SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun

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"There was such a level of misunderstanding," Manteris said, with an admirable amount of diplomacy. "It was very surprising."

The letter pointed fingers at the Nevada gaming industry, implying it was part of the problem of point-spread manipulation shenanigans.

"That's just the furthest thing from the truth," Manteris said.

Just as it's incumbent on the major sports leagues to cooperate with Nevada sports betting representatives to spot and stamp out potential fixes whenever possible, it's the responsibility of the gaming industry to embrace its unique role as a "sports watchdog."

In the past some Nevada bookmakers have intimated that they want nothing to do with being watchdogs. They just want to book games, collect money and be left alone. It's a backward-thinking, short-sighted position.

Like Manteris and others - including oddsmaker Ken White of Las Vegas Sports Consultants - the state's legal sports betting leaders should seek to step up and work with the major sports leagues. Both sides, that is, should let in a little sunlight.

Because of the nature of the investigation into the allegations against Donaghy, neither Stern nor Manteris would address any specific NBA games that might have been tainted by the referee or underworld gamblers. Stern said in his news conference that betting on any fixed games most likely did not go through Las Vegas.

Retrospective analyses in the sports media of Donaghy's games in the past two seasons have been all over the place. Some raise intriguing questions. Others show a lack of understanding of even the rudiments of sports gambling.

"Under the circumstances, it's probably best for the short term not to get into what we may or may not have come across," Manteris said.

Stern portrayed the scandal as an example of one rogue ref working alone rather than part of a larger conspiracy. Manteris also stressed the generally exemplary record of sports in America, considering the immense number of games played each year.

"Protecting the integrity of sports is something I've taken very seriously for a long time," Manteris said.

In fact, Manteris devoted part of a chapter in his 1991 book, "SuperBookie," to guarding against corruption in sports and sports gambling. He quoted a comment by influential oddsmaker Michael "Roxy" Roxborough on the integrity of sports that remains relevant today: "I would defy any industry from the turn of the century to have so little scandal."

Gaming leaders and sports officials such as Stern should do all they can to prove Roxy right.

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