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“In the history of the four major professional sports in the United States (football, basketball, baseball, and hockey), there has never been an umpire, referee, or other in-game official indicted or arrested for fixing the outcomes of a game. That is, until now.

Law officials have revealed that Tim Donaghy, a 13-year veteran NBA official placed bets on games he officiated over the past few seasons. Purportedly, Donaghy had a gambling problem and was approached by organized mobsters for his involvement in slanting the final results of games. By refereeing the game to favor one team, Donaghy may have affected the final score by a few points—enough to upset the point spread of the game and ensure he cashed in on the money he had wagered.

At the time of this article, federal investigators are probing for information related to Donaghy’s connections, and they are reviewing the way he officiated a selection of games. The National Basketball Association is offering full cooperation to the FBI as it gathers facts and evidence.

THE MOST SACRED TRUST

The whole sports empire, a $213 billion industry, rests on the assumption that athletes are competing against one another on an equal footing. Fans and players alike expect impartiality and fairness from sports officials to protect the purity of the competition.
When Tim Donaghy chose to profit personally by fixing games, he betrayed the league which employed him, the players he interacted with, and fans of the game of basketball. In the words of NBA commissioner, David Stern, Donaghy “Has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports.”

How does a leader deal with betrayal? What steps can be taken when trust is violated in a highly visible way? It will be interesting to watch the unfolding drama of the NBA’s reaction to the Donaghy scandal. Here are some principles David Stern and the league may rely upon when they take action.

RESTORING TRUST

1. Leaders eliminate suspicion.

When our trust is violated, we demand greater scrutiny into the affairs of the violator. That’s the reason transparency has become a buzzword in business. After being deceived, we are suspicious that what duped us once may dupe us again. When accounting scandal after accounting scandal came to light, public reaction called for more open financial recordkeeping and clearer business transactions. We were outraged by corporate duplicity and determined to prevent it from reoccurring.

Leaders do their utmost to clear away suspicion. You can be certain David Stern will offer up every shred of information within his power to aid the FBI’s investigation of Donahue—nothing can be perceived as hidden or swept under the rug. Videos of games Donaghy officiated, emails he sent to the league, and conversations he had with fellow officials will all be brought to light. In addition, the NBA may work with its referees’ union to put greater accountability measures on its referees. Every action will be taken with the intent of proving the NBA’s seriousness in preventing dishonest officials from besmirching the game’s honor again.

2. Leaders cut ties with corruption

Something in us isn’t quite comfortable when a formerly convicted embezzler returns to work at our bank—or when a recently released child molester moves to the neighborhood. Past behavior remains in our minds. We want to know that criminals will be locked up and deprived of the opportunity to harm us again.

The NBA will likely hand out a lifetime ban to Tim Donaghy so that he will never again be able to officiate in the league. When an individual’s deceitful actions bring shame and humiliation to an organization, his or her employment must be terminated immediately. Consequences must be swift and severe. Leaders cannot show tolerance for deception. While personal forgiveness may be extended, corporate reinstatement is not an option.

3. Leaders reassert values

In the aftermath of corruption, leaders take the opportunity to reeducate all personnel in the organization’s values. The referee’s union and the NBA will likely work hand-in-hand to reaffirm their expectations of officials. Ethics courses may be issued to incoming referees. Periodic reviews may be held to ensure the behavior of referees is in accordance with league values. Themes of impartiality, honest, and truthfulness will be trumpeted in meetings and training.

VISION
“To the person who does not know where he wants to go, there is no favorable wind.”

~ Seneca

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”

~ T.E. Lawrence

“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.”

~ Hellen Keller

“Keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

“The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust

On this day...

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• John 1:41 - 2009
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