Random House has cancelled the publicationof ex-NBA referee and convict Tim Donaghy’s book, “Blowing the 
Whistle.”
The FBI investigation that rocked the NBA and sent Donaghy to prison found that he had acted alone yet Donaghy proclaims in his book that several referees were involved in side-betting before and during NBA contests.
Random House stated Donaghy can now shop for another home for his project but most expect that to be a difficult task for the convict who humiliated himself and the league since many readers may find it difficult to believe a man with Donaghy’s past.
Deadspin.com published several excerpts said to be from the book including this:
“To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn’t have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees’ locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal.
We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice – he didn’t have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.
After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees’ locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell.”
To see more from the Deadspin.com story, go here.
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