Professor Writes Book On Scandal Involving Former NBA Ref Donaghy
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A Penn State-Abington professor has written a book that he says gives new details on the NBA betting scandal that ensnared three childhood friends from Delaware County.
Sean Patrick Griffin has parlayed his love of sports and fascination with all things mob-related into a book called "Gaming the Game" -- a look inside the FBI's investigation into the scandal that took down referee Tim Donaghy for betting on games he officiated.
Donaghy's fellow Cardinal O'Hara grads and co-conspirators Jimmy Batista and Tommy Martino also went to the slammer. Griffin says his investigation allowed him to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding off-shore gambling.
"The idea that millions of dollars are being bet each day and that money comes back on shore and the US government has never really gotten a hold of that," he said. "No one's ever really understood until my book how that happens -- 'if I bet on-line, how do I get paid? How does that network work?' Especially for someone like Jimmy Batista, who's betting a million or two a game."
Griffin will share his thoughts on his book next Thursday on the Abington campus.
Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio
