NICE SUBURBAN HOUSE, TAMPA, FL – DAY

Tim Donaghy, carrying a non-descript shopping bag, tentatively approaches the front door and rings the bell.

A Voice calls out.

VOICE: Come on in!

Donaghy looks up and down the street. No one is around. He enters the house.

DONAGHY: Hello?

Louie – stocky, balding and mustachioed – peeks his head out from the secluded hallway. He speaks like a gruff East Coaster.

LOUIE: Oh, how ya doin’? Come on in.

Donaghy looks around nervously. He’s not too sure about this.

DONAGHY: This is a pretty nice house for a bookie.

LOUIE: Thanks. Don’t worry; my roommates are out of town for the weekend.

Louie disappears down the hallway. Donaghy tries in vain to get a look.

LOUIE: Come on in and sit down. I made you’s some cookies.

DONAGHY: Can you just come here?

LOUIE: I’m changing into my track suit. I’ll be right down.

Donaghy shrugs and approaches the table.

LOUIE: How are ‘dem cookies?

DONAGHY: Great. Hey, should I just come up?

Suddenly, Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC enters the room.

HANSEN: Why don’t you just stay right here?

DONAGHY: Oh, hi. How are you?

Donaghy nervously extends his hand.

HANSEN: I’m fine. Why don’t you just go ahead and have a seat?

Donaghy has lost all the color in his face. He sits.

HANSEN: What are you doing here sir?

DONAGHY: Nothing.

HANSEN: So you were just driving around and you decided to stop at this house randomly?

DONAGHY: Well, uh, no, uh…

HANSEN: Did you come here looking to fix some games?

DONAGHY: What?! No way!

HANSEN: You didn’t chat online with a bookie who told you to come here?

DONAGHY: Of course not.

Hansen holds up some printed chat room transcripts.

HANSEN: You never use the screen name “NawtyZebra”?

Donaghy is sick.

DONAGHY: A long time ago.

HANSEN: How about three days ago?

Hansen reads from the transcripts.

HANSEN: Does this sound familiar…

           NawtyZebra: hav u evr cheated 4 the knicks?
           rookiebookie: no.
           NawtyZebra: I’ll show u how.
           rookiebookie: i’m nervous thow.
           NawtyZebra: don’t B nervous…i’m amazing at it…I’m the best

Donaghy is squirming.

HANSEN: You didn’t write that?

DONAGHY: No.

HANSEN: No? How about this?

           NawtyZebra: how bout sticking it to Mike D’Antoni?
           rookiebookie: i herd its fun
           NawtyZebra: and easy.
           rookiebookie: will u bring your schedule...so I know when
           NawtyZebra: ok
           rookiebookie: and bring some vodka too
           NawtyZebra: ok:)

Donaghy glances uncomfortably at his shopping bag.

HANSEN: What’s in the bag sir?

DONAGHY: Nothing. I just brought my schedule so he would know when NOT to try anything.

HANSEN: Really? So this is an innocent meeting? You’re just tying to be a good influence.

DONAGHY: Exactly.

HANSEN: How about this then…

           rookiebookie: so we’ll make alot of $$?
           NawtyZebra: tons
           rookiebookie: won’t we get caught?
           NawtyZebra: i’m too good
           rookiebookie: how do I know?
           NawtyZebra: look at me blow my whistle


Hansen produces a printed photograph.

HANSEN: And then you sent him a picture of you blowing your whistle.

Donaghy can’t make eye contact.

HANSEN: Is that your whistle?

DONAGHY: I don’t know.

HANSEN: It is, isn’t it? Why would you send a picture of your whistle to a bookie?

DONAGHY: Sir, I made a mistake.

HANSEN: So you admit it?

DONAGHY: It was just this one time. I’m sorry. If you just let me go, I promise I’ll never do it again.

HANSEN: Why should I believe that?

DONAGHY: It’s true. Please don’t arrest me.

HANSEN: I’m not going to arrest you. You see, I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC.

A cameraman walks in and Donaghy freaks out.

DONAGHY: Oh, no!

HANSEN: And we’re filming a special about NBA referees who prey on the integrity of the game.

DONAGHY: Oh my God. This is terrible. I’m going to be a laughingstock. Oh man, I can’t believe I got caught in this national freakshow.

HANSEN: No, this is journalism. People watch this show because they appreciate seeing dangerous criminals off the street.

DONAGHY: What? People watch this show because it’s the funniest thing on TV…until you’re on it!

HANSEN: I really think you underestimate…

DONAGHY: Give it up man…can I just go?

HANSEN: You’re free to leave whenever you like.

Donaghy runs out the front door…and the Police swarm.