Thursday, August 2, 2007
Sports officials are worried the NBA betting scandal will ripple through all levels of sports, bringing increased heckling and distrust from fans.
"This is an absolute tragedy, but we brought it upon ourselves," said Barry Mano, president and founder of the National Association of Sports Officials. "We bring impartiality. This calls that into question, and it will be up and down the ladder -- in all sports, on all levels."
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is the target of an FBI investigation for allegedly betting on games, including some he officiated, over the last two seasons. He resigned July 9.
As are all NBA officials, Donaghy was a member of NASO, whose mission is, among other things, to enhance the image of officials.
Irv Brown, a former NCAA basketball official, said the scandal will have the opposite effect.
"You've lost the trust of the American people," said Brown, the keynote speaker at the convention's opening night in Denver, one dominated by talk about Donaghy and how officials must police themselves more closely now.
"They're really concerned," Brown said. "They know it's going to give them a black eye. They were talking Saturday night that it's going to be a whole new ballgame. Everything is going to have to be reevaluated, everywhere.
"Instead of people yelling, 'Hey ref, you stink,' they'll say, 'Hey ref, you cheat.' "
The catcalls will cut across sports, said Tony Michalek, an NFL official and director of officiating for USA Football.
"It's going to make everyone look at all of us more closely," he said.
· BOXING: Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will defend his title against Ricky Hatton on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
The site of the fight has not been determined, Golden Boy Promotions said. It's a matchup of two undefeated fighters, who are a combined 81-0.
"I am extremely excited to announce Golden Boy's involvement in another boxing extravaganza," said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions.
Mayweather (38-0 with 24 knockouts) will be fighting for the first time since his victory over De La Hoya in May.
"I am the best fighter in boxing today and I'm prepared for any challenge my team puts in front of me," Mayweather said.
Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), from Manchester, England, has fought once before at 147 pounds, winning the welterweight belt from Luis Collazo in 2006.
· AUTO RACING: Greg Biffle was fined $5,000 and put on probation until Dec. 31 for skipping a press-box interview following his second-place finish in the Kroger 200 Busch Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis last week.
Biffle said that he talked to reporters on pit road after the race Saturday night but avoided the press box because of the huge crowd.
"I want to be clear that I was very excited about the second-place finish and was in no hurry to leave," he said in a statement released by his team. "It just seemed unreasonable at the time to try to get to the press box as the grandstands were emptying in the opposite direction."
NASCAR requires the top three finishers and the highest-finishing rookie of the year candidate to attend post-race interviews.
· SOCCER: The U.S. team will play Mexico for the third time this year, a Sept. 9 exhibition game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The U.S. team is 0-22-1 against Mexico in Mexico, but is 9-2-1 against El Tri overall since 2000, including 8-0-1 on U.S. soil.
· GOLF: Italian golfer Alessandro Pissilli has been suspended after failing a drug test.
Pissilli tested positive for the diuretic Finasteride at the Omnium National Championship on June 29, the Italian Olympic Committee said in Rome.
Pissilli, who plays on the Italian pro tour, was suspended by the Italian Golf Federation. He could face a two-year ban if found guilty of a doping violation.
-- From News Services
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