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In June 2007, the FBI alerted the NBA that one of its referees, Tim Donaghy, was under investigation for illicit gambling. Within a matter of months, the public was exposed to the details of a scandal in which Donaghy, in collusion with his long-time acquaintance and professional gambler Jimmy “Baba” Battista, had been betting on games he was officiating. Tommy Martino, a mutual childhood friend, was also implicated in the scandal. By November 2008, each of these men had confessed to their part in the conspiracy and were serving time in federal prison. The story appeared to be over. But it was just the beginning.
Sean Patrick Griffin, Ph.D., a former Philadelphia Police officer, now a university professor and best-selling author, undertook a comprehensive research project to delve deeper into this scandal. He conducted numerous interviews, accessed betting records, referee statistics, court documents, and gained exclusive access to witness statements and confidential law enforcement files. His years of meticulous research are compiled in GAMING THE GAME, a book that gives an in-depth account of the scandal, going beyond the FBI’s investigation.
The book sheds light on Jimmy Battista’s extraordinary bookmaking and betting career spanning several decades, focusing particularly on his role as the mastermind of the notorious scandal. Battista, who opted to remain silent during the federal investigation, discloses for the first time the intricate details of this conspiracy, much of which is known only to him.
Reviews
“Impeccably researched and insightful…Griffin’s street-wise prose is far from academic…After reading ‘Gaming the Game,’ you will view NBA matches in a whole new light.” – Las Vegas Review-Journal
“[Griffin] seamlessly merges the roles of academic, storyteller, cop, and journalist…[Gaming the Game] will shock you from start to finish.” – Philadelphia Magazine
“An exhaustively researched book that challenges conventional views about the NBA’s referee scandal