I am not at all saying that Webber didn't receive anything before coming to Michigan. Everyone knows Martin had a relationship with Webber and many other Detroit kids long when they were in middle school and high school. The 280k figure is exactly the sort of thing that has never been properly contested or examined. Mitch Albom described to us almost contemporaneously all the signs that Chris Webber didn't have hundreds or thousands (let alone hundreds OF thousands) of dollars lining his pockets while he was a player at Michigan. Martin loaned a bunch of money to Webber after Michigan's 1993 season ended (ie after his NCAA career was over) but before he was free of the NCAA rules. That shouldn't be a stain on the program, but it is.
First, I think that part of the reason there are so many questions still lingering about the Fab Five is that the school absolutely abandoned them. I'm surprised you don't recognize that the dynamic is so similar to some of the fallout we just saw with Rich Rod: a new athletic director came in and wanted to clean house; the coach had significant baggage and was ripe to take the fall for everything; the players from past teams had no one to defend them. Unlike most NCAA investigations, there were no real opposing interests in the Michigan basketball inquiry: everyone who was still around had something to gain from throwing the book at the Fab Five (and at the recruiting classes that followed). What we ended up with is exactly what you'd think would result from a one-sided inquisition: the book was thrown, but no real smoking gun emerged. All signs point to Ed Martin giving cash to lots of kids in Detroit, some who "made it," and many more who didn't. All signs indicate that Chris Webber never got substantial money until his NCAA career was over. Louis Bullock is a douch bag (and seems to be the only person not from Detroit who received money from Ed Martin), but I never saw anything that suggested that Robert Traylor or Jerod Ward or Maceo Baston did anything to deserve your scorn. The same way that Rich Rod is a sympathetic figure when you see his (slash Bacon's) perspective, I think there is a lot to be said for the characters that you ignored who came to Michigan, gave their hearts and souls for the school, put Michigan well on the way to being a NCAA regular, lost some heartbreaking games, and then were kicked out on the curb for a "clean house" and Brian Ellerbe.
Second, the Fab Five and everyone else on those teams - people like Eric Riley, Rob Pelinka, James Voskuil to name a few - lived and breathed maize and blue every bit as much as these teams do today. That Chris Webber was and is sort of a baby doesn't change that fact. If you saw him crying after their loss to Duke in 1992, you would have though, and remember: wow, there's a big baby who loves Michigan. That Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were much much less than tremendous individuals has nothing to do with the teams that played 1991-1995, your over blown narrative of last night aside. You think Jimmy King and Ray Jackson deserve to be asterisked from the record books for sticking around for four years, fighting their way into four straight NCAA tournaments? You think Jalen Rose, who by my memory played all but 30 or so seconds of the NCAA tournament in 1993, didn't and doesn't love the University of Michigan? I disagree.
I wish Chris Webber would come forward and tell the truth; I bet he never will, given that perjury cloud. I wish Steve Fisher would have cleared the air on a lot of the issues; I understand why he wouldn't given that he wanted to coach again, and why he probably doesn't want to say more now. Mainly, I wish people would remember the excitement, enthusiasm and spirit that those Fab Five teams had, their truly tenacious defense, their team offense, Jalen's leadership on the floor, Juwan Howard dancing on the on the way to the finals, Chip Armer chearing from the end of the bench, etc etc. When I hear Jalen Rose saying he wants the banners up, I feel like I'm listening to the only person who was around and has a platform to make that argument; I hope he keeps making it, and that Michigan fans like you, at very least, give it a little more thought and make a few less sweeping generalizations.
In summary: I think you paint an innaccurate and unfair picture of the Fab Five teams by portraying them as the evil opposite to the Big Ten Champs this year. By piling on to the old story line you're perpetuating a very unfortunate myth that hurts the team, past and present.
Recent Comments
I am not at all saying that Webber didn't receive anything before coming to Michigan. Everyone knows Martin had a relationship with Webber and many other Detroit kids long when they were in middle school and high school. The 280k figure is exactly the sort of thing that has never been properly contested or examined. Mitch Albom described to us almost contemporaneously all the signs that Chris Webber didn't have hundreds or thousands (let alone hundreds OF thousands) of dollars lining his pockets while he was a player at Michigan. Martin loaned a bunch of money to Webber after Michigan's 1993 season ended (ie after his NCAA career was over) but before he was free of the NCAA rules. That shouldn't be a stain on the program, but it is.
Concur.
A few points in response.
First, I think that part of the reason there are so many questions still lingering about the Fab Five is that the school absolutely abandoned them. I'm surprised you don't recognize that the dynamic is so similar to some of the fallout we just saw with Rich Rod: a new athletic director came in and wanted to clean house; the coach had significant baggage and was ripe to take the fall for everything; the players from past teams had no one to defend them. Unlike most NCAA investigations, there were no real opposing interests in the Michigan basketball inquiry: everyone who was still around had something to gain from throwing the book at the Fab Five (and at the recruiting classes that followed). What we ended up with is exactly what you'd think would result from a one-sided inquisition: the book was thrown, but no real smoking gun emerged. All signs point to Ed Martin giving cash to lots of kids in Detroit, some who "made it," and many more who didn't. All signs indicate that Chris Webber never got substantial money until his NCAA career was over. Louis Bullock is a douch bag (and seems to be the only person not from Detroit who received money from Ed Martin), but I never saw anything that suggested that Robert Traylor or Jerod Ward or Maceo Baston did anything to deserve your scorn. The same way that Rich Rod is a sympathetic figure when you see his (slash Bacon's) perspective, I think there is a lot to be said for the characters that you ignored who came to Michigan, gave their hearts and souls for the school, put Michigan well on the way to being a NCAA regular, lost some heartbreaking games, and then were kicked out on the curb for a "clean house" and Brian Ellerbe.
Second, the Fab Five and everyone else on those teams - people like Eric Riley, Rob Pelinka, James Voskuil to name a few - lived and breathed maize and blue every bit as much as these teams do today. That Chris Webber was and is sort of a baby doesn't change that fact. If you saw him crying after their loss to Duke in 1992, you would have though, and remember: wow, there's a big baby who loves Michigan. That Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were much much less than tremendous individuals has nothing to do with the teams that played 1991-1995, your over blown narrative of last night aside. You think Jimmy King and Ray Jackson deserve to be asterisked from the record books for sticking around for four years, fighting their way into four straight NCAA tournaments? You think Jalen Rose, who by my memory played all but 30 or so seconds of the NCAA tournament in 1993, didn't and doesn't love the University of Michigan? I disagree.
I wish Chris Webber would come forward and tell the truth; I bet he never will, given that perjury cloud. I wish Steve Fisher would have cleared the air on a lot of the issues; I understand why he wouldn't given that he wanted to coach again, and why he probably doesn't want to say more now. Mainly, I wish people would remember the excitement, enthusiasm and spirit that those Fab Five teams had, their truly tenacious defense, their team offense, Jalen's leadership on the floor, Juwan Howard dancing on the on the way to the finals, Chip Armer chearing from the end of the bench, etc etc. When I hear Jalen Rose saying he wants the banners up, I feel like I'm listening to the only person who was around and has a platform to make that argument; I hope he keeps making it, and that Michigan fans like you, at very least, give it a little more thought and make a few less sweeping generalizations.
In summary: I think you paint an innaccurate and unfair picture of the Fab Five teams by portraying them as the evil opposite to the Big Ten Champs this year. By piling on to the old story line you're perpetuating a very unfortunate myth that hurts the team, past and present.