I’ve brought shame on myself, my family and the profession”
were the words of Tim Donaghy, as a federal district judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars in July 2008. Formally, the charges against him were conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. In plain English, the 41-year-old Donaghy, a 13-year veteran National Basketball Association (NBA) referee, admitted to taking thousands of dollars in payoffs from  a professional gambler in exchange for giving inside tips on games he officiated.
Upon sentencing Donaghy, U.S. District Judge Carol Amon gave him credit for cooperating with the court but explained that a jail term was justified since, “The NBA, the players and the fans relied upon him to perform his job in an honest, reliable and non-conflicted manner.” Instead, she said, he was “compromised by a financial interest in the game he was refereeing.” The contrite Donaghy stood with his arms folded and showed no emotion. When invited to speak, he told the judge, “I’m very sorry for the acts for which I stand before you.”
Although sportswriters and NBA officials roundly criticized Donaghy for his actions, they also acknowledge the intensely stressful nature of the referee’s job. Living out of a suitcase for over half a year, they log thousands of miles on the road during the season and face extreme pressure.
Not only do they have to make split-second decisions, but they also have to do it in the shadow of giant players and coaches who are not exactly reticent about sharing their opinions about the nature of their calls.
Although Donaghy can serve his sentence and put the ordeal behind him, some believe that the problems for the NBA may be just beginning. In the course of defending himself, Donaghy revealed that NBA officials told referees to go easy on calling technical fouls against certain star players, who fans wanted to see on the court, and to make calls that extended playoffs to seven games so as to boost income for the league. NBA Commissioner David Stern has repeatedly denied that corruption went beyond Donaghy, explaining that Donaghy fabricated the claims to create the appearance that he was sharing information in the hope of getting a lighter sentence.
Although the court announced that Donaghy’s claims of widespread game manipulation were unsubstantiated, the NBA recognizes the serious public relations nightmare it has on its hands.
Unless the game can be played with integrity on a level playing field (or, court, in this case), it has no future. To ensure the quality of officiating from now on, Commissioner Stern created a new position, senior vice president of referee operations, staffed by retired U.S. Army General Ronald Johnson. If you think being a referee on the court is stressful, imagine what it’s like to be in charge of all of them from behind a desk in a New York office.

Questions for Discussion

1. What particular emotions do you believe Donaghy experienced as this situation unfolded?
2. What sources of stress did Donaghy encounter, and how did he respond to them?
3. Considering the stressful nature of his ordeal, what would you recommend to Donaghy that he do to alleviate some of the stress he encountered?