Tim Donaghy's Media Guide Bio Contains Discrepancies
Apparently, the NBA's vaunted background checks and security procedures do not include making a few simple phone calls to verify resume information. According to a New York Times article, Donaghy's bio in the league's official media guide about referees contains some exaggerations regarding his high school and collegiate athletic careers. The NBA told the Times that the information in the media guide is provided by each referee but the Times has not yet confirmed whether Donaghy or another party in fact is responsible for the errors.Donaghy's bio states that he made the All-Catholic League baseball team while playing for Cardinal O'Hara High School in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, that he also made the All-Delaware County basketball team and that he played varsity baseball at Villanova. None of these claims appear to be true or even close to the truth. Buddy Gardler, Donaghy's high school basketball coach, told the Times that Donaghy did not even start for O'Hara's basketball team.
Donaghy is obviously not the first person who has "polished" his resume a bit but this further indicates a pattern of falsehood on his part presumably dating back further than just the past couple seasons. Also, it makes the NBA's investigative efforts look sloppy at best. How good of an athlete Donaghy was as a teenager is not that important in the big picture but the fact that he could get away with lying about the most basic and easy to research parts of his past does not give one much confidence in the NBA's ability to keep tabs on its employees' possible financial problems, gambling activities and contacts with underworld figures.
posted by David Friedman @ 6:58 AM
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