Category : Sports

Falcons, NFL appear blindsided by Vick indictment

From Sporting News:

I came away from today’s press conference with Falcons officials convinced the team and NFL were blindsided by Michael Vick’s indictment. They didn’t know it was coming, and they didn’t know how bad it would be. What baffles me is why.

“We had no reason to believe what came out in the indictment would be in the indictment,” team owner Arthur Blank told reporters in Atlanta. “As soon as we saw the indictment, we began to deal with it.”

Team G.M. Rich McKay said the team had no idea the indictment would come down when it did.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, Ethics / Moral Theology, Sports, Theology

N.B.A. Referee Is the Focus of a Federal Inquiry

Law enforcement officials are investigating allegations that the veteran N.B.A. referee Tim Donaghy influenced the outcome of professional basketball games on which he or associates of his had wagered, several people familiar with the inquiry said yesterday.

According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, federal officials are investigating whether Donaghy bet on N.B.A. games during the past two seasons, and whether since December 2006 he made calls that affected any game’s margin of victory while being coerced by members of organized crime.

A federal grand jury in Brooklyn is reviewing the case, which has been going on for several months and is expected to be concluded within a few weeks.

Donaghy, 40, who completed his 13th season in the N.B.A., could not be reached for comment. People involved with the situation said he was aware of the investigation, had resigned from his N.B.A. position about 10 days ago, and would surrender to law enforcement officials if charges were brought against him.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, Ethics / Moral Theology, Sports, Theology

Scott Simon: Calling Cruelty a 'Cultural Trait' Doesn't Excuse It

Listen to it all from NPR.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, Ethics / Moral Theology, Sports, Theology