Donaghy Sentenced; What's Next?

Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervision on release, for his role in a conspiracy to fix NBA games. He faced up to 33 months of incarceration and was referred to as "more culpable" than the others charged by Judge Carol Amon. However, he was given a break due to his cooperation with the authorities. His co-conspirators, James Battista and Thomas Martino, were sentenced to 15 months and a year respectively.

The NBA's internal investigation, the results of which, they claimed, they were waiting for Donaghy's sentencing to release, is still on hold. They now claim it is incomplete. It is being conducted by former federal prosecutor Lawrence Pedowitz.

Assuming Pedowitz operates with integrity and independence, his findings and recommendations could be very interesting. If not, they will likely echo David Stern's party-line that Donaghy, the rogue, acted alone and all other NBA referees are angels and the supervision merely needs to be a little more vigilant.

For example, referee Scott Foster was found to have had numerous short phone calls with Tim Donaghy, but no charges were brought against him. What was the context of these phone calls? The NBA's only comment is that no charges were brought against Foster, so clearly the "Donaghy's the one bad apple" mantra needs no further adjustment.

Addressing fan concerns in this simplistic way disrespects the intellect of the public. The results of the Pedowitz report and how it is presented publicly will be highly indicative of the NBA's attitude towards its fanbase going forward. I hope David Stern recognizes this and acts with appropriate transparency and honesty.