Personal Foul

A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA

By: Tim Donaghy

Narrated by: Chris Della Penna

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The media has often speculated and sports fans have debated, but until now no one has known the real story. Personal Foul takes an in-depth look at former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and the betting scandal that rocked professional basketball. This is the decisive book that reveals exactly what was done and how it all happened. Which games were affected and how? Did referees target particular players or teams? Just how much did the NBA know and when? How did the mafia get involved? The book answers all of these questions and more.

Thrilling and poignant, Personal Foul takes readers on the journey of one man wrestling his own demons and shines a light on a culture of gambling and "directive" officiating in the NBA that promises to change the way sports fans view the game forever. The book also includes a foreword by Phil Scala, the FBI Special Agent who worked the Gambino case.

©2009 Tim Donaghy (P)2013 Tim Donaghy

Great Story, Poor Performance

This is a very intriguing story that gives any NBA fan a glimpse into the world of NBA officiating. There are many "ahh" moments in this book. This book not only goes into Donaghy's background and road to infamy, it also gives you an insight into why and how games certain games are officiated. If you've ever wondered why the NBA's elite players never get into foul trouble or always get the calls when driving the paint, this book is for you. Also, gives you an insight into the NBA's perspective on playoff and Final's matchups. It's all about the money.
Penna's performance almost ruins the entire book. If the story wasn't intriguing, I would've stopped listening the first 5 minutes. Penna is very mechanical and it feels very rushed. No emotion, almost robotic delivery. Probably one of the wost deliveries I've listened to.

I don’t feel crazy anymore

This book is fantastic! It confirms everything we felt like we already knew about NBA officiating. The ref’s fix outcomes and it’s done intentionally. Now I look at the NBA on par with Professional Wrestling, choreographed and fake. The story is well written and fascinating. I only wish someone would have worked with the narrator on player names, it’s a bit embarrassing how bad that was in this reading. The narrator clearly has never watched NBA games or he would know these names.

Learn how to pronounce players' names

I get taken out of the zone when the reader doesn't know how to pronounce the name of the athlete.

Good content

Maybe hire a reader who has actually watched a basketball player. Couldn't pronounce the names of many well-known basketball personalities.

I enjoyed the NBA story

I enjoyed the 1st hand account of the betting scandal in the NBA cool way to look at the NBA and how it works

The Disgrace that is the NBA

Would you consider the audio edition of Personal Foul to be better than the print version?

Not at all. The reader sounded like he was in a hurry and his pronunciation was atrocious----a problem, unfortunately all too common in audio books. Initially, I thought that the mispronunciations were limited to proper nouns (players' names), which while still inexcusable, would at least be tolerable. But alas, that was not the case.

What other book might you compare Personal Foul to and why?

I can't think of another book with which to compare Personal Foul, but I found it to be an honest and candid representation of the circumstances leading to the problem----i.e. no whining or constantly making excuses, blaming others etc. In fact, to my shock, I found myself empathizing with the author.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Yes, primarily with the plethora of mispronunciations.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was moved by learning the extent----not the existence--of corruption and incompetence in the NBA management and officiating. If I continue to watch NBA games, and I still haven't decided upon that, it will certainly be with a jaundiced eye. Is pro basketball a sport, like college basketball where fouls are called on the basis of objective criteria, or a "performance," where the object is to keep high profile players on the floor "no matter what"? Clearly it's the latter, and this is evident across the board.

Any additional comments?

Great book. Couldn't put it down.

good book, narrator is average at best though.

revealing book about Tim's story and refereeing in the NBA....however if the narrator is important to you I'd listen to a sample first.

Who narrated this?!

This guy mispronounced several names of superstar level players. Come on! This book is about basketball and it really takes you out of the groove when basketball related details are sloppy.

Good book

Not a slander, tell all unless you count the shady guys who set him up to get caught. Those guys are not NBA affiliated.

Does give good insight into how games are and are not called and how it gave Tim good understanding of how the outcomes may go. Overall I enjoyed it.

Great story! This is why I don't watch the NBA.

A great story with a little bit of everything. sports crime and downfall. But in the end Tim seems like a good guy who made a very bad mistake. A must read for any sports fan.