In 2008, the referee who had fixed (but he and the league deny) many matches he was betting on was arrested. Behind him is one of New York’s great mafia families
As long as there is professional sport, there will also be betting. Legal or illegal. Even if they are legal, there is a way to cause damage, as demonstrated by the current NBA scandal. It was 1919 when the storm broke out over the baseball World Series “adjusted” by the White Sox, who then became the Black Sox, in favor of the Cincinnati Reds. Eight Chicago players were suspended for life after a court ruled they colluded with two shady figures to intentionally lose the final for a fee. Anyone who wants to delve deeper into the topic can go and see the Hollywood version of “Eight Men Out”. Today the NBA is trembling over the Rozier-Billups affair which involves the biggest mafia families in New York. “Music to my ears” must have thought Tim Donaghy, former referee disbarred for the same reason and – since he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar – staunch accuser of the league.