I need to state at the onset that according to Tim Donaghy he has not read - and does not plan to read - Gaming the Game, and thus whatever comments he has offered about the book are, themselves, not based on evidence (serious NBA betting scandal followers will note there is nothing new about this when it comes to Donaghy).
Donaghy wanted me (and others) to know that he has recently corresponded with scandal co-conspirator Tommy Martino - indeed, that they are “Facebook friends” – and especially that Martino supported Donaghy on a matter of primacy, namely about whether or not Donaghy waged successful bets with the third co-conspirator, pro gambler Jimmy Battista, on NBA games that Donaghy did not officiate. This is significant, of course, because Donaghy claims that “inside information” (e.g., access to players, coaches, and other referees) accounted for his betting success, not Donaghy’s on-court behavior. If true, it would make sense therefore if Donaghy’s bets were equally placed and equally successful on games he didn’t officiate. If, instead, evidence exists illustrating that the bets from 2003 – 2006 (i.e., starting before Donaghy ever cut a deal with Battista and Martino) were exclusively on Donaghy’s games and/or what few bets placed by Donaghy in the 2006-07 season (with Martino and Battista) on NBA games he didn’t officiate were losers, Donaghy’s claims of “inside info” as the explanation for his betting success would be severely discredited. In short, such evidence would strongly suggest that Donaghy influenced game outcomes with his on-court performance to advance his bets.
Obviously, as someone who has been spent so much time studying the scandal (the project began in March 2008), this issue gets a lot of attention in Gaming the Game, but I’ll delve into this a little here in light of Donaghy’s recent comments.
Tim Donaghy wants me and others to know that, although (like Donaghy) Martino says that he hasn’t read my book, Martino was recently quoted as follows: “We didn’t bet many games that Tim didn’t officiate…but when we did, Tim was very good at them also. Battista refused to take anymore of the games that weren’t Tim’s” (emphasis added).
There are so many things to write about these circumstances, but I’ll try to be as clear and concise as possible.
1. It is very interesting to see that Donaghy and Martino are apparently renewing their friendship.
For those who are unaware, Donaghy and Martino were very good friends for years (indeed, Donaghy has formerly referred to Martino as a “true friend”). Casual NBA betting scandal observers may be confused right now, and are likely asking, “Wait a second - didn’t Tim Donaghy say that Tommy Martino was a ‘Gambino crime family member’ who extorted Donaghy by threatening to harm Donaghy’s wife and kids if Donaghy didn’t place bets with Martino and his childhood friend Jimmy Battista?!” Uh, yes, Tim Donaghy did…when he was trying to sell a book (Note: Martino and Battista are the "members of the Gambino crime family"/"they"/"them" being referred to by Donaghy in this representative montage of his media appearances):
2. It is also noteworthy that Donaghy now wishes to treat Martino as a credible source of information.
After all, this is the same Tommy Martino who, after admitting he perjured himself before the grand jury, visited with federal authorities on three occasions for proffer sessions in the hopes of backtracking his earlier false statements. Such conferences are designed to offer criminal defendants opportunities to lessen the forthcoming harm facing them, and thus the prospective loss of freedom often results in remarkably candid conversations. It was during these sessions that Martino offered authorities insights into all sorts of illicit activities, dating back to Martino’s early years as a low-level drug dealer. It was also during these sessions that Martino explained his version of the NBA betting scandal, ranging from his involvement to win-loss records to payment amounts and locations, etc.
In the context of Tim Donaghy now asking interested parties to believe Tommy Martino, let’s especially consider what Martino told the FBI during his proffer sessions. You’ll easily note that Martino’s version of events on practically every matter of import contradicts Donaghy’s claims (and I predictably get much deeper into all of these matters in Gaming the Game). Please note that quoted material is from confidential FBI memos summarizing Martino's statements:
- "A meeting was set up between Martino, [Battista] and Donaghy at a restaurant at the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia" on December 12, 2006 (i.e., Donaghy was aware of the Martino/Battista conference to address Donaghy's betting concerns and thus wasn't surprised or shocked - much less chilled or shaken - to meet with Martino and Battista, as Donaghy claims);
- During the December 12, 2006 meeting, Donaghy "complained [to Martino] that [Donaghy’s golfing and gambling buddy Jack] Concannon was not giving him any money so he wanted to start giving [his NBA betting] picks to [Battista]" (i.e., the conspiracy didn’t begin as a mob extortion attempt of Donaghy, as Donaghy claims);
- Martino paid Donaghy approximately $120,000 from December 2006 through April 2007 (i.e., Donaghy was paid roughly $100,000 more than Donaghy claims he received);
- Martino provided Donaghy with prescription pills and the two "smoked pot together...on some occasions," and the longtime pals "used the services of prostitutes" on more than one occasion when they met for betting payments during the scandal. Indeed, Martino detailed for the FBI the dates, cities, and the online service used to procure the women for himself and Donaghy (i.e., Donaghy was not in fear of "mobster" Martino, accounting for Donaghy's betting during the '06-07 season, as Donaghy claims);
- When pro gambler Jimmy Battista entered drug rehab on March 18, 2007 to treat an addiction to prescription pills, the Donaghy/Martino scheme continued, but now with pro gambler Pete Ruggieri receiving the picks instead of Battista (i.e., Donaghy’s betting did not end on 3/18/07, as Donaghy claims); and
- “After Ruggieri decided to shut the scheme down, Donaghy pushed Martino to take one more game” (i.e., Donaghy was not being forced to bet on his games by Battista and Martino throughout the '06-07 portion of the scandal, nor was Donaghy relieved the betting was over, as Donaghy claims).
3. Lastly, there is the recent Martino quote being circulated by Donaghy:
“We didn’t bet many games that Tim didn’t officiate…but when we did, Tim was very good at them also. Battista refused to take anymore of the games that weren’t Tim’s” (emphasis added).
If you simply look closely what Martino says, you’ll notice that it is counterintuitive even without my following commentary. That is, why would Battista have stopped taking bets on NBA games not officiated by Tim Donaghy if they were winning at anywhere near the same rate as the picks on Donaghy’s games? We are to believe that millions of dollars in sure winners were ignored by a pro gambler? Really? Fortunately, in addition to our common sense and intuition we can revisit what Tommy Martino told federal authorities when his freedom was in jeopardy. An FBI memo summarizing Martino’s take on this matter succinctly states (emphasis added): “Occasionally, in the beginning, Donaghy provided picks for some games he was not refereeing. After a few losses, though, [Battista] did not want any more of those games.”
There is much more information than this offered by Martino (and by others, including fellow cooperating government witnesses) which directly contradicts many Donaghy claims. A thorough assessment of the FBI’s probe allows readers to understand why federal authorities never mentioned organized crime in the months and months of scandal goings-on, why Battista and Martino were never charged with extortion…and why federal officials with direct knowledge of the scandal cases discredit much of what Donaghy claims following his stint in prison. These officials, of course, have already experienced first-hand Donaghy’s repeated efforts to minimize his culpability and to exaggerate his cooperation with the government.
I should note in closing that it is quite possible that neither Tim Donaghy nor Tommy Martino has read Gaming the Game (as each man claims), because their comments to date about its contents are wildly misinformed. Especially off the mark are their assertions that the book relies largely on the words of Jimmy Battista. Nothing could be further from the truth, as noted by several reviewers. For example, it has been said that Gaming the Game is not a sympathetic portrait of Battista (see, e.g., here), and the book has been praised for its “exhaustive"/"impeccable" research (see, e.g., here, here, or here). This critical acclaim is very much appreciated and is the result of two-plus years of study which included dozens of interviews of relevant persons such as local and federal law enforcement officials (investigators and prosecutors), defense attorneys, professional gamblers (and their “employees”), journalists, and scholars. More importantly, especially with regard to the NBA betting scandal, Gaming the Game – like the rest of my published research - relies upon a wealth of confidential law enforcement files, court documents, and news articles (betting line data and electronic betting records were also obtained and analyzed).
[As mentioned above, I'll have likely have more to say about Tim Donaghy's recent comments and activities in the near future as time becomes available.]
[As mentioned above, I'll have likely have more to say about Tim Donaghy's recent comments and activities in the near future as time becomes available.]
