Dave Brandon's Fab 5 Appearence
I can't comment objectively on David Brandon. That ship sailed for me earlier this year due to what I perceive as a gross mishandling of the Rich Rod dismissal and subsequent coaching search. Can someone put his appearence on the Fab 5 doc from last night in the proper perspective for me? Was he out of line calling for an apology from C-Webb or was that within his purview as a Regent since 1998 and AD since 2010?
March 14th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
Dave Brandon is the voice of the Athletic Department and if anyone is going to address the possibility of bringing Chris Webber back into the Michigan fold and the conditions under which that could happen, it would be him.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
M can't even contact him for two years, why push the issue?
Maybe because it was a documentary on the issue? I'm sure that didn't have anything to do with it though.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
I would say, yes. Out of line. C-Webb will apologize if and when he wants to, and I don't care if or when he does, because he's still the shit either way. The questions is, when will DB apologize for calling for that apology?
Gordon Gee?
But perhaps you and I have different ideas of what it means to "be the shit."
How anybody can be mad at David Brandon, and not Chris Webber, for the Michigan basketball scandal, is really beyond comprehension.
Chris Webber, poor expolited millionaire that he is (Detroit Country Day School, University of Michigan dropout, NBA retiree) still is, after many years, "a shit." Not necessarily "the shit."
True wit is Nature to Advantage dress'd,
What oft was Thought, but N'eer so well express'd.
Wow that got me jacked up. +1 to you
March 14th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
I was fine with it because he said what everyone else has been saying for the last 10 years. The no contact rule doesn't prevent him from admitting what he did.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
I don't have an opinion on Db's appearance, one way or the other, but one thing is evidently clear; this group of 5 basketball players continues to stir up a ton of emotions amongst fans and foes, alike.
I think Jalen's comments at the end of the show summed it up best:
(and I paraphrase): "Name me who won the title 2 years ago. 3 years ago? 5? Name the starting lineup of Duke, when they beat us."
March 14th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
he actually said of the North Carolina team but still...
March 14th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
I thought he came off kinda weird, it was awkward to watch.
My wife said "is he wearing lipstick?" Go back and look at the video....it sure as hell looks like he is.
Now that's wierd.
I noticed that too. Looked like it hurt
Yeah, it was definitely his lips that threw me off. If there wasn't something actually wrong with them, like chapped, etc. it may have just been the lighting.
March 14th, 2011 at 10:51 PM ^
It's as if he said: "Jalen, if you want access to Michigan resources like the Bentley library, I want 30 seconds in your documentary".
He got his 30 seconds. I'm surprised he didn't use 20 of it to hit people up for donations to the Crisler renovations.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
...to outline what the University expects of Webber and that was absolutely appropriate. This is not Dave Brandon ad libbing. It's directly from MSC and the Regents. You can be sure of that.
The most remarkable thing about Brandon's appearance was... his appearance. Looks like he needed some Blistex for those red lips.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
That was so odd considering someone would be giving makeup to the guy so he looks good on video.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
He had a very "fishy" look to him. (Think Don Knotts as Mr. Limpett.)
As well as the odd lighting while he was being filmed.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
Great call ... I was trying to think of what he reminded me of, and Mr. Limpett is it, exactly!
I thought it was the poor lighting. My wife said "I like that hue".
DB looked like a dork.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
Brandon is the head of the athletic department. It's his call and MSC's call as to if and when Webber comes back into the fold. I think Brandon was reasonable in what he said.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Does anyone like her? Anyone?
March 14th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
Most successful fundraising campaign in the history of the country (The Michigan Difference), the school's rankings have consistently increased since she's been here. What exactly has she done wrong? Taking down those banners to save our program from getting hammered by the NCAA OSU-style (hopefully)? I think that was the right call. And I think she's a great president.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
If you have a problem with her, you didn't go to the University bc she has done nothing but improve the standing of the university the whole time she has been here. Yes, there are those rumblings that she entered the coaching frey, which is nothing but pure speculation by people who wanted JH at any cost.
I think she deserves some of the blame for allowing Brandon to fire RR.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^
What has Mary Sue ever done to make people hate her?
In relation to the Fab 5 I wasn't thrilled when we tried to shake down Chris Webber for 600k in restitution. What he did was wrong, but I don't agree with the decision to try to sue a former student over it. We should have just moved on instead of putting the whole issue back in the press in '03 when we made the demands.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
I don't really understand how anyone who actually graduated from UofM could hate Mary Sue. Maybe people in the greek system have a valid excuse, but otherwise she's done some pretty impressive things since becoming president.
She is doing a fine job, as far as I can tell.
She's a heckuva lot better than the jerkweed who proceeded her - Liberal Lee.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
I don't trust David Brandon for a tenth of a second, and I don't like him. However, that doesn't mean he is wrong all of the time. I think the University has every right to ask for an apology from Webber.
I can't say it strongly enough: if not for Chris Webber, MSU would not have dominated basketball in the state for the last 12-15 years. Michigan would have been a perennial NCAA Tournament team, and Tom Izzo would have been a decent coach in the Jud Heathcoate mold, because he wouldn't have had carte blanche with every player in the state for recruiting. Steve Fisher might even have been THE beloved, father-figure coach in Michigan.
Webber gave us two years of excitement, but damaged the program for the next fifteen, and he has never apologized or even admitted that he did anything wrong. Brandon is a reptile, but he is right on this one; Webber owes the University of Michigan an apology.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Chris Webber allowed MSU to dominate? I didn't know he hired Brian Ellerbe! We were still able to land some pretty sold recruits, even with all the penalties, but we had the worst possible coach in Ellerbe and then another shitty one in Tommy "Mock Turtle" Amaker. We have less talent on the team than we did in the middle of the drought, but we've got a good coach who is building a program. That good isn't due to Webber; nor is the bad in the middle.
The dreary record of Michigan basketball since the Fab Five is largely due to other factors than Webber or other players taking money from Martin. The penalties were largely inappropriate and excessive in my opinion - they punished players and coaches who had nothing to do with the infractions. That's the fault of a corrupt NCAA. A lot of the blame also lies with those who hired Ellerbe and Amaker. Ellerbe was goddawful and had no business coaching any basketball team let alone Michigan. Amaker was better but still an awful coach - he could recruit but he did not make good use of talent.
By all means, let's not let the facts get in the way. M basketball was ignored FOR YEARS after the whole scandal. Add to that terrible coaching hires. This whole mess is not the fault of just one person ... not the fault of just Chris Webber.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Actually, don't Louis Bullock, Robert Traylor, and Maurice Taylor deserve far more blame? If not for them, we'd have been outside the statute of limitations. Not to mention, by that point, they were explicitly told not to associate with Ed Martin, and there were photographs of him handed out to the players? I feel that they deserve way, way more blame than they ever seem to get in these discussions.
Most significantly, they did not have the longtime relationship with Martin that Webber did. There is a "family friend" provision in the rules that allows longtime acquaintances to offer gifts. You could, arguably, make the case that Ed Martin qualified as a family friend of Webber's, since they first made contact when he was in middle school. You can't for the others.
Are we forgetting Ed Martin? He had something to do with this too. And Webber wasn't the only one who accepted money. And what about Fisher? He either is not telling the truth about not knowing what was going on, or was incompetent for not being more in control of the people hanging around the program. Finally, we can't exonerate the U-M administration for not being more diligent and exercising more institutional controls. The point is there's plenty of blame to go around - not JUST Chris Webber.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
and that is because how he helped people I know. But why did it look like he was wearing some crazy ass lipstick?
March 14th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
David Brandon said exactly what the Michigan Athletic Department needed to say about the 10 year separation of Chris Webber from the University in an official capacity and when you have the NCAA watching your program, you say EXACTLY what they want to hear and nothing more or less, even if you don't believe it in your heart or your potential payday in 2013.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
I couldn't care less what C Webb thinks. Every athlete signs an agreement with their scholarship that outlines the rules regarding gifts. Whether or not athletes should be compensated beyond room and board and tuiition for performing a service for the university is a whole another discussion. C Webb knew the rules. Secondly, he should have been forthright with investigators like Jalen.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
By the way, am I the only one here who doesn't want the univeristy to re-establish a relationship with CWeb and the others?
March 14th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
It's just you.
I think you should specify who the others are. if you mean players who knowingly violated terms of their academic scholarship agreenment with the university, then i will agree. if you mean players who played on the same team with rule breaking players, i say no.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
Part of being a man is owning up to your mistakes. Chris has never done that where his Michigan family is concerned. Most of us here love Chris Webber. But we'd like to see him show some sort of remorse over this whole fiasco. It's not that he has to beg for forgiveness. A simple acknowledgement that he made mistakes as an 18 year old kid will do.
The fact is he (and others) put this program in a bind that we are still recovering from 15 years later. It would be nice to have the prodigal son come home so that he can be embraced by his family. But for that to happen the prodical son has to want to come home. Chris has always had a chip on his shoulder (whether it's pointing out who's making money off whom or pointing out how he was wronged etc).
It's time for him grow up. If he looks hard enough he'll always find an excuse to justify whatever it is he did wrong. We all know the NCAA system is screwed up. But that's just one of the many angles to this story. Chris needs to show the courage and maturity to admit fault and speak up on these matters without laying blame at somebody else's doorstep. As far as I can tell Dave Brandon was trying to convey that message...
The Ed Martin scandal and ensuing probation didn't torpedo our basketball program by itself. I'd say 2 poor coaching choices in Ellerbe and Amaker were also big. And add to that the long delays by Michigan's administrators to upgrade Crisler and the b-ball facilities while "The Jones" of the Big Ten and college basketball invested in theirs.
March 14th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
Technically, it didn't happen, right? The whole thing has been erased. So, really, what's there to apologize for?
I know he's the AD and speaks for the department as a whole but I thought he came off a little on the arrogant side. And, like was posted earlier, if contact can't even be made with Webber until 2013, what good does asking for an apology now do?
Either way, those were amazing times and they would not have happened without Chris Webber!