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Largo publisher takes on the NBA
It's not every day Random House is forced to make such a late change to their publishing schedule.
But when the book in question tells all about what could be the most damaging breach of officiating integrity in sports history, it can be one of those days.
Rumors of pressure from league officials surrounded the cancellation of Random House's agreement to publish the book written by former NBA referee, and Lakewood Ranch resident, Tim Donaghy at the end of last October.
The book was expected to provide readers with Donaghy's explicit description of unspoken, yet, allegedly common officiating practices during his tenure with the league, including in-game betting related to foul calls, unofficial standards for treatment of “star players,” and other similarly dishonest methods.
Thanks to the stance recently taken by a small publisher based in Largo, the project appears to be a “go” once more.
VTi-Group, led by Chief Executive Officer Shawna Vercher, expects to publish Donaghy's story, now titled “Personal Foul,” later this month. While Vercher acknowledges having been contacted by the league's front office, she also cites “surprise assistance from within” the league itself in helping to get the project done.
Until now, Vercher has taken what she calls a “cloak and dagger” approach to getting the book published. But having independently vetted the book's content (with help from the Random House subsidiary originally slated to print the story, Triumph Books), the company appears ready to adopt a more visible position.
Vercher is, in a way, a veteran of the celebrity circuit. She handled the point for Barack Obama's Internet Rapid Response during his presidential campaign. Now, instead of senators calling her office, it's celebrities from the NBA.
As “Personal Foul” gets closer to hitting bookshelves, those phone calls will undoubtedly become more frequent.
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