Tim Donaghy

[illadelphia]

I know BTB posted about this on the main page but I wanted to get a discussion going about Donaghy and his new partnership with Danny Biancullo.

This article explains in greater detail the agreement between the two.

Donaghy always claimed that he never fixed games and that he was able to predict winners based on "inside information" and coach/player relationships. Had that been true Timmy should have been able to pick winners in games he wasn't calling at around the same clip. Clearly that wasn't the case as he lost the majority of the games he wasn't reffing. Unfortunately this distinction between Donaghy's success in picking the games he reffed and the ones he didn't was never really covered by the media. Thus, the general public and those dumb/lazy enough to buy picks from a Biancullo think they are paying for access to that winning "inside info".

All of that aside, I thought this quote by Timmy was funny only because it is so appalling. When informed by the Philadelphia Daily News about new his business partner's 2004 federal conviction for falsely claiming to have inside information about games and referring callers to offshore casinos in exchange for kickbacks, Timmy had this to say:

Quote:"As long as it wasn't molesting kids," Donaghy said. "I'm nobody to judge anyone."

[Beyond the Bets]

Yeah, what a strange quote. But obviously in reference to Sandusky.

Here's a question, though, and I'm interested in hearing what you folks have to say. If given the opportunity to buy picks from an NBA tout with a documented history of winning, or from Donaghy, whose win percentage is unknown, who would you go with?

From a marketing/sales perspective, buying picks from Donaghy is surely intriguing to some.

[ChiefZilla]

I bet more people would want to hear Donaghy's picks than some random guy who actually wins. Shoot, I bet more casual gamblers are interested to hear Skip Bayless' pick (so they can make fun of it or fade it) than a documented winner they've never heard of.

[illadelphia]

(07-03-2012 12:08 PM)Beyond the Bets Wrote:  Yeah, what a strange quote. But obviously in reference to Sandusky.

Here's a question, though, and I'm interested in hearing what you folks have to say. If given the opportunity to buy picks from an NBA tout with a documented history of winning, or from Donaghy, whose win percentage is unknown, who would you go with?

Depends. If the tout is actually a sharp bettor and his documented winning % is based on something more than smoke and mirrors, I say tout. What I mean by that is if the tout is winning based on getting the right side at the right number, then that is clearly the better way to go.

The only problem is that guys who are sharp and getting the right number have little to no need to sell picks since they can profit more from just betting their own plays.

Quote:From a marketing/sales perspective, buying picks from Donaghy is surely intriguing to some.

Which is precisely why a convicted scammer has "partnered" with Timmy. All it takes is a few people to see the name Donaghy, take the bait and the hook is set.

[ChiefZilla]

Tim Donaghy has to be one of stupidest people on the planet, right?

[illadelphia]

(07-03-2012 04:16 PM)ChiefZilla Wrote:  Tim Donaghy has to be one of stupidest people on the planet, right?

Yes. There is ample evidence he is not playing with a full deck/few fries short of a happy meal/etc.

*He was making around $200k a year as a referee and risked it all to make a couple extra grand.

*Violated terms of his probation while in a halfway house by not showing up to work and was sent back to jail.

*Willingly associated with a convicted felon despite being prevented from doing so under the terms of his probation.

There are many more but I think these get the point across.