Despite the fact that people are going crazy about the indictment of Michael Vick, but this case involving the NBA referee Tim Donaghy is going to affect all of professional sports.
I think you're going to see the sports go to the review camera in order to cover their butts. There's no question that his case is going to damage the integrity of all sporting events. Many times you see a call which affects a game and you leave not being able to understand. You get over it because you figure that the guy's human. No more will people brush this thing off as just a missed called. The league's are going to have to do a much better job of investigating their officials and referees.
Tim Donaghy was a troubled individual. He had trouble all through his life. The guy was a nut case, yet the NBA knew nothing at all about him. Immediately you start wondering about all the umpires in baseball and the officials in football. There's no question that they can have an affect upon a game.
I think the review cameras will allow the leagues to cover their butts. If you allow the teams more challenges and have the review cameras overseeing everything it will give the fans more confidence in the integrity of the game.
ESPN's Bill Simmons thinks this Donaghy story would be a "can't miss" great movie. Today the police were called to Donaghy's Bradenton, Florida home because he's been recieving threatening calls. I just saw a SI.com reporter on television say that the NBA knew this guy was under investigation by the FBI in January, yet let him continue to referee games. David Stern is making millions but he doesn't have enough sense to keep an eye on his officials.
