Question about Chris Webber

Personally, I'd welcome Webber back with open arms.  I'll never forget the excitement of watching him and the rest of the Fab 5 shock the college basketball world.  As a kid I saw him play in highschool, and then at Michigan...so I feel a sense of loyalty to him and Jalen, because they were local Detroit area kids.  I always wished that he could have won an NBA championship, almost as a way to make up for not winning one in college, but I guess it wasn't in the cards.  Either way, I'll always accept a Michigan Man (and Michigander) back into the fold.

I was at school during the Webber era and he was the best basketball player I have ever seen.  For what he and the Fab Five did on the court I will always be grateful.  And I don't think that his off-court issues were as bad as they were made out to be.  But I have a real problem with how Webber has handled it. 

His whole deal was that he didn't do anything wrong because the university was making money off his likeness and he had nothing (which wasn't quite true).  Even if he believed that and didn't want to apologize for what he did, I want to hear him apologize for the ramifications of his actions.  He helped ruin Michigan basketball for a decade (along with a wide range of other contributors) and should at least apologize for whatever role he played in setting the program back for so long. 

It should be an easy negotiation: no mea culpa, no reconciliation.  

i'm not mad at webber, and never was. i watched him call timeout against north carolina on big TVs in crisler when i was 9, and was kind of upset as the confusion subsided, but how could i be mad at a guy that led my dad's favorite team so far? as far as i'm concerned, the ncaa is the only reason he had to take money under the table, and if it weren't for them, the rest of it would never have happened. (of course, i'm also the sort of guy who wishes football and basketball teams would suddenly refuse to play en masse at crucial times of championship games until the ncaa stops exploiting them.)

He's the guy that set the program back with the Ellerbee hiring.  Fisher had to go, but I would've preferred Dutcher stay on unless he too knew something fishy was going on but decided to turn a blind eye.

hard feelings. I loved the fab 5, and they are the reason I still hate Duke. As long as he has admitted publicly and apologize to the fans and the University, I'll welcome him back.

If the school insists on Webber apologizing, then I insist on the school apologizing....for hiring Brian Ellerbe.  One did as much to kill the program as the other did.

My entire family is comprised of Ohio State fans. My Dad grew up in Northeast Ohio and was raised in a Buckeye family. My Mom graduated from Ohio State. My grandfather ran on the practice squad under Wes Fesler just before Woody Hayes showed up.

The Fab Five is the reason I began cheering for Michigan, which grew into full blown obsession. For purely selfish reasons, yes I would welcome him back with open arms.

It's time.

was what he did with the money. He didn't have a lavish campus lifestyle and was never far away from big NBA money when he was here. That, and his silence makes me wonder if it was a Cam Newton-type situation, in that the money may have been for someone else.

that he made Michigan famous; that without him, Michigan basketball was nothing, and that's why he deserved to get paid for all the Webber jerseys Michigan sold during his time here.

Of course, he completely ignored the fact that Michigan had won a national championship just three years before he enrolled, and that UM had played in two NC games in the previous decades. He also seemed to be under the impression that the Fab Five could have gathered at any school, when in fact only a tiny number of programs at the time had the visibility and star power to entice five highly rated recruits to be part of the same class. Could Illinois or Oregon or Syracuse or Arizona have been able to do it, for example? or Michigan State? Highly unlikely. As far as I am aware, he's never publicly acknowledged that he owed at least as much to Michigan as UM owed to him. Until he does, and admit that his actions harmed the university in general and the basketball program in particular, he can stay the hell away.

That being said, what Louis Bullock did while at UM was even worse; he was just less visible as a player.

Webber was a beast and my favorite all time Michigan basketball player. I would hug him long time and welcome him back any day.

I was a senior at Michigan when the Fab 5 were freshmen.  I had lucky timing, having experienced the National title as a freshman in '89.  That Fab 5 first tournament run was an AMAZING time to be on campus.  Needless to say, I was a huge fan.  I gave Webber the benefit of the doubt when the accusations started surfacing.  I did not believe such a seemingly, nice, intelligent, talented kid would do something like that.  I didn't want to believe it.

Now, I still love the rest of the Fab 5, especially Juwan and Jalen, but not so much Mr. Webber.  Why not forgive? 

1) He never admitted what was proven by a federal investigation;

2) While accepting the money, he was also crying poor, talking about all of the money Michigan made on his jerseys -- hypocrisy!

3) He DESTROYED the basketball program, along with the others.  Only now is it coming back, after almost 20 years. 

4) He never showed remorse for what he did to the program, his teammates (tarnished image, banners taken down, etc.), the university, future players, fans, etc.

5) What happened to Chris?  What was his "punishment"?  Make millions in the NBA?  Sorry, but 10 years ban from the university was hardly a punishment.  Of course, this is always true: players like Reggie Bush, Webber and Pryor never pay for hurting their schools.

So, no, I don't welcome him back with open arms.  If he ever came clean, I might soften a bit, but I'll never think of him in a positive light again.

 

I just saw this, so sorry for the late response.

I grew up on the fab five.  Damn near 700 miles from Ann Arbor.  Loved them as a team - they most certainly changed the game.  That being said, and stating myself as a Michigan outsider / kid born in the early 80's:

-  Why wouldn't Michigan want to welcome Chris Webber back?  He had a couple of excellent seasons here and influenced a whole new generation of young kids growing up in the 'jects that could make a life through playing basketball.  The Fab 5 along with the LJ / Augmon UNLV teams were like the Jackie Robinsons / Babe Ruth's of college basketball.

-  Maybe this is a minority opinion on this board, but I don't care.  I grew up with a #4 Michigan jersey at home.  I ultimately went to Michigan (mainly because it's a great school, but also because of its athletic tradition).  Don't you think that the Fab Five (including C-Webb) get some credit for getting me to attend there? It's not a ridiculous percentage, but that team is partially responsible for the ~$120K that was paid in out of state tuition.  Not to mention all of the merchandise sales from a #4 jersey.  Michigan made a KILLING off Webber and the Fab 5.  There was the probation which is a cost of it all, but then again something could be said for Tommy Amaker as well...

-  Webber didn't take any money until he left school.  He wasn't on the payroll while he was playing.  What's the big fucking deal?  He got shady for the one month he was still in school after he called that timeout that didn't exist?  Come on... It was the booster who is to blame.  He got A LOT more kids to take money after Webber, all while they were playing.  That's why we got hit the way we did.  It wasn't even Webber's fucking fault.

IMO Webber doesn't owe a fucking apology to anyone.  Welcome him back with open arms.