’ 25 in that game, and Los Angeles made 21 of 27 from the line while Sacramento converted 7 of 9 in the fourth quarter alone. In addition, a foul was called against Mike Bibby of the Kings after he was shoved and elbowed by Kobe Bryant, denying the Kings an opportunity to try for a tying basket. Also in that game, Kings centers Vlade Divacc and Scot Pollard fouled out, and Kings coach Rick Adelman was highly critical of the officiating afterward. “My first thought [upon hearing Donaghy's allegation] was: I knew it,” Pollard said Tuesday night. “I’m not going to say there was a conspiracy. I just think something wasn’t right. It was unfair. We didn’t have a chance to win that game.”

Donaghy was also active in screwing the Suns in their playoff loss to the Spurs in 07′

Yeah they’re back!

Wait what’s going on? We’re attacking Pakistan?  Cool. 

Hogan’s former wife a 48 year old is dating a teen.  Poor kid.

Carville recommends Obama chose Gore as VP.  How much fun would that be?

ALF vs O’Reilly

Really odd pictures of Alienesque being born from a cow.

Anybody else notice the striking resemblance between Carville and Cassell?

In the good news file suicide recruits down in Iraq.

Cloud making machine.  Looks like foam.

World’s most dangerous destinations. 

15 futuristic architectural designs

I don’t know if anybody notice but the mid west is getting tore up.  Tornado’s, floods, etc.

Crappy children’s art work

Speaking of here’s some cool tornado footage.

NBA not doing much to convince the public that Donaghy is lying.  Stern needs to say more then this is a rouge official that acted on his own and is now trying to save his butt.

Illegal drag racing.

Bush Senior knows the “pound”

The Media is already manipulating the tone and language of McCain’s quotes.  Saying he doesn’t think it’s important when the troops come home.  When in fact what he was comparing his stance on Iraq to that of Obama’s who would like to immediately implement a troop with drawl.

Apparently it’s a big deal that McCain can’t use a computer.  It’s not so much a big deal as he doesn’t need to use one to be President that’s what his staff is there for but what’s interesting is how the media is trying to play up a difference in cultures a clash between young and old.  They push this too far it will bite them in the ass.

Obama should know his staff better.  Mistakes happen and you aren’t going to know everything about everybody but if something like this pops up again after Rezko then this starts to look less and less like “Hope” and “Change and more like Washington politics.

Book your getaway now before the Ocean evaporates.

It must have been make up sex.

Fun tormenting a telemarketer.