NBA News: Point Shaving Extends Further Than Donaghy
June 23, 2008
A real threat to the NBA could go undetected forever. While the general public is shocked by the actions of one referee, bigger gambling scandals could be perpetrated undetected. Many have long suspected officials more than players in professional sports can be compromised, but even many threats to the integrity of the game won't be mentioned in the press reports or investigations of referee Tim Donaghy.
Who has the biggest betting influence on the games while making a relative pittance in salary? Obviously it isn't the players nor is it the referees. It's an official fans take for granted and never think about, yet they can stop time. A corrput official timer can be the most influential person on the court from a gambling perspective.
What makes their power even more dangerous is they hold sway over betting numbers only gamblers pay attention to. The average fan couldn't care less about how many total points are scored. Therefore they are overlooked by even the NBA, taken for granted as part of the scene like ball boys and dance teams.
An investigation of Detroit Pistons' games in the Silverdome was undertaken two decades ago. Using stopwatches investigators discovered several games ran longer than 48 minutes of game time, a fact reported on by 60 minutes. The NBA dealt with this in silence, not wanting to point out what they surely saw as a minor issue. The timer supposedly lost his job, but the reason was never disclosed. The full extent of the timer's activities were never revealed and quite possibly were never fully investigated.
Taking or adding a minute or two of game time by either delaying the start or stopping of the clock makes minimal difference in determining who wins and loses if done in a systematic way. It may marginally help teams cover a large pointspread, but otherwise it should generally provide little advantage to one team over another. For bettors though it can turn a 50/50 proposition into something with a high positive expectation.
A well-organized effort could make detecting irregularities nearly impossible. For each game the operator adds time, he could delete time on another game. If properly balanced any analysis would show no bias. This action wouldn't give bettors a sure thing, but the operator surely realizes being blatant would kill off the golden goose.
When you consider NBA games average about four points per minute, a skilled clock operator adding or subtracting 90 seconds on average could create about a six point edge for a total bet. As a result these bets should have close to a 60 percent chance of winning.
Others such as assistant trainers and even cooks could theoretically hold sway over a game, but their influence is far less direct. They could spike food or beverages which could make a few key players more lethargic, but this offers far less guarantees to bettor confederates and can only be used very sparingly. Nothing can consistently create betting value like working the clock in subtle, yet effective ways.
Of course it is silly to expect the NBA to handle this in a manner which would preclude it from happening. David Stern worries about image above all else, his concerns about matters of real substance often are lacking. Why else put so much effort into mandating dress codes? If the NBA actually did detect clock manipulation they probably would blame faulty equipment while the operator would quietly disappear.
The public is blissfully unaware of how easy it is for gamblers to concoct ways to gain a betting advantage through barely perceptible methods. Obviously a referee involved in betting is a major issue, but hopefully this story will also illustrate how complete fairness in sports can't possibly be achieved. Sports will never be completely free of corruption, but they still aren't pro wrestling or roller derby. The deeds of one official need not be the end of the game's integrity in the public's eyes.
-- Wild Bill (EOG.com)
http://forums.eog.com/
June 23, 2008
A real threat to the NBA could go undetected forever. While the general public is shocked by the actions of one referee, bigger gambling scandals could be perpetrated undetected. Many have long suspected officials more than players in professional sports can be compromised, but even many threats to the integrity of the game won't be mentioned in the press reports or investigations of referee Tim Donaghy.
Who has the biggest betting influence on the games while making a relative pittance in salary? Obviously it isn't the players nor is it the referees. It's an official fans take for granted and never think about, yet they can stop time. A corrput official timer can be the most influential person on the court from a gambling perspective.
What makes their power even more dangerous is they hold sway over betting numbers only gamblers pay attention to. The average fan couldn't care less about how many total points are scored. Therefore they are overlooked by even the NBA, taken for granted as part of the scene like ball boys and dance teams.
An investigation of Detroit Pistons' games in the Silverdome was undertaken two decades ago. Using stopwatches investigators discovered several games ran longer than 48 minutes of game time, a fact reported on by 60 minutes. The NBA dealt with this in silence, not wanting to point out what they surely saw as a minor issue. The timer supposedly lost his job, but the reason was never disclosed. The full extent of the timer's activities were never revealed and quite possibly were never fully investigated.
Taking or adding a minute or two of game time by either delaying the start or stopping of the clock makes minimal difference in determining who wins and loses if done in a systematic way. It may marginally help teams cover a large pointspread, but otherwise it should generally provide little advantage to one team over another. For bettors though it can turn a 50/50 proposition into something with a high positive expectation.
A well-organized effort could make detecting irregularities nearly impossible. For each game the operator adds time, he could delete time on another game. If properly balanced any analysis would show no bias. This action wouldn't give bettors a sure thing, but the operator surely realizes being blatant would kill off the golden goose.
When you consider NBA games average about four points per minute, a skilled clock operator adding or subtracting 90 seconds on average could create about a six point edge for a total bet. As a result these bets should have close to a 60 percent chance of winning.
Others such as assistant trainers and even cooks could theoretically hold sway over a game, but their influence is far less direct. They could spike food or beverages which could make a few key players more lethargic, but this offers far less guarantees to bettor confederates and can only be used very sparingly. Nothing can consistently create betting value like working the clock in subtle, yet effective ways.
Of course it is silly to expect the NBA to handle this in a manner which would preclude it from happening. David Stern worries about image above all else, his concerns about matters of real substance often are lacking. Why else put so much effort into mandating dress codes? If the NBA actually did detect clock manipulation they probably would blame faulty equipment while the operator would quietly disappear.
The public is blissfully unaware of how easy it is for gamblers to concoct ways to gain a betting advantage through barely perceptible methods. Obviously a referee involved in betting is a major issue, but hopefully this story will also illustrate how complete fairness in sports can't possibly be achieved. Sports will never be completely free of corruption, but they still aren't pro wrestling or roller derby. The deeds of one official need not be the end of the game's integrity in the public's eyes.
-- Wild Bill (EOG.com)
http://forums.eog.com/
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