Doc's Prophetic Soul

by Jeff Clark on Jul 21, 2007 2:21 PM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

The Globe archive turned up an ironic story in light of the recent FBI investigation of NBA referee Tim Donaghy. In a 2005 Celtics notebook headlined "Rivers: Referee had an agenda", Celtics coach Doc Rivers questioned a call by Donaghy that got Rivers tossed from a game:
"I think Tim Donaghy has got it in [for me]," said Rivers. "That was a personal tech [the first time]. But I earned the second one. I don't approve of what I did. I hurt the team. We have had run-ins, but you always have run-ins. But the first tech, I never got off the bench and I still got the call. What was that about? I'll call the league office on it, but there's not much you can do. Instead of running up the floor [after the first technical, Donaghy] hung back. I made a decision on the second and that was a horrible decision. It hurt the team."

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

So you mean to tell me that Doc was right about something?

by Herren 12 on Jul 21, 2007 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

Doc is really not that bad a guy or a coach, people just like to blame someone.

CsfanNH

by CsfanNH on Jul 21, 2007 2:25 PM EDT reply actions

co-sign with CsfanNH

by truthhurts34 on Jul 21, 2007 3:13 PM EDT reply actions

Cry me a rivers makes tons and tons of horrible decisions that hurt the club all the time. So, one more is no big deal.

by aQua on Jul 21, 2007 3:18 PM EDT reply actions

I’m sure almost every coach or player will have some link to this ref that can be spun into a possible game fix. This is only the tip of the iceberg with this guy.

by slamtheking on Jul 21, 2007 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, it seems like he did a pretty good job of calling this AND taking responsibility for his own actions here. I’m pained watching the way he coaches the team, but he deserves his due on this.

by clover on Jul 21, 2007 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

Cry me not only makes tons and tons of horrible decisions but makes tons and tons of money too.

Five million dollars a year for that type of coaching ?

by DAS on Jul 21, 2007 4:54 PM EDT reply actions

If these allegations against Donaghy are true, I just don’t know what to think anymore.

It’s bogus.

Like Giambi’s Home Runs in 2003 ALCS.
They count, but the should never have occured.

On that note, WHY do I have to miss Red Sox baseball today in order to watch the biggest fraud in MLB history have his ridiculous at bats?

by mcpu40 on Jul 21, 2007 5:17 PM EDT reply actions

Donaghy probably had his money on the C’s and Doc’s terrible end of the game coaching was screwing things up. ;)

by Chief # 1 on Jul 21, 2007 5:19 PM EDT reply actions

Poor Doc. Can’t even make the right decisions for crooked refs, even.
Sad, sad, sad.

by Big_Easy on Jul 21, 2007 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

With Doc kicked out so early, I’ve very surprised we lost that game.

by FrieCod on Jul 21, 2007 5:46 PM EDT reply actions

seems to me that if you needed the celtics to lose big you’d want to keep doc on the bench…

by Andy Jick on Jul 21, 2007 6:18 PM EDT reply actions

I have thought for a long time that the NBA was rigged. I don’t this guy is the only one involved. Hopefully this will put a bad enough spin on the NBA that David Stern steps down. Of the 3 major sports, the NBA is the most poorly operated. SEE TV RATINGS!

by celticelmo on Jul 21, 2007 6:48 PM EDT reply actions

i don’t like doc as a coach. as a man, he is a solid citizen and a good guy. this ref, on the other hand, is a rat and i am worried that there may be more.all the games are very dependent on the officiating, but somehow i have always felt basketball was more vulnerabe. maybe i have been overexposed to tommy.

by nazzbo on Jul 21, 2007 7:15 PM EDT reply actions

Hopefully this incident with the referee will make the NBA cool their love affair with Las Vegas.

It was ridiculous to have the city of Las Vegas host the NBA All Star game last season over the existing franchises who support the
NBA year round .

In addition, the NBA summer league in Las Vegas has virtually destroyed the Long Beach Summer League. I don’t understand why the teams would want their young players in Las Vegas with all the temptations for the week.

by DAS on Jul 21, 2007 8:00 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t think the NBA is crooked per se. But when they
went to 3 refs back in the day, I think they ran out of competent refs.

by Greg37 on Jul 21, 2007 9:10 PM EDT reply actions

And of course they overexpanded which means more games and more refs.

by Greg37 on Jul 21, 2007 9:11 PM EDT reply actions

forget the ref – why don’t they investigate stern for fixing the lottery – that makes a mockery of this sport we all love

by ForexPirate on Jul 21, 2007 9:31 PM EDT reply actions

Interesting to note that in the last two lotterys the team with the worst record ended up with the 4th pick……that’a joke !

by DAS on Jul 21, 2007 9:37 PM EDT reply actions

Karma.

by Greg37 on Jul 21, 2007 9:52 PM EDT reply actions

i’ve always felt that the nba refs kinda like the attention they receive…earl strom’s theatrics seemed a bit “over the edge” in their presentation, and i never liked that.

the best ref’s are the ones that go unnoticed. david stern is getting a nice wake-up call and i hope he realizes that his precious league just got another black eye.

the nfl will recover from michael vick’s stupidity quicker than the nba will from this ref’s…football is now america’s game as we’ve seen the nba get younger and less fundamentally sound. and now a ref may have affected the outcome of games.

by Andy Jick on Jul 21, 2007 10:04 PM EDT reply actions

This article isn’t about Doc. I always think the C’s get the short end of the stick from the refs. I usually think it’s just poor officiating or refs with personal agendas or poor judgement. It’s really upsetting to hear of a dishonest ref (if these allegations stick).

by TrueGreen on Jul 22, 2007 8:30 AM EDT reply actions

Andy Jick, I don’t think Micheal Vick is “stupid” (if these allegations are true). I think he’s despicable. And yes, I am an animal lover. If he’s guilty I hope he gets the maximum jail term and I hope he’s put in a place with animal lovers.

by TrueGreen on Jul 22, 2007 8:33 AM EDT reply actions

Just as a player has to earn the refs respect in order to get the calls, it’s the same with a coach.

by Celtsfansince55 on Jul 22, 2007 11:06 AM EDT reply actions

TrueGreen,
Couldn’t agree more. “Stupid” is misplacing your keys, or making an offensive remark on TV, not training dogs to rip each other’s flesh off.

by Cousin It on Jul 22, 2007 2:39 PM EDT reply actions

Some of these millionaire pro athletes think they are above the law. Mr. Vick is about to find out otherwise.
I think it will cost Mr. Vick a lot of money to try to keep him out of the slammer.

by Greg37 on Jul 22, 2007 7:10 PM EDT reply actions