Fab Five Movie Open Thread

Submitted by M-Wolverine on

Seems like an odd time to talk about the past when there's finally so much in the present to talk about, but we're under an hour away from the movie premiere on ESPN. If anyone has any thoughts on their Fab Five experience, to get us warmed up for the movie, let's hear them. And then we can pop the popcorn, and cozy up for the broadcast, which should be interesting, if nothing else. Like I said somewhere else here, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times....  And it's time to relive them, or experience them for the first time.

SAvoodoo

March 13th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^

F ed martin. As someone too young to fully appreciate the Fab Five I'm excited for the movie.  I forsee some internet basketball short shopping in about two hours...

mgoblue0970

March 13th, 2011 at 8:24 PM ^

Yeah... F Ed Martin.

BUT... whatever happened to personal accountability???  They took money.  They knew it was against the rules.  They knew they weren't supposed to have contact with Ed Martin.

Section 1

March 13th, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^

Ed Martin developed his relationships with all of the involved kids before they ever set foot on Michigan's campus.

Ed Martin wasn't a Michigan coach, he wasn't a Michigan faculty member, he wasn't a Michigan letterwinner or alumus.  I don't think that Ed Martin was even a donor.

If Ed Martin had never been born, what exactly would Michigan's NCAA violations have been?

In reply to by Section 1

PurpleStuff

March 13th, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^

If he was none of those things, then why was he invited to practice?  Given tickets?  Given rooms in the team hotel?  I would consider gifts to the head coach "donations".

Acting like he was just some lone renegade who got off on paying potential college basketball players is retarded.

Bando Calrissian

March 13th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^

Why was Steve Fisher forging signatures on ticket requests for Ed Martin?  Why did Ed Martin pay for Steve Fisher's father's wake?  

To pretend that Ed Martin had no association with Michigan basketball, or that he was just a kindly poobah handing out jackets and gym shoes to impoverished Detroit basketball players is just disingenuous. 

In reply to by Section 1

steve sharik

March 13th, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^

...had such a virtuous relationship with Lou Bullock of DC/Maryland.

I agree w/Albom about Webber getting the lion's share of his money b/w declaring and signing.

Traylor and Taylor were Detroit kids, but they were getting paid way more than the pocket change the Fab Five got (at least while on campus).

Bando Calrissian

March 14th, 2011 at 12:08 AM ^

I really can't buy into that whole thing Albom pitched at the end.  Seems incredibly convenient and unbelievable.  Webber declares for the draft knowing he's about to get a gigantic payday in, oh, about 5 minutes, and all of the sudden that's when Ed Martin throws him the bulk of the cash?  Especially when the Webber family had connections to Ed Martin going back to the late 80's?  Absolutely no way.   If Jalen admitted to taking a few grand when he was in school, and he knew Martin as long as Webber did (Webber and Jalen were close with both Perry Watson and Ed Martin for years), there's no way Chris wasn't the same way.

I'd be interested in hearing the context of Mitch throwing out that idea, because I have a hard time believing he would seriously believe that's the only likely scenario.

milla61

March 14th, 2011 at 12:11 AM ^

I may be wrong but I don't remember ever hearing anything about Cleaves being punished for taking money. I know he was on a recruiting visit at the time but doesn't taking money jeopardize his amateur status? Shouldn't sparty have been punished for playing a player that had been paid?

SKIP TO MY BLUE

March 13th, 2011 at 10:17 PM ^

Coaches should be aware of changes in the players it is hard for a kid to hide new money when they have none. I was at Gtown during the Fab 5 and I know John Thompson stopped players from hanging out with a big drug dealer Rayful Edmonds, Alonzo Mourning being one of those players. I don't know a lot about Ed Martin or the Webber situation but coaches should know what is going on with their team especially with only having 13 players. I don't think Fisher is a bad guy but he probably knew something about what was going on.

lilpenny1316

March 14th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^

Fish had to go.  As an assistant, he knew about the "friends of the program" in the locker rooms and in the stands. 

I think Dutcher would have been the best replacement, and likely next coach if this scandal never occured.  But he couldn't be the coach.  You needed a clean break from that entire coaching staff.

SpreadGuru

March 13th, 2011 at 9:44 PM ^

he was a good guy.  Ed Martin was the one who messed it up.  Boosters who want to be more than a supporter are the bad guys.  The only Steve Fisher haters are the ones who hate Michigan and/or the Fab Five because they couldn't beat them or didn't like their style of play.  I think this movie is great but Steve Fisher's not the one to be pissed at.

 

BlockM

March 13th, 2011 at 8:26 PM ^

I was lucky enough to attend a game  (although I think it was the next year, after Webber left), but way too young to know what I was seeing. All I remember about the game was:

  • My dad was the greatest human being ever for taking my brother and I. (Still is, but that was my reason that day.)
  • We sat in the very last row. I remember because the wall panels kept letting off crap when I brushed against it.
  • We got an insanely blurry picture of Jalen Rose taking a free throw.

I've got mixed feelings about the Fab 5, but they're a huge piece of our history. It's one of those things where other fanbases hate them half out of disdain for how they were recruited and half out of jealousy. We all know that MSU fans would have the same feelings about them as we do if roles were reversed, but I can't really blame them for hating the Fab 5's guts.

They may have set our program back in a huge way, but even for someone who wasn't really in tune to them while they were here, it was good while it lasted.

dothepose

March 13th, 2011 at 8:29 PM ^

On a positive note, I have my black socks on, my michigan shorts (which I have to yank a ways down because they havn't been worn in years) and a my michigan cap, and t shirt. I am ready for this.

ixcuincle

March 13th, 2011 at 8:59 PM ^

Almost time

Look forward to watching, all I remember about the Fab Four was Webber, then again I barely followed any sports as a kid.

Should be a good film.