Review of "Losing Big"

No matter what sport you enjoy, if you watch the games, you have seen ads for sportsbooks and betting.  This book is a great look at the state of this industry and the health crisis (in the author's words) that has arisen from the ease of betting.  

Title/Author:

“Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling” by Jonathan D. Cohen

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

When the Supreme Court legalized sports gambling in 2018, it opened a floodgate of ways and sportsbooks for gamblers to bet on sports.  As of this review, 38 states have legalized sports betting – this book by Jonathan D. Cohen is a great insight into what this onslaught of betting has done for sports, for the sportsbook industry and also to those who became addicted to gambling.

For the latter, the most heartbreaking story is that of “Kyle”, whom Cohen frequently refers to when describing the way that offers made to gamblers will hook them into more betting.  Cohen goes as far to describe this as a public health crisis (he notes this is especially the case for young men) and provides Kyle’s story and that of others who suffered losses as cautionary tales.  The stories of upping bets to try to get back to even money or even regain self-esteem. 

Cohen also writes about attempts to regulate gambling industry at both the state and federal levels, much of which has either been defeated or has been weak attempts to address this.  The notices on ads for “responsible gambling” is one of these attempts to help gamblers with addiction is one that Cohen describes in great detail and also explains why it is not working as desired.

Cohen’s account of how Colorado’s bill that allowed sports gambling eventually made it into law is also very interesting – tying the revenue that would be realized into a more sustainable water supply to the state was an excellent piece of writing and research.  This was the best example shown into the theory that states saw sports betting as a means of obtaining much revenue without increasing taxes.

The last subject that this review will touch in which Cohen provided the reader with an excellent description is the sportsbook industry and its mechanisms. Focusing primarily on the two biggest sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel, Cohen will take the reader inside their industry and the means in which that while they claim to be helpful to the gambler in avoiding addiction, the opposite occurs when there are the promises of big payouts on parlays, offers of free bets for a win or even a loss for a first-time bettor (much to the chagrin of states, since free bets are not subject to collections by the states) and other ways that the industry keeps their steady customers.

This book is mostly factual and eye-opening, but there is even a little bit of humor at the expense of the New York Jets (I am figuring the author is a long-suffering Jest fan).  It is a quick read and one that should be widely circulated to let all know about the current state of sports betting and the risks as well as the benefits.

I wish to thank Columbia Global Reports for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling: Cohen, Jonathan D.: 9798987053706: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Charlie Hustle"

Sometimes it's hard to find a book that is fair and complete when it is about a controversial person or event, but this book on Pete Rose fits that perfectly.  Here is my review of "Charlie Hustle." 

Title/Author:

“Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball” by Keith O’Brien

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Pete Rose is one of the most polarizing figures in baseball history.  Even people who have never followed the game but know about him through the news about his gambling, conviction on tax evasion and his banishment from baseball will have an opinion on him.  Whatever one’s opinion is about Rose, it is unlikely to change, even after reading this excellent biography of Rose by Keith O’Brien.

Before getting to all the excellent aspects of the book, I will the two criticisms I have out of the way.  One is a passage about how baseball changed, for the worse in O’Brien’s view, during the steroid era after Rose was banished from the game in 1989.  That fits the subtitle of this book and is an opinion held by many but it just felt out of place – not only where it was placed in the book but by being included at all.  Rose was never believed to use steroids so why is that included in a book on him?

The other detail that was a negative is that in later passages, when mentioning the number of children Rose had, it always stated four – the four he had with his two wives.  There was another daughter who Rose fathered with one of his mistresses, but aside from when she was little, she is ignored and forgotten the rest of the book.  For the record, Pete Rose fathered five children, not four.

With that out of the way, time to talk about all of the good things about this book and there are plenty.  The first is that O’Brien was able to get many quotes, stories and pieces of information from Rose himself.  For a such a controversial figure, it was remarkable that the author was able to glean this much from Rose and it made for more authenticity. Now, whether one believes that Rose is lying, as he did in many of his public statements about his gambling, that doesn’t really matter as the reader will be getting the story from the person himself.

About that gambling – the detail with which O’Brien writes about Rose’s betting is what truly shines in this book.  As many know, Rose gambled on more than just baseball.  It was interesting to read about Rose’s “triple header” days in Florida during spring training.  After the games, he would often head to the dog races, the horse races and the jai alai centers for placing bets. This would often take place with some characters who were less than desirable.  This became known to many who befriended Rose through baseball and they had concerns.  Teammates, managers and front office personnel alike all had questions about Rose’s acquaintances, but because of his success on the field, this wasn’t an issue for awhile.

That is until the FBI and the Department of Justice started investigating some of those acquaintances such as Tommy Gioiosa and Ron Peters.  The latter’s testimony to the agents working for these agencies was the most damaging and O’Brien brings their stories to life in riveting pages.  The same goes for the investigation by John Dowd for Major League Baseball and his report.  The reader will think that they are right there in the room with Dowd and the baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti when reading about this investigation and the banishment of Rose from the game.

These are just a few of the excellent topics covered in this book.  I haven’t even mentioned anything about O’Brien’s writing about Rose’s accomplishments on the field.  The beginning of the book that describes the night when Rose became the all-time leader in hits will give you an idea of how he covers that aspect of Rose as well – which is excellent.

 No matter how one feels about Rose as a person or whether or not he belongs in the baseball Hall of Fame, one who cares at all about him or baseball should read this book.  It deals with a very controversial baseball figure fairly and leaves the reader to make the final judgement for themselves.

 I was provided a review copy via NetGalley and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

 Link: Amazon.com: Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball: 9780593317372: O'Brien, Keith: Books

 

First review of 2020 - "Baseball Gods in Scandal"

Happy New Year to all my fellow sports book readers!  One resolution I am determined to keep this year is to catch up on reviews of books provided to me by authors or publishers but for one reason or another I never got around to doing.  This review is the first book in attempting to keep that resolution as it was sent to me soon after publication in the summer of 2019.  Here is my review of "Baseball Gods in Scandal"

Title/Author:

“Baseball Gods in Scandal: Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and the Dutch Leonard Affair” by Ian Kahanowitz

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Tigers, Indians, gambling

Publish date:

July 4, 2019

Length:

388 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The late 1910's and 1920's was a trying time for professional baseball.  Caught up in several gambling scandals, the most famous being the Chicago White Sox throwing the 1919 World Series, the sport was well on its way to cleaning itself up thanks to the iron fist of its first commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis.  However, in 1926 Landis received a letter from former pitcher Dutch Leonard about another gambling problem that season. That allegation, which involved two legendary players, is the subject of this interesting book by Ian Kahanowitz.

Late in the 1919 season, after the White Sox had already clinched the American League pennant and the Cleveland Indians were assured of finishing second, the Indians and Detroit Tigers played a mostly meaningless game.  "Mostly" is the key word here as the Tigers were in a fierce race for third place.  Finishing in the top three of the league was a big deal in those days as the top three teams received shares of the revenue generated from the World Series.  At the time, that was a significant amount of money given the player salaries.  Allegedly, the two biggest stars in that game, Ty Cobb of the Tigers and Tris Speaker of the Indians, were involved in a betting scheme to ensure the Tigers would win and finish third.  That was the subject of Leonard's letter and it set off a firestorm of controversy.

Of course, Cobb and Speaker denied having any involvement in any gambling. Their stories, as well as Leonard's and those of Landis, American League President Ban Johnson (whose feud and power struggle with Landis make for terrific reading) and Smokey Joe Wood, who also supposedly knew about this incident but had conflicting testimony, are captured in great detail by Kahanowitz.  At times, the writing is so detailed that a reader must read it carefully, almost like the transcript of a legal trial.  This review will not contain any spoilers, so one must read the book to know the outcome. 

However, reading the book is something that anyone interested in baseball during that era, or wants to learn more about the main characters mentioned above should do.  It will teach the reader a lot about this mostly forgotten but historic incident in baseball history.

I wish to thank Mr. Kahanowitz for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.   

                                          

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Gods-Scandal-Speaker-Leonard/dp/1938545877/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.summergamebooks.com/titles/history/baseball-gods-in-scandal-ty-cobb,-tris-speaker,-and-the-dutch-leonard-affair-detail

Review of "The City Game"

One sports trivia question that I have burned to memory is that City College of New York is the only college basketball team to have won the NIT and NCAA in the same season.  A book on that remarkable team and the point shaving scandal that brought them down is coming out in November, but I was fortunate to obtain an advance review copy - and it is one that I will purchase when it comes out.  Here is my review of "The City Game."

Title/Author:

“The City Game: Triumph, Scandal and a Legendary Basketball Team” by Matthew Goodman

Tags:

Basketball, college, scandal, gambling, politics, championship

Publish date:

November 5, 2019

Length:

448 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The 1949-50 basketball team from the City College of New York accomplished a feat that will never be done again. They won both the National Invitational Tournament  (NIT) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tourney in the same season. At that time, they were held at different times rather than concurrently as is done now. These championships came at a time when college basketball was much more popular than the professional game and also at a time when gamblers have a large influence in the sport. Through these gamblers, City College was found to have participated in a point shaving scandal along with several other college teams. This City College team, its players and both the good and bad times for them is captured in this outstanding book by Matthew Goodman.

What is the most striking feature about the book and the writing is how a reader will have a deep connection with the City College players, especially Eddie Roman and Floyd Layne.  Roman is Jewish and Layne is black, making them the perfect symbols to represent the student body make up of City College, which was tuition free and comprised mainly of black and Jewish students who were gifted intellectually but would not otherwise have been able to pursue higher education.  Goodman starts the book off by introducing the reader to Roman and his family and ends it with a wonderful success story achieved by Layne in a surprising twist.  In between, the reader will be taken back to that era of smoke-filled arenas and students cramming the cheap seats while the gamblers, politicians and businessmen filled the lower bowls with other items to take care of than watching the games.

While the writing about the basketball was very good and the recap of that special season for City College was easy to follow (and to cheer for them), the coverage of the point shaving scandal is even better.  The reader will get information from several viewpoints – the City College players who accepted bribes to shave points, the gamblers who set up the players and the informants who provided the information prosecutors needed to charge the players and gamblers.  On the latter, the story of Joseph Gross and his flip-flopping on his willingness to testify was especially entertaining.  Between his arrogance when he was arrested and his speedy exit from the courtroom when he was supposed to testify, he is just one character of many with whom readers will become very familiar.

However, that quality is best illustrated when writing about the City College players and their lives.  Whether Goodman is sharing their family life, their basketball prowess, the shame they felt when arrested and deposed, or their various degrees of success after City College, the reader will feel like they have known these men for a long time. The best section in the entire book is when the players are arrested at Penn Station after disembarking a train after a road game – the emotions of not only the players but Coach Nat Holman are on full display.

One more quality about the book that makes it an outstanding read is how several issues that are still discussed today are raised in this book.  Only two of the City College players that were arrested served jail time – both of them African American.  Several times it was pointed out that nearly everyone involved – the schools, the arenas, the gamblers – were making money off college basketball except the players.  These are issues that are still being discussed today.

For these and many other reasons, this is a book that should be picked up by either college basketball fans or readers who want to learn more about the history and times of New York City in the 1950’s as the dialogue has an authentic feel. 

I wish to thank Ballentine Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/City-Game-Triumph-Legendary-Basketball-ebook/dp/B07NKP9869/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-city-game-matthew-goodman/1130550459?ean=9781101882849

Review of "Shadow Games"

Point shaving scandals have been in college basketball for a long time, and this book is a fictional story about one in the 1990's. The characters are all likeable, the story is good and the book is a very quick read - all ingredients for an enjoyable novel. Here is my review of "Shadow Games"

Title/Author:

“Shadow Games” by Jim Lester

Tags:

Basketball, college, fiction, gambling, young adult

Publish date:

June 20, 2018

Length:

236 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Danny McCall could be considered a basketball junkie. His hard work at the game paid off in a basketball scholarship to St. Patrick’s College in New Wexford, New Jersey. However, he and a teammate, Ronnie Knox, risk everything to aid gamblers in a point shaving scheme. The story of Danny, Ronnie and the sports editor of the college paper, K.C. Donovan is told in this quick-reading, fast moving novel by Jim Lester.

Set in the early 1990’s, the story is mostly about Danny and his love for the game. His parents have the mindset of the hippie culture of the 1960’s and their home and finances show their disdain for capitalism. Therefore, he is careful to ensure that he stays on a straight path to keep his scholarship despite little playing time at point guard  his freshman year and the prospect of little more in his sophomore year when St. Patrick’s recruits a prized point guard. His teammate Knox is a high-scoring ultra-talented player who gets involved in gambling in order to get paid plenty of money and talks Danny into joining the scheme.

This puts Danny into a pickle as he and K.C. are not only both basketball junkies, they become a couple. However, Danny grows distant from her as he gets more involved into the gambling.  It affects his game as well as his scholarship. The ups and downs of all three of these main characters are told from their viewpoints alternately throughout the book, making the story balanced. This is one of the few novels I have read from multiple points of view that not only was easy to follow but also balanced in how much each character contributed to the story.

The basketball scenes and descriptions are excellent as any hoops fan will enjoy reading about either Knox’s cocky attitude while scoring almost at will or McCall’s tenacity and behind the back passes that seem to get crisper with each game. The reader will feel like they are on the court with these two and the rest of the St. Patrick’s team during game passages. 

While the ending did complete the story of these three characters, it left me wanting to know more about some of the other lesser characters fared.  That said, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the book from beginning to end.  It is one that readers who enjoy basketball, young adult or college life stories or just a good coming of age story should consider adding to their libraries.

I wish to thank the author for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Games-Jim-Lester-ebook/dp/B07D3MCY23/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1536281211&sr=1-1&keywords=shadow+games+jim

Review of "Banned"

When I saw this book available for review, I thought it would be mainly about the 1919 Black Sox and Pete Rose.  While they are covered in the book, there are so many more players, managers, owner and even a team doctor that have been kicked out of the game at some point. Whether for just a few games or for life, suspensions and banishments from baseball are covered here.

Title/Author:

“Banned: Baseball’s Blacklist of All-Stars and Also-Rans” by Hal Bock

Tags:

Baseball, professional, gambling, performance enhancing drugs

Publish date:

February 21, 2017

Length:

148 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Many players, managers, umpires, executives and even a team doctor have been banned from baseball over the history of the office of the commissioner of baseball. From the first commissioner, Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis to the current commissioner, Rob Manfred, each one has acted in what he believe would preserve the integrity of the game. The stories of some of those who faced suspension or expulsion are told in this book by Hal Bock.

Well-known stories such as those of the eight players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox, the suspension of Alex Rodriguez for the 2014 season and Pete Rose are covered, but so are the suspensions of others who were not as well know. Jimmy O’Connell and coach Cozy Dolan of the New York Giants who were suspended for a failed bribe attempt. In 1946, the second commissioner of the game, Happy Chandler, stated that any player who left for the brand new Mexican League would be suspended from Major League Baseball for five years.  Suspensions of owners like George Steinbrenner and Marge Schott are covered and even the brief expulsion of Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle for accepting promotional jobs for casinos.

No matter who the subject of the suspension was, each one is covered by a brief story that explains the behavior that warranted the suspension and the commissioner’s reasoning. That may or may not be something the reader will agree with, but each story is structured in this manner and makes for quick reading for each chapter.  None of these chapters fully describe the entire story, especially those of the 1919 White Sox or Rose, as there are other publications that delve much deeper into those topics. However, if the reader is looking for a quick and informative book on each of the persons who have been punished by a baseball commissioner, then this book will fulfill that need. 

I wish to thank Diversion Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Banned-Baseballs-Blacklist-All-Stars-Also-Rans/dp/1635760313/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488079255&sr=1-1&keywords=banned

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/banned-hal-bock/1125579470?ean=9781635760316

Review of "The Black Prince of Baseball"

One of the most interesting characters in baseball during the early 20th century was first baseman Hal Chase.  Known on the field mostly for his slick fielding, he was also a known gambler and was believed to be a key figure in the 1919 World Series gambling scandal. However there is so much more to the man's story and it is told in great detail in this book by Donald Dewey and Nicholas Acocella.  Here is my review of "The Black Prince of Baseball."

Title/Author:

“The Black Prince of Baseball: Hal Chase and the Mythology of the Game” by Donald Dewey and Nicholas Acocella

Tags:

Baseball, biography, gambling, Yankees, Reds, White Sox, Cubs

Publish date:

May 1, 2016

Length:

436 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Throughout his career in not only the major leagues, but also in semipro baseball and “outlaw” leagues in California (including the early days of the Pacific Coast League), Hal Chase was known alternately as one of the best fielding infielders in the early 20^th century or one of the most crooked players in the game as it was the era of fixed games and shady deals on and off the field.

This extensively researched and well-written biography by Donald Dewy and Nicholas Acocella is an exhaustive look at the man and his accomplishment – both positive and negative.  While the common line is that Chase was banned from the game because of his gambling, that was not the case as Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis did not ban Chase as he did the eight players from the Chicago White Sox for throwing the 1919 World Series. It is true he never played again in the major leagues after 1920, but that was more because teams didn’t want to take a chance on a 36-year-old infielder with a history of injuries and a poor reputation.

That, in a nutshell, is the case the authors are trying to prove with their research – that Chase, while far from an innocent person in the era of gambling in baseball, was merely one part of the entire operation that was a black eye on the game. Chase was an excellent personification of the lifestyle of the well-to-do at that time. His off-the-field exploits that included more gambling, shadier deals and many women (despite being married twice) is also well documented in the book. By giving this portrait of Chase, the authors also are allowing the reader to not only learn about the man and the times, but to also draw his or her own conclusion on how much Chase had to do with the gambling plaguing the game.

The book is not a quick or easy read. The writing is very detailed, especially when the topic is one of several grand jury trials in which Chase had to testify or was the subject of others’ testimony. While they can be slow to read and digest, these passages, along with the details of Chase’s interactions with others such as White Sox owner Charles Comiskey make for very interesting reading.  It was not easy to finish this book, but like the fictional story that seemed to never end until it did, this one had that same feeling.  The reader will wonder just how much more dirt can be dug up on Chase, but once it ends, it results in a very satisfying book. 

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Prince-Baseball-Chase-Mythology/dp/0803299397/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466559076&sr=8-1&keywords=black+prince+of+baseball

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Black-Prince-of-Baseball,677209.aspx

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-black-prince-of-baseball-donald-dewey/1122887957?ean=9780803299399

Review of "No Grey Areas"

When I saw that a book had been written about the 1994 point shaving scandal at Arizona State by the mastermind behind it, I was very happy when my request for a copy was approved.  But like the season that starts with championship hopes and ends without making the playoffs, this book started strong and limped to the finish. Here is my review of "No Grey Areas." 

Title/Author:

“No Grey Areas” by Joseph N. Gagliano

Tags:

Basketball, college, gambling, memoir

Publish date:

January 14, 2016

Length:

226 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

Some books start off slow and get better as the reader gets further into the story. Others start off strong and grab the reader’s attention right away but don’t stay as interesting throughout the book. This memoir of the mastermind behind one of the biggest point shaving scandal in college basketball history fits that latter category.

Joseph Gagliano’s story of how he pulled off this betting scam to win millions of dollars is a compelling story of a young man who wasn’t scared or intimidated by anything. With the help from a friend and a willing player from the Arizona State basketball team, Gagliano was able to orchestrate this scam during three Sun Devil games in 1994. While reading about this scheme, the reader will learn about the sports gambling industry, how point spreads can change depending on the bets being placed and that the action doesn’t take place just in Las Vegas. 

Once he got caught by federal officials, that is when I started to not enjoy the book as much because while Gagliano does admit that he made many poor decisions, it reads as if he blames so many other people for his failings. This is true not only for his guilty plea for the point shaving scandal but also when he was investigated and later convicted of fraud stemming from some bad loans while financing his car wash businesses. He writes about his bad decisions with the millions he earned from his business ventures, but again he sounds bitter.

Particularly telling is what he writes about his family when he was awaiting indictment for the business loans.  He stated that “…when I lost my company, hit the hard times and stopped being able to provide financially for the entire family, I basically lost my status as the Golden Child.” So he is bitter because now he isn’t the favorite son after being indicted twice?  This type of dialogue rubbed me the wrong way and was a sad conclusion to a book that started out as a great read. It seemed to me that he doesn’t understand that these are the consequences one may face when bad decisions are made.

Nonetheless, I will give the book a passing mark for the good description of the sports gambling industry, his detail of how the point shaving took place and his willingness to share the story of not only the basketball scandal but also his accounts of the ups and downs of his car wash franchises. It is just too bad that he couldn’t have applied the lessons of too much greed to his businesses.

I wish to thank Rebel Press for providing a copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/No-Grey-Areas-Consequences-Thereafter/dp/0997124814/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-grey-areas-joseph-n-gagliano/1123264883?ean=9780997124811

Review of "Personal Foul"

When I had seen that disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy had written a book on his time as a referee and what he did to create one of the biggest sports scandals in recent years, I was intrigued.  I never got around to picking up a copy until recently, but it was worth the wait.  Here is my review of "Personal Foul."

Title/Author:

“Personal Foul” by Tim Donaghy

Tags:

Basketball, professional, officiating, gambling, memoir 

Publish date:

June 9, 2010

Length:

270 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

It was a scandal that rocked the sports world and made tabloids write some interesting headlines.  When NBA referee Tim Donaghy was questioned by the FBI and later sent to prison for his involvement with organized crime while gambling on basketball games, it left the league scrambling to defend its reputation.  Donaghy decided to write about his actions and how it led to his downfall after a successful career as an NBA referee.  His book makes for some eye-opening reading.

What is most striking about Donaghy’s information that he passed to members of crime families is how simple it was to obtain.  Donaghy didn’t pour over advanced statistics or even analyze player matchups between the teams.  He simply looked at who were the referees working a particular game and knowing that one of these officials may have a grudge against one of the coaches or players, he knew that one team might have a significant advantage 

It was also interesting to read about one common perception coming true.  Many basketball fans, reporters, players and coaches have believed that superstar players usually receive favorable treatment and calls.  Donaghy, through his years as an NBA referee, provides insight and information that confirms this belief through his interactions with players and fellow referees. He also speaks of the league directing its officials to help ensure that a playoff series goes longer and that the larger markets advance in the playoffs. As an example of the latter item, he uses the sixth game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in 2002 to show how the way a game is officiated can affect a lot more than just the final score.

The mood of the book is not one of anger nor pity for Donaghy’s situation. He realizes his mistakes and knows that he has to pay the price through a prison term and in personal life.  He doesn’t make excuses nor does he show much anger toward anyone else.  While he did commit crimes, I found this memoir very interesting for the inside look at the world of basketball referees and just how much influence they have on the game.  It is a book that all basketball fans will enjoy reading.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Foul-First-Person-Account-Scandal-ebook/dp/B003ULP7U4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449782923&sr=1-1&keywords=personal+foul

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/personal-foul-tim-donaghy/1117927399?ean=9780615362632#reviews-header