Another NBA official implicated

[tomegun]

I'm not sure if anyone cares, but Scott Foster supposedly talked to Tim Donaghy over 130 times during his last season (something like that). The calls were right before and right after games. What I read said the most he talked to another official was 13 times.

Foster is from the DC area; I met him a while ago and he seemed to be a nice guy.

[Nevadaref]

I care Tom.

I sincerely hope that Scott has not done anything unsavory.
He is a heck of a nice guy who came from the same HS board in which I started. He used to come back and give talks and help the newer officials.

BTW he worked his first game in the NBA Finals this past season.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by tomegun

I'm not sure if anyone cares, but Scott Foster supposedly talked to Tim Donaghy over 130 times during his last season (something like that). The calls were right before and right after games. What I read said the most he talked to another official was 13 times.

Foster is from the DC area; I met him a while ago and he seemed to be a nice guy.

Originally Posted by tomegun

I'm not sure if anyone cares, but Scott Foster supposedly talked to Tim Donaghy over 130 times during his last season (something like that). The calls were right before and right after games. What I read said the most he talked to another official was 13 times.

Foster is from the DC area; I met him a while ago and he seemed to be a nice guy.

Why would you write, "Another NBA official implicated"? He talked to the guy. Has he been charged with a crime? Has a grand jury met on him? Has he been fired?

You're as bad as the damn press.

[JRutledge]

I do not think this is a big deal. I am sure they are friends and he is thinking about his situation. Maybe it was a lack of judgment to talk to him as often, but I bet he was not the only one that talked to him that was on the NBA Staff.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Why would you write, "Another NBA official implicated"? He talked to the guy. Has he been charged with a crime? Has a grand jury met on him? Has he been fired?

You're as bad as the damn press.

Tony,
Here's the whole ESPN article:

Report: Donaghy made calls to another NBA referee

ESPN.com news service

NBA Referee's Name Linked To Donaghy's Phone Records

NEW YORK -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy made more than 100 phone calls to a fellow official at the same time he was providing information to gamblers during the 2006-07 season, Fox News reported Monday.
Citing court documents and phone records it obtained, Fox reported Donaghy placed 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers.
It's not known what information was exchanged during the calls between Foster and Donaghy, who is awaiting sentencing later this month in federal court.
Reached for comment by Fox, Foster was asked if he was being investigated by the NBA, the government or anyone else.
"Not that I know of," he said.
Foster declined to comment on his relationship with Donaghy and the nature of the calls.
In a statement on Monday, the NBA said that Foster was interviewed.
"The government had complete access to Tim Donaghy's phone records and thoroughly investigated this matter, including conducting an interview of referee Scott Foster," the statement said. "The government has said that they have found no evidence of criminal conduct aside from that of Mr. Donaghy. Once again, the only criminal conduct is that of Mr. Donaghy."

Fox reported on Monday that the NBA is not aware of any further criminal investigation ongoing in the case.
Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers in the 2006-07 season. He faces up to 33 months in prison at his July 29 sentencing.
According to a story published Monday on Fox News' Web site, the majority of the phone calls lasted no more than two minutes and occurred before and after games Donaghy officiated and on which he admits wagering.
Stern has called Donaghy a "rogue, isolated criminal" acting on his own, without the cooperation of any other referees or league officials.
The only person Donaghy called more often (150 times) was Thomas Martino, to whom Donaghy has said he provided picks to win games and who was the middleman between the former ref and a bookie named James Battista. During this period, the most calls Donaghy made to any other referee were 13, Fox said.
Battista and Martino, who pleaded guilty to defrauding the NBA, are to be sentenced on July 24.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report

[sj]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Tony,
Here's the whole ESPN article:

Report: Donaghy made calls to another NBA referee

ESPN.com news service

NBA Referee's Name Linked To Donaghy's Phone Records

NEW YORK -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy made more than 100 phone calls to a fellow official at the same time he was providing information to gamblers during the 2006-07 season, Fox News reported Monday.
Citing court documents and phone records it obtained, Fox reported Donaghy placed 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers.
It's not known what information was exchanged during the calls between Foster and Donaghy, who is awaiting sentencing later this month in federal court.
Reached for comment by Fox, Foster was asked if he was being investigated by the NBA, the government or anyone else.
"Not that I know of," he said.
Foster declined to comment on his relationship with Donaghy and the nature of the calls.
In a statement on Monday, the NBA said that Foster was interviewed.
"The government had complete access to Tim Donaghy's phone records and thoroughly investigated this matter, including conducting an interview of referee Scott Foster," the statement said. "The government has said that they have found no evidence of criminal conduct aside from that of Mr. Donaghy. Once again, the only criminal conduct is that of Mr. Donaghy."

Fox reported on Monday that the NBA is not aware of any further criminal investigation ongoing in the case.
Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers in the 2006-07 season. He faces up to 33 months in prison at his July 29 sentencing.
According to a story published Monday on Fox News' Web site, the majority of the phone calls lasted no more than two minutes and occurred before and after games Donaghy officiated and on which he admits wagering.
Stern has called Donaghy a "rogue, isolated criminal" acting on his own, without the cooperation of any other referees or league officials.
The only person Donaghy called more often (150 times) was Thomas Martino, to whom Donaghy has said he provided picks to win games and who was the middleman between the former ref and a bookie named James Battista. During this period, the most calls Donaghy made to any other referee were 13, Fox said.
Battista and Martino, who pleaded guilty to defrauding the NBA, are to be sentenced on July 24.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report

With emphasis on...."The government had complete access to Tim Donaghy's phone records and thoroughly investigated this matter, including conducting an interview of referee Scott Foster," the statement said. "The government has said that they have found no evidence of criminal conduct aside from that of Mr. Donaghy. Once again, the only criminal conduct is that of Mr. Donaghy."

[Mark Padgett]

Gee - I wonder how many times he called Domino's?

[rsox34]

I care too, Tom. I consider Scott to be my NBA mentor and hope nothing unsavory comes of this latest media report. He was having such a great year having done two games in the NBA Finals. Now he'll proably be stuck trying to disprove any allegations of wrongdoing. I occassionally speak to him by email or phone, and I've wanted to contact him all day. However, I'm sure he would not be able to say much.

[Adam]

Who's Domino?

[mick]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Who's Domino?

I agree.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Who's Domino?

It's that company other people call for pizza.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Tony,
Here's the whole ESPN article:

Yes, I've read the story, which is how I know the answers to the questions I asked. He's not been implicated so it confuses me why someone would write that he has been.

We have lots of people who call each other on their way to and from a game. Nothing illegal about having been friedns with the guy.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Daryl "The Preacher" Long talk at least a couple of times a week about basketball officiating and baseball/softball umpiring. Does that mean we are conspiring to have the Elmwood Jr. H.S.'s girls' 8th grade basketball team beat the point spread against its hated rival Eastwood Jr. H.S.?

MTD, Sr.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

He has not been implicated so it confuses me why anyone would write that he has been.

Me too.

The NBA and the government have already investigated Foster and found nothing there. He hasn't been "implicated" in any way.

If Tomegun has information implicating Foster in that mess, maybe he should share that info with the NBA and the government.

[Adam]

I think tomegun's point is that the referee was being implicated by the media; a sort of guilt by association. I'd seen (but not read) the foxsports report, and decided not to post it here because it didn't seem like there really was anything to it; although I considered posting it anyway figuring it would be a topic worth discussing.
Does it look weird? Sure, but I guessed (correctly it seems) that the feds had access to those records already and would have taken their opportunity to explore that line of evidence.
My guess is it's Donaghy's attempt to smear other officials, even former friends, by leaking the info to the press.