NFL Takes Referee Gambling Seriously

[bigboydan]

NFL Takes Referee Gambling Seriously

Posted Jul 23rd 2007 12:37PM by Michael David Smith

In terms of its potential impact on the sport, the Tim Donaghy scandal is a bigger issue than the Michael Vick scandal. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell faces a difficult decision with what to do about Vick, but the Vick case doesn't suggest that the NFL itself is fundamentally corrupt, the way a referee gambling scandal could.

So the NFL takes gambling among referees very seriously. Any official who bets on any team sport at any time is immediately fired.

"We do background checks on officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "NFL Security for decades has monitored betting lines and maintained contacts in the gambling community."

After the jump is the full text of the gambling rules in the NFL-NFL Referees' Association collective-bargaining agreement.


Officials may not engage in any type of gambling activity (including
betting money or anything of value) relating to the outcome or score of
any league game or the outcome of any Divisional or Conference
standings.

Officials may not accept a bribe or agree to throw or fix any league
game or fail to report promptly to the Commissioner any such activity,
or knowingly associate with anyone involved in such activities.

NFL SEASON: At any time during the NFL season (preseason-Pro Bowl) , NFL
officials may not enter a horse or dog race track or a gambling casino;
or bet on any game, or any other sporting event.

CALENDAR YEAR: At any time during the calendar year, NFL officials may
not bet on any team sport; or associate with any persons determined by
NFL security officials and identified to the NFLRA as gamblers; or speak
at any engagement or other promotional activities in Las Vegas, Atlantic
City, or any other cities where in-house casinos are located, if the
official's name or likeness is used in connection with or in association
with gambling.

REPORTING OBLIGATION: During the off-season, an NFL official who enters
a horse or dog race track, or a gambling casino shall, at the latest,
report such activity within 24 hours of its occurrence.

VIOLATIONS OF GAMBLING POLICY

1. Official who enters into a race track or a gambling casino during
season for the first time is subject to discipline up to and including a
maximum of a one-game suspension. A subsequent offense will subject an
official to more severe discipline.

2. An official who gambles on a team sport at any time during the year
will be immediately terminated.

3. An official who violates the reporting obligation for the first time
is subject to discipline up to and including a maximum fine of $1,000. A
subsequent offense will subject an official to more severe discipline up
to and including suspension.

[isetcap]

That should keep it from happening.

Does the ACLU not care about NFL referees?

[Jay Edgar]

Ditto the NBA, according to the NY Times.


=====
By LIZ ROBBINS and NATE SCHWEBER
Published: July 22, 2007
When the veteran N.B.A. referee Tim Donaghy was identified as a focus of an F.B.I. investigation into point shaving, it sent shockwaves around the league and team offices and among many players.

The N.B.A. has a strict policy prohibiting officials from gambling on any sport.

Although it is unclear when the N.B.A. became aware of the investigation, what was clearly documented was Donaghy’s on-court performance. He rated better than average in the N.B.A., according to two people with knowledge of Donaghy’s professional history who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the F.B.I. investigation is continuing.

===

What the NBA knew, should have known, and by when is a huge, legitimate story. I'm not yet convinced that the investigators asking his neighbors questions months back were connected to the NBA. So far only one neighbor (with an axe to grind) has said that the questioners said "our firm was hired by the NBA" -- which is exactly what contract investigators would never say.