Tim Donaghy could get 25 years for providing inside information to low-level mobsters about NBA games. This information included things like which crew was officiating the game and if there was bad blood between players and refs for that evening. Donaghy has pled guilty to these charges but there is no evidence (yet) that he actually bet on games that he refereed.
Michael Vick ran Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia which trained pit bulls for dogfighting. According to his friends, Vick actually killed some of the dogs that didn't perform well in the trainings (I'd rather not explain more). Vick just pled guilty and will get between 12 and 18 months.
Mercilessly killing dogs: 12-18 months
Providing insider information about games: up to 25 years.
I think Tim Donaghy's getting a raw deal.
5 comments:
you shouldn't be surprised of course--vick's famous...
That actually fits pretty well with Dante's medieval view of the hierarchy of sins, that is, fraud is much more destructive of our human nature than violence towards others. I wonder if our legal system bears other signs of medieval thinking as well...
I think Tim should get to mercilessly kill Vick. That'll learn him. And Tim's 25 years will be more appropriate.
Personally, I think white collar crime (like leaking insider information) needs harsh punishments. Violence is terrible indeed, but violence is much more likely to get caught than white collar crime. Therefore, to make up for the difficulty of catching white collar crime, I think it is perfectly reasonable to throw the book at those who are caught. Also, white collar crime often effects many more people than violence does... especially in large cooperations. And while it may only rob a few pennies out of you and me, it is simultaneously robbing thousands, of people (if not more). For example, if people ever start to believe that the NBA rigs its games, think of the damage that will do to the thousands of people who work for the MBA or media who covers it. The MBA would go down the drain, and take loads of people with it. But the people who caused it to happen would be guilty of nothing more than trying to make a few extra (million) bucks on the side. No cruelty to anyone in particular, just to everyone altogether. Let him have his 25 years. Hopefully it will scare others away from similar crimes.
What Capitalism giveth, Capitalism taketh away. If basketball is destroyed due to referee corruption, shouldn't we just say, "The Invisible Hand is at work in the land"?
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