Tuesday

The NBA - Now I Love This Game

We are now entering the newest phase of self-serving outrage and hand-wringing over the Tim Donaghy point shaving/betting scandal. SCANDAL, dammit!!

Oh for shame.
"The [NBA] league is ruined."
"There's a pall cast over the game."
You get it, right?

Uh, hello? Am I just plain wrong here? Is it bad that I believe this was the best thing that's happened to professional sports in my lifetime? Seriously, think of it....

How much closer will everyone watch all the games now? Every moment will be scrutinized and under suspicious. The regular season will have newfound significance. Every call? For the next four or five seasons, every call will be profoundly important.

C'mon? What could be better than a crooked ref being investigated by the FBI? What could rule more than that?

Well:
1. The mob is involved. This becomes real-life Sopranos. Reality Sports TeeVee.
2. Donaghy is preparing to cooperate with federal investigators (after indictment)
3. Other refs and perhaps players may be involved
4. What about other sports? NCAA?
Rules, dude!

Not only does this make a better-than-Watergate scandal, but the current federal administration must be exhaling huge sighs of relief at the new, fresh, and juicy cover it has for the next few months. Brilliant.

And to think I had given up on the silly old NBA. Don Stearn (and Karl Rove) are secretly smiling.

Don't get me wrong, gambling and money are serious addictions and people get plenty injured over them. But, what more compelling a story line, huh?