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Local personalities: Closer scrutiny key

Broadcasters believe 'microscope' needed

Lynn DeBruin, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 16, 2007 at midnight

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Closer scrutiny of officials across all major sports is one way to regain the public's trust in light of the betting scandal that rocked the NBA, two Denver men with ties to the game said Wednesday.

"We, in the media, scrutinize every play a player makes, even off the court," said Scott Hastings, a former NBA player and current Nuggets broadcaster. "Maybe it's time we put these (officials) up there also . . . put everybody under the microscope."

His comments came after former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to two felony charges, including admissions he bet on games he worked and provided inside information so co-conspirators could wager on NBA games.

Irv Brown, a former NCAA basketball official and sports talk-show host on KKFN-AM (950) in Denver, said he believes leaders in other major sports took steps to protect the integrity of their games as soon as the Donaghy plot came to light.

"The NFL already is having their people treat this as if it's happening to them," Brown said. "Can you imagine if a (crooked) umpire called holding down at the goal line and a team had to settle for three points instead?"

Regardless, Hastings and Brown said officials are in for a tough road.

"People believe most officials are bad anyway. Now they're saying, 'Are most officials crooked, too?' " Brown said. "There's going to be a lot of mistrust now because they don't know if it's on the up and up after what this guy did."

Brown, who said Donaghy's father was an official when Brown worked games years ago, said he doesn't believe Donaghy was a bad official - just a bad guy.

He pointed to information indicating Donaghy graded out fifth best in the league.

Hastings, though, took issue with that. He said the league rates officials only on whistles they blow. If Michael Jordan took three steps or Tim Duncan got away with a push in the back, those bad calls are not held against officials.

"We've got to find a different way to have these guys evaluated. A noncall can influence a game every bit as much as a whistle," Hastings said.

He always thought Donaghy was one of the worst officials in the NBA and said others who follow the game closely concur with him.

"The first text message I received (when the story broke) said, 'I know he was a bad official, but now we know he's a cheating bad official.' "

Wednesday's court proceedings indicate Donaghy admitted betting on NBA games during the past four years, including ones he officiated.

Starting in December, he began receiving cash payments for providing recommendations on betting picks, including games he officiated.

"Go back and look at the New Or- leans game," Hastings said, referring to a Feb. 7 game in Denver the Hornets won 114-112 in overtime.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City overcame a 12-point deficit and won on a last-second putback by Desmond Mason, though Nene said he was fouled on the play.

"There were two or three no-calls late in the game with Donaghy right under the basket," Hastings said. "I just thought the guy was a bad official. Now it makes me think that's one of these games they're talking about."

Hastings said fans and the league eventually will move on.

"But I would not want to be an NBA official next year, especially at the start of the season. They're going to get hammered from a lot of different angles," he said.

Then again, "We may have the best- officiated season in league history next year."

IN HIS OWN WORDS: CARMELO ANTHONY

Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, working out with Team USA in Las Vegas on Wednesday, responded to questions about NBA referee Tim Donaghy's admission he had participated in a gambling scandal that has rocked the league.

On Donaghy's guilty plea:

"I'm sure (the government and the NBA) will get to the bottom of it and see why and how it happened. I hope they get to the bottom of it."

On whether he recalled a specific bad call Donaghy made against him or the Nuggets:

"People ask me that all the time. I never had a problem with (Donaghy). But I don't worry about the referees when I'm playing. I just go out and play. But, no, I don't recall any specific call in a game he made that stood out."

On Donaghy being a lone rogue official:

"If that's true, then that's good for the league. I'm sure there'll be a close look at what they do. But we'll let David Stern handle that."

On how players will view referees in light of the Donaghy case:

"I'm sure people will look at what they do more closely. But as players, I don't think so. At the end of the day, they're going to make their calls and do what they got to do to referee the basketball game."