Fab 5 Reunion in the works?

Submitted by JeepinBen on

Our favorite really motivational and sometimes secret leaking (see the "YESSSSSSSSSSSS" tweet that was removed just before Mitch McGary's committment went public) assistant basketball coach Bacari Alexander is at it again, tweeting "Stay Tuned. We will reunite soon...... Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose share a Fab Five moment" with a link to the Youtube Video embedded in the first comment.

There's been a lot of speculation already with the rededication of Crisler Arena and the "10 Year Ban" coming off the books in 2013 that the Fab 5 would be recognized in some way. 4 of the 5 (Not CWebb) have already been welcomed back in some form, most notably Jalen's "Rose Garden" section of seats that he buys for children.

I don't want this to turn into another "They cheated, I hate them!" "I love them!" thread, so what would your perfect "Reunion" be? I'd take having all 5 of them back at Crisler, maybe Jalen speaking to the crowd, and a new display case on the Crisler concourse showing the whole history - The baggy shorts, the final 4 banners, the downfall, the scandal, the cultural impact, etc. Lay it all out there. It's history, to be celebrated and scorned and most importantly remembered.

Oh, also, Juwan should do the Cabbage Patch again.

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Picktown GoBlue

June 26th, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^

across 360 or so Div I schools in Bbball, over 1000 in the NCAA, yes, I'm going to believe that the majority of the schools are doing it on the up and up.   If not, just close it all down as far as I'm concerned and fill in the stadia and arenas.  It's not worth it.

Joined: 01/21/2011

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VictorValiant

June 26th, 2012 at 4:16 PM ^

if you call me a liar, it does not affect my integrity one bit.  you are confusing integrity and reputation. i would hope that the way I live my life can allow my reputation to withstand false accusations of being a liar.

i am raising my kids to put off immediate gratification to do the right thing.  also to treat others like how they would like to be treated - think of conseuqences of actions.  to answer your question, if my kid was offered $100-$200K to act unethical/illegal, i would point out the consequences of taking the money.  and i love my kids too much not to do what i can to prevent them from making such a huge mistake.

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jmblue

June 26th, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^

or those of us completely killing the dude's integrity, if he went in and really told the whole truth we all know we would be on probation until 2045 and the entire Fab 5 and next few classes would share full responsibility.

I don't know if you've forgotten this, but we've already vacated five full seasons from the 1990s, involving not only the Fab Five but also those subsequent classes.  It doesn't matter if there were one, two or five guys on the team taking money - one guy doing it is sufficient to vacate the season.  Any additional revelations about the 1991-93 years would be meaningless to the NCAA at this point.  (Not to mention that there's a statute of limitations in these matters, which is how UCLA gets away with Sam Gilbert's boosterism in the 1960s.)

There is no downside to Webber coming clean.  The idea that he is somehow "protecting" us - even now, in 2012 - is nonsense.

 

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KAYSHIN15

June 26th, 2012 at 2:53 PM ^

We all know the Fab Five as a whole were involved in some NCAA "Death Penalty" worthy violations and Chris could have easily taken us down this road. It's not like he volunteered the info, he was implicated and then forced to testify about these things. He lied in a failed attempt to protect the university. Chris was already a millionaire and had nothing to gain by lying to the grand jury. So what he got paid, so had every other #1 player in the nation up to that point.

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jmblue

June 26th, 2012 at 3:13 PM ^

We were never a candidate for the death penalty.  You have to have gone on probation multiple times in a narrow timeframe to even be considered for that (and the NCAA will never issue it anyway).  

Webber may have tried to keep quiet to protect the program, but it's ultimately irrelevant because we got found out anyway.  And your claim above that he is protecting the program now is absurd.  The 1992-93 season has already been vacated, so it's irrelevant how many guys on the team took money.  That team can't be punished any further, and the NCAA is not going to punish the 2012-13 team based on something that happened 20 years ago.

As for the "everyone else is doing it" defense, even if that's true (and it probably is), it's not the most morally upstanding position to take, certainly not for a school that fashions itself the "Leaders and Best."

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KAYSHIN15

June 26th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^

C-Webb was still trying to protect program today. I was speaking soley about when the issues first came to light. You guys can keep on with your self-righteous stance, but the bottom line is, as a fan all you care about is wins and loses.  When the Fab Five was on campus I'm pretty sure it never crossed your mind why or how they got there. You know why? Because they were winning, our beloved University was envied across America and you didnt care. Now that its over you want to whine about C-Webb taking money most of us would still take if we were in that position today and demand an apology on top of that. Let's talk about the university. If we as fans knew something was fishy then don't you think the Athletic Department and University leadership knew also? They turned a blind eye when it was their job to investigate, but C-Webb and the rest of the Fab Five brought in the type of money the University had never seen before and there was no way they were going to stop the gravy train.  A couple hundred Thousand versus tens of millions. Who got the best of who in that deal? Now everyone wants to act like they deserve an apology from C-Webb because the University and Webber family took calculated risks and got caught.  Unbelieveable...If there is an apology, then both sides should issue one to each other and then the fans.

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M-Wolverine

June 26th, 2012 at 4:13 PM ^

All YOU care about is wins and losses. Some of the rest of us care how you win or lose.  Some people then wondered if Watson coming was a little fishy.  But then, there were also a lot of people defending them because they thought they were being accused just because they were poor, black youths being stereotyped.  Well, those making those accusations may have had ill motivations, but they were right. We were defending cheaters.  But wondering something and proving something are two different things. You can say things look fishy, but what can you do without proof? There have been programs that have cheated more, but unless something comes out, you can't do anything to them. The only reason it came out was Martin was involved in a gambling ring, and the Feds got involved, and it all became public record. Otherwise we'd all still be wondering, but having no proof. 

You act like the problem was getting caught, and not taking the "calculated risks" (code for taking money you knew you shouldn't even when you're family isn't really badly off).  I'd say Webber deserved an apology too....if he had ever actually been subjected to anything that deserved one from the University. He's gotten off scott free, and the cost of an apology, or even a manly admission, has been too much of a cost for him.

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ClearEyesFullHart

June 26th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^

I'd like to see a charity event for Mott after the season.

 

I want to see the Fab 5 taking on Mitch and GR3 and the guys. 

 

Live from Crisler.

 

ESPN would hype the #$%@ out of that.

 

Probably raise some money...and couldn't hurt recruiting either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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JeepinBen

June 26th, 2012 at 12:24 PM ^

I've also thought about that after watching the dream team doc. Can't they all get together and play a pickup game for charity? Minus the medical bills/drama/someone being way over competitive and hurting someone (Jordan) it would be great

Joined: 01/22/2010

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CR509

June 26th, 2012 at 12:19 PM ^

I would love nothing more then to see ALL of them welcomed back into the family. I just don't see C-Webb standing on a podium and apologizing, which honestly I don't need one.

Joined: 02/02/2011

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jmblue

June 26th, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^

That would be crazy.  King and Jackson may have been the perfect compliments to the other three in terms of team chemistry, but they weren't individually good enough to warrant jersey retirement.  And realistically, you can't retire Webber's jersey after the NCAA thing.  I'd be all right with retiring Rose's and Howard's.

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Mr. Yost

June 26th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^

I'll start by saying I'm not a Cavs fan, so I couldn't give a damn what he did to them.

 

But the guy is a student of the game, he loves basketball and just to see him over with his teammates "egging" Juwan on (his cabbage patch was terrible by the way (LeBron's)) is pretty cool. I've heard/read in numerous interviews how he GLOWS about playing with Juwan and how he loves being around all of the members of the Fab 5.

He clearly knows the game of basketball, he knows history both at the college and NBA level and he's a fan of the game. I respect that. It doesn't really mean much...but if you visit the blogs like we do, clearly you're a student and a fan of the game.

I had 3 or 4 people totally forget about that clip of Juwan dancing at Michigan and wonder what they were all doing. If you're not a Michigan fan or a college basketball fan, that's probably typical...but for someone like LeBron to admire the history and impact these guys made on the game is pretty awesome in my book.

I hope Juwan rides this wave this summer and then retires into the sunlight. The Fab 5 have an awesome story and I can't be mad at any of them. What upsets me the most is how it affected Michigan after they left...I couldn't care less that THEIR banners got taken down. I feel bad for the guys that didn't do anything that had to suffer for their mistakes.

But in the end, they did shock the world and they did change the game. I'd welcome them all back. No apology needed. Sandusky needs to apologize, not Chris Webber. Chris was a college kid in the 90s. Same goes for the rest of the team...as long as they go on to represent themselves well in addition to the University of Michigan. I have no problem with honoring their legacy.

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UMaD

June 26th, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^

Haters gonna hate, but there will never be a sports team that meant more to me.  AND - they're all good to great people.  Webber made a mistake I'm sure he regrets, but he's been a great person in adulthood, thoughtful in public, generous - In my eyes, a great Michigan man.  I'm still hoping there can be an apology and a mutual moving on to celebrate the good instead of focusing on the bad.  Honestly, in my eyes, Jalen's recent DUI is a worse transgression.

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UMaD

June 26th, 2012 at 3:13 PM ^

How old was Chris when that happened?  Who was harmed by him not telling the truth? Who was he trying to protect besides himself?  Should there really have been an investigation in the matter? 

 

Just saying, I don't think it's as bad as driving while impaired and risking other people's lives to make yours more convenient.

Chris made mistakes but they're not ones I can't get over.

 

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mGrowOld

June 26th, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^

Count me in the "I' love em" group too. FWIW  I'll be happy to buy Bando Carlission's unwanted ticket to their long-overdue homecoming so I can be there for the reunion.  It will be epic and I kinda like the OP's suggestion.

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LSAClassOf2000

June 26th, 2012 at 1:46 PM ^

I would be on board with JeepinBen's suggestion of having them at Crisler, perhaps giving any one of them that would like to speak about their time at Michigan and that era some time to speak, as well as a display which highlights the achievements of the Fab Five teams (but to be fair, there must be mention of how it ended - selective omission would defeat the historical purpose). It seems simple and fitting enough.

If they do it, it really does need to be the whole team, Webber included. The conspicuous absence of anyone for any other reason than simply not being able to make the date would destroy the premise of such a reunion. I wouldn't necessarily want it to be about apologies, but I wouldn't stop Webber if he wanted to say something necessarily.

We are at a point in the program with Beilein, moving forward and moving upward, where doing something like this no longer would have this "too soon" feel to it, in my opinion. For our own health, a more practical approach to the past might now be warranted - this is something we can finally do because we want to do it and for no other reason.

 For better or worse, whatever you might believe, we had the Fab Five, and their play helped define the game as it has been played for the last twenty years. That alone deserves some mention, in my opinion. We don't know where we're going unless we know where we have been - we can reach out to this era of Michigan basketball and learn from it simultaneously.

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CorkyCole

June 26th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^

Without the Fab 5, I probably would have never became the die-hard Michigan fan I am today. I grew up watching them as a kid. Now I'm obsessed with mgoblog and football recruiting, but that wouldn't have happened without these guys. For all I know, I could have been a Nebraska/Iowa/Minnesota fan like the rest of the lame-o middle-of-nowhere state I came from (South Dakota). Dang that would have sucked. GOD BLESS YOU FOR THAT, FAB 5.

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DY

June 26th, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^

Juwan Howard is still the only member of the Fab 5 with a Michigan degree. My Google search turned up nothing else on the rest of the guys.

Joined: 07/01/2008

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jmblue

June 26th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^

I would be OK with some kind of display discussing the Fab Five in the Crisler concourse IF it were part of a larger "Michigan Basketball History" display.  I loved the Fab Five, but it bothers me when people suggest that they put the program on the map.  Michigan had an excellent basketball history before they ever arrived.  They added to it.  If we had not won the 1989 national title, for instance, King, Howard and Jackson may have never come - that title helped spark their interest.  (How weird is it that our national championship team somehow gets overlooked by everyone?)

There have been many great basketball teams at this school.  Michigan and UCLA were the only two schools to reach the national title game in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s.  All of the great teams should be recognized.  

 

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WolvinLA2

June 26th, 2012 at 2:51 PM ^

Here's how I think of it: would I rather have no Fab 5 and no sanctions, or or have it the way it happened? The Fab 5 was iconic, and although I wish it all worked out perfect, I wouldn't trade that for anything. Bring 'em back.

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Stike A Pose

June 26th, 2012 at 3:12 PM ^

No one's perfect, especially not high school/college kids.  For the most part, they all seem to acknowledge that what they did was wrong. 

No one's bigger than the University, but in that time, in that moment, these five guys were bigger than anything else in the sports world.  They belong to Michigan, and Michigan belongs to them.  You can't really fault them either for bringing in multi-millions of dollars to Nike and Michigan and wondering why they didn't see a dime for it.  The Fab Five ESPN Documentary was one of the best things I've ever seen with my own two eyes.

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Cold War

June 26th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^

in the context you outline. But any type of reunion or celebration is just embracing a period we shouldn't be.

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Maizenblueball

June 26th, 2012 at 5:51 PM ^

I would LOVE to see a Fab 5 Reunion.  They were HUGE when I was a kid.  They changed all of basketball, and helped form much of what it is today.  I would love to see them recognized by the university in some way.

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Tater

June 26th, 2012 at 10:13 PM ^

Chris Webber should be allowed to come back.  All he has to do is apologize for making it cool to take Ed Martin's money and for plunging the program into a ten-year hell.  Conversely, if there is no Chris Webber mea culpa, he should never set foot on any of the facilities in an official capacity again.

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jonokuips

June 26th, 2012 at 10:33 PM ^

I, for one, would be up for it.

Granted, I don't really remember the days of the Fab Five in real time, as I'm 24, but I'm not sure if I would be up for C-Webb being involved. Clearly he hasn't had any interest in making ammends with the University, or affiliating with it in any way, so why let him now? Either way, it would be special for the Fab5, or "five times" to honor last years conference title with the team, and support the future of the program.

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goblue85

June 27th, 2012 at 11:57 PM ^

Nice...   I would love to see the Fab Five recognized at one of the basketball games as forgiveness should be given.  Everyone makes mistakes and we should all learn and appreciate from what learn to improve our mistakes...

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