SIAP: Why didn't Webber participate?

He isn't willing to discuss his having taken money from Ed Martin

He is not allowed to have any contact with the University and I believe legally he can not speak publically about any of the details until 2013.  If he ever tells his side it should be interesting.  Although I think he harbors so  much ill will toward Michigan that it could be ugly.

Well, he won't even really acknowledge that he did anything wrong.  He also pretty much single-handedly set back Michigan's program several years with the probation, vacated wins, removal of banners, etc.

I don't see why he would want to participate, unless he's going to say he's sorry. 

I thought it was great without him.  It gave Jalen Rose more face time, and Jalen's much more interesting to listen to than C-Webb, anyway.

YIWP.

I would be shocked if Chris didn't have his own book or documentary to tell the story that he wants to tell at some point. I hope that he will tell his side for some personal closure on the whole ordeal, but lets be real, his story is probably worth a lot of money to him someday.

did anyone else find it suspicious that Ed Martin died as the case was heading to court? i did, but i was like 13 and was doing a lot of lik-m-ade and donruss at the time.

Does anyone think that C-Webb will really apologize if he does not like the UofM?  Seems to me like he just doesn't think highly of the university and thinks they owed him!

Webber will never apologize. In his mind he did no wrong. I can see where he's coming from as an 18 year old kid, I just wish he could do what's right as a 38 year old man.

I thought that the doc was well done, Jalen's fingerprints were all over it.  He was always the most savvy and socially aware member of the Fab Five, and it showed.

Sure, I wish that Chris Webber would have been part of the project, too.  I also wish that we would have won both of the NCAA finals that they played in, that they would have played together for four years and brought the program four championships, and I wish that the Beatles had never broken up, and I wish that we could all get along.

Chris Webber feels justified.  That's the issue.  He feels that he was taken advantage of, and then betrayed when the Ed Martin connection came out.  He knows that the University made millions off of his skills, personality, and efforts, and he resents it.

As far as I'm concerned, Chris Webber should be welcomed back to Ann Arbor, no apology required.  He was 19, for God's sake.  If I had to apologize for all the stupid crap I did when I was 19, I'd be busy.  We all would.

Given the legal issues involved, the question should be why would anyone expect Webber to participate?

He almost went to jail for allegedly lying to a grand jury about taking money from Ed Martin.  He only avoided jail because the key witness died before he could testify against Webber.

So why would he want to voluntarily make any public statements on the subject?  His only options would be (i) repeat the story that almost got him sent to prison; or (ii) admit that he lied and perjured himself before a grand jury.  I don't know what the nature of his plea bargain was, but it might be the case that admitting to perjury now could get him in additional legal trouble.  Even if that's not an issue, I can understand why he wouldn't be interested in admitting to a felony on national TV.

I'm sure if it was just reminiscing about basketball and their effect on the culture he would be the first to join in.

Dear CWebb:

Please choose one of the following options.

1.  Come clean.

2.  STFU

It was Webber's lying that caused his problems in the first place.  I loved CWebb on the court, but I do not like the version of CWebb off the court who has constantly brought negativity to the University of Michigan.

To put it bluntly, Tom Izzo has Chris Webber to thank for his place on the college basketball coaching food chain.  If Chris Webber hadn't made it "cool" by example to take Ed Martin's money, Michigan would still be THE instate program, and Tom Izzo would have been Jud Heathcoate, V2.

Two years of ecstacy for fifteen years of grief: it's not much of a tradeoff.

Who can't take resoundingly for what he did. Little bitch

that he hung out a lot with Webber during his time at Michigan, and if Webber got between 200-300 grand from Martin during his time their he must have had it buried in the back yard.

For and 18-19 y/o to have that much money he certainly didnt spend any of it outwardly. 

In his estimation if Webber got money from Martin, it was after he declared for the draft and when he was drafted.

Why would Webber want to be on this documentary when his image was rubbed through the mud over all of these years? He made mistakes when he was a kid and people continue to pile on a young man who was preyed upon in his youth. Ed Martin was a grown man that took advantage of a young person and people want to continue to discuss how bad of a person Webber is.

Why would Webber join a documentary where he was the dirty, shady player who took money meanwhile his buddies, like Jalen Rose, recieved money and never recieved one ounce of criticism. The school turned their back on Webber and he feels betrayed by everyone involved including the his "friends" on the Fab Five. No thanks on being part of that kind of film.

Oh and those who hate Webber yet love the Fab Five, you may not have even watched the Fab Five play back in those days. Webber was the absolute best player by far and all of those achievements that the Fab Five gained were in large part due to his contributions. Without him, Michigan would never have even been to two Final Fours in a row. While you place all of the blame on Webber, remember that without him all of the wonderful achievements were not possible.

Even if he did participate, how could you believe a word he would say about it?  He has lied about everything since day one on this whole episode.  He lied to grand jury, but was lucky enough that the chief witness died (Ed Martin)  right before the trial.  I support Brandon's insistent that he apologize before anything is done on the matter.  He is not a victim, nobody stuck a guy to his head that made him go the University of Michigan and nobody forced him into taking the money.  He has taking far more from the university in the past number of years than he ever contributed in his 2 years on campus.

I think the doc might have been better without him. And man was it a great documentary. CWebb's absense gave Fab 5 mystery and intrigue and left open the question of just how this magical thing happenend at M and across the US. It wasn't just 5 awesome ballers coming together. It really was synnergy and it was cultural and emotionally charged. CWebb will get his chance to tell his story. He may never tell the truth. But this documentary gave a fair and thrilling view of what went down. I think it might be the best sports documentary I've ever seen.

He wrote a tweet last night basically saying that he loved the film and hopefully he'd be able to tell his side of the story sometime soon.  Just checked today and it seems as if it's been deleted?

I find it odd that Chris Webber took 200K but lived the lifestyle of a kid who didnt have 20 bucks to his name. If he had all this money, where was it? Why wasn't he driving a slightly nicer car or eating? Don't you think he would have helped out his brothers when they needed it? I understand Mitch Albom isn't the most reliable of sources, but why hasn't anyone else come out and said that they know CWebb took the money and lived the lifestyle? I honestly have no idea what the story is, but I know that there are issues that just seem off from both sides of the isle. Hopefully one day all the truth's come out but until then, I am sure we are all left with more than a few questions about that era.

Since Rose helped produce the documentary for ESPN, it features nearly every principal and periphery figure in the Fab Five's rise except one: Chris Webber. Rose told the Detroit Free Press that he and his former teammates tried several times to persuade Webber to sit for an interview with no success. Link

What's done is done.  Enjoyed the hell out of watching them and suffered thru the UNC loss.  Will always have fond memories of one of  the greatest team that every played college ball.  Wish we'd had more than 2 years. Cannot believe all the haters!