basketball

Tim Donaghy, a former NBA referee caught gambling on games he officiated, alleged in a court filing this week that the league "sought to manipulate games using referees to boost ticket sales and television ratings," and in particular conspired to fix game six of the 2002 playoff series between the Lakers and the Kings.

The claim that the NBA fixes its own games is dubious (though not entirely implausible). What's far more likely is that some of the sport's other participants--players, coaches, and referees--shave points now and then. In fact, it's a near certainty. Illicitly changing the course of an entire playoff series--whether it's the league doing it, or freelance hustlers--is almost impossible without being detected, simply because so many variables operate in every game. If an influential player performed poorly enough to throw one game to the opposing team, for instance, he'd likely spend much of the next game on the bench, rendering him useless as a fixer. But point shaving is a more subtle art: Players on the take don't get paid to throw games--they get paid to win by just a little less than they're expected to. MORE

The NCAA men's college basketball season concluded with Monday's thrilling championship game between Kansas and Memphis.

Each spring, basketball enthusiasts argue over the respective merits of college basketball, whose playoff tournament ended on Monday night, and professional basketball, which has one week left in its regular season. When NBA fans defend professional ball, they usually point to pro athletes' superior athleticism and college athletes' supposed "mediocrity." But professional ball's defenders have adopted a new tactic this time around, invoking the NBA season's compelling storylines as proof of its preeminence.

Will Ferrell's latest film, Semi-Pro -- in which he plays the player-owner of a 1970s ABA team -- debuted to middling reviews and disappointing box office this weekend.

According to Hollywood legend, Talledega Nights was pitched to the studios with just six words: Will Ferrell as a Nascar driver. That formula -- drop the inherently hilarious star into a potentially hilarious milieu -- has produced most of Ferrell's biggest hits, from Talledega Nights to Anchorman (Ferrell as a '70s local news anchor) to Blades of Glory (Ferrell as a figure skater). MORE