*Freep Warning* Jalen wants Fab Five reunion to watch MBB in March.

Submitted by Bluemandew on

I like a lot of posters on mgoboard don't often check out the freep. But I heard mention of Jalen talking about a reunion during a tournament game on WTKA this morning and decided to find the article. http://www.freep.com/article/20130128/SPORTS06/130128096/michigan-basketball-jalen-rose-fab-five?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Michigan%20Wolverines

I love the way Jalen talks about this team, how high he is on the players. He talks about hoping to watch them compete for a national title. Just the thought brings a smile to my face. But he also talks about sitting live with all the members of the fab five court side to watch that game. 

That is the part I am torn about. It would be a awsome moment in the history of Michigan basketball. The former heroes watching the current generation. But wouldn't it also take some of the shine of off this current team. The announcers talking about this being the first time Michigan has made a run since the fab five era clips of their final four appearances. All this would be fine. But we all know you can't have the great from that era without talking about the bad the rehashing of the Ed Martin scandal and everything that went with it.

Would it be fair to this current team to have some of their spotlight diverted, to face the distractions that would possibly come from this reunion?

HermosaBlue

January 29th, 2013 at 11:01 AM ^

I don't recall Jalen saying UM should pick up the tab for the courtside seats.



Personally, I'd love to see famous (and even infamous) alumni sitting courtside at a UM final four game. No Ted Kaczynski or Rumeal, but Fab Five, the rest of the 1989 team, Tom Brady, Braylon, Steve Hutchinson, Jake Long...yes please.

Butterfield

January 29th, 2013 at 9:24 AM ^

Let this team have its moment. 

And for the love of God, Webber needs to stay the hell away until at least May when the no-contact penalty expires.  If he is involved in anything that could remotely be construed as a probation violation that would potentially result in new penalties, I'll cry. 

Dawggoblue

January 29th, 2013 at 9:25 AM ^

What's wrong with 5 guys watching a game? We already see Tim Hardaway 20 times a game. They talk about Glenn Robinson all the time. Would this really take any spotlight off the #1 team in the nation?

Bluemandew

January 29th, 2013 at 9:29 AM ^

Tim Hardaway has never been involved in a scandal that put Michigans basketabll program on probation and resulted in vacated wins.  You would hear about this at halftime during time outs the whole nine yards it wouldn't just be a camera panning over the five of them with a mention.

Dawggoblue

January 29th, 2013 at 2:04 PM ^

You are kidding yourself if you don't think that the media is goin to talk about nothing but the Fab Five the minute this team gets past the 2nd round of the tournament.  That is ALL they will talk about, because the media just wants readers/viewers and people love to read/hear about the Fab Five.  Them being there will change nothing.

Dawggoblue

January 29th, 2013 at 3:42 PM ^

You realize there is only so much you can say about the situation.  It is all going to get brought up regardless.  What do you think is going to get added on if they are in attendance?  Do you really believe the media is going to leave out the bad parts if they don't show up?  Keep dreaming.

the bee train

January 29th, 2013 at 9:41 AM ^

How is that even remotely the same thing? There would be no honoring of these guys by anyone, much less the school. They would buy their own tickets. They sure as shit wouldn't be carried off on anyone's shoulders at halftime. All this talk of these guys taking away from the current team's "moment" makes me sick. He wants to watch a basketball game, perhaps the first truly meaningful game with the potential to end in a championship since he wore a uniform, with his old teammates. He's not asking for a ceremony or even acknowledgement. Get off the man's johnson and let him watch a game. The only person anyone could potentially be the slightest bit nervous about showing up is Webber simply because of the no contact order, but for the rest, I hope they do go and see their alma mater reach a goal they never did.

Butterfield

January 29th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^

Jalen likes attention.  He likes to talk.  He likes the camera.  If he would have done it appropriately, he would have kept his mouth shut and gone to the game with his former teammates without announcing his intentions on ESPN.  Right now he is in spotlight stealing mode, and if this picks up legs, it will partially overshadow this current team's accomplishments. 

Why does everything have to be so damn public with Rose? 

CRex

January 29th, 2013 at 10:11 AM ^

I'm still somewhat unhappy with Jalen for using his company to make a documentary on the Fab Five and taking shots at Duke in the process along with.  The tone Jalen took and some of commenets sparked some stupid war on Twitter between various people with ties to Michigan and Duke.  The week before we played them in the tourney, way to give them BB material there Jalen.  

The more Jalen talks the more I can't help by feel Jalen just likes seeing his name in print.  

Dawggoblue

January 29th, 2013 at 10:20 AM ^

Taking shots at Duke? They were being honest about their feelings during their time at Michigan. You seem to have missed the point of the documentary.

As for when it aired, I guarantee that was decided long before anyone knew were had a chance to play Duke in the second round.

CRex

January 29th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^

Sometimes you crush personal feelings for the good of others.  I found the tone the 2011 documentary took be one that was improper and harmful to Michigan as institution.  It wasn't the kind of thing that would help us rebuild a future program.  It personally left me with the feeling that Rose uses his past association with Michigan to glorify himself, as opposed to seeking to benefit Michigan and the stability of the program.  As such I prefer Michigan doesn't associate with Rose.  

I'm sure that Rose didn't schedule or intend to have ESPN run the film when they did, but one of the first rules of sports is don't make comments that end up on bulletin boards, because sooner or later they do.  Of course if you don't trash talk, you don't make headlines and that is what Rose wants.  

Needs

January 29th, 2013 at 11:34 AM ^

What makes Jalen awesome, particularly on the grantland webcasts but in the Fab 5 doc as well, is that he's willing to open up and reveal some bits about the strange life that modern athletes live, how it works, and how they experience and make sense of it. He's willing to be honest in a world where almost all athletes are guarded. He does love attention, but he's also willing to use that attention to share the inside world of elite athletes, which is an interesting thing that almost none of them do for themselves.

The grantland webcasts should be watched by anyone who's interested in the broader social life of sports and athletes. The episodes where he talks about why athletes go broke, what it's like to live in a wealthy neighborhood as a professional athlete, and how gambling on planes in the NBA works are essential viewing. The one where he steals Patrick Ewing's TV/VCR is just funny.

As for the Fab 5 documentary, I'm not sure how him explaining how his 17 year old self made sense of why Duke didn't want to recruit him, and what that made him believe about Duke at the time, hurt Michigan. It did provide light into the experience of those guys at a particular point in time, which was interesting and telling for how they viewed the world. But I don't see how that hurt Michigan.

 

OmarDontScare

January 29th, 2013 at 6:59 PM ^

You are spot on. Jalen is an awesome example of an urban Detroit kid that made it. Hes a breath of fresh air since he's so real and authentic. He used his scholarship at UM to get a journalism degree which has paid off with his role at ESPN and Grantland.

He's on NBA Countdown, ESPN Gameday, Numbers Never Lie and he has his own podcast. Oh and he's started a Charter school in Detroit to help urban kids realize their dreams (Jalen Rose Leadership Academy).

Amutnal

January 29th, 2013 at 9:32 AM ^

Pre-title game pep talk would be nice. They could tell them how they did things the right way and it would honor them to do what they never could - win a national title.

Alton

January 29th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^

I disagree with this respectfully but strongly.  This reminds me of the way Earvin Johnson attached himself to some of Michigan State's successful teams of the previous decade during their playoff runs, trying to portray himself as having been there supporting Michigan State all along--which he had not.

Perhaps some of this is my annoyance that the 1989 championship team seems to be forgotten in all of the talk about the "Fab Five."  I understand that Rumeal Robinson is a contemptible human being, but if we are going to give publicity to some former players during our title run, let's give it to Glen Rice, Terry Mills, Loy Vaught, Sean Higgins, Mike Griffin, Mark Hughes, Demetrius Calip and their other teammates.  They are strangely forgotten when the history of Michigan basketball is discussed here, even though they accomplished the most important feat in Michigan basketball history.

 

Pelinka2Voskuil

January 29th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^

1993 me is giddy about this.  2013 me is uneasy with it.  I'd love for them to be there, but how about they get a box and invite the '89 team to join them.  Sitting courtside would be a circus and definitely remove the focus from the current team.

ak47

January 29th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^

If we are making a run in the tourney everyone is going to talk about the fab five even if they hide in a cave for the entire month of march.  Having famous nba guys support your team is good for the program, I know some shy away from the fab five but if we are honest with ourselves they are the reason michigan is even considered a slightly good basketball school.

Njia

January 29th, 2013 at 9:44 AM ^

Although Jalen has been unswerving in his support of U-M, despite the scandal, sanctions, etc., he caused the school and program enough pain (and foreited wins) that I don't think he is owed anything. That's especially true of any form of "tribute" to the Fab Five (officially: the players who never played at Michigan).

As for Webber, well, I wouldn't mind if they actually baracade the gates into perpetuity to keep him out of Crisler Arena.

His Dudeness

January 29th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^

Who caused the the school and program pain is up for debate.

I love the Fab Five. I just don't think it has to be a big deal. You want to buy your four friends courtside seats, go ahead. Even if your name happens to be Jalen Rose. Fine by me.

They aren't going to stop a March Madness game to "honor" the Fab Five. I mean there is another team in the house - with their own history - who has accomplished just as much as the Michigan team up to that point.

I like Jalen and part of the reason I do is he loves attention (to which I say who doesn't really?) so you can't expect anything less from him, but I think it would be fine if they want to show up and watch. It's a free country.

MikeCohodes

January 29th, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^

I just went through here and upvoted everything just so I could read it all since I usually have neg comments hidden.  Someone today thought this discussion clearly wasn't worth having, and thus they were downvoting everything even when people were making good points.

I don't want anything to distract from the greatness of this year's team, so let the Fab Five stay away for now, especially until Webber's no contact clause expires.  Maybe in the fall when we are hanging the banners for this season, the fab 5 and 1989 teams can all be there as part of a celebration for this team.

dahblue

January 29th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^

The Fab 5 was one of the most exciting basketball teams to ever step on a court.  If they want to show love for the current team but sitting courtside, maybe the moral minority here can sit on their hands and complain to their flock of kittens.

Bringing the Fab 5 back into the fold is great for the players, the fans and the program.  Yes, some who can never let go of a grudge (Webb, allegedly took money, decades ago...there is no comparison to Tressel who was just booted from the game) will protest, but that's only before meekly asking Chris for an autograph.  Folks talk tough and pious from a distance and change colors up close.

Bottom line, if you think there's excitement in Chrysler now...you'd have been blown away by the madness during Fab 5 games.  If our current team can capture some of that magic, we could have an Assembly Hall-like atmosphere.

Perkis-Size Me

January 29th, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^

if they want to come to the game, its their right to do so, but part of me just hopes they watch from home. it'd honestly be too much of a distraction for the team to have the fab five sitting right there in front of them.

Dawggoblue

January 29th, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^

I wonder if most of you are even reading the article? They aren't talking about a home game. This wouldn't be at Crisler. He is talking about the tournament games. It doesn't involve the university at all.

saveferris

January 29th, 2013 at 10:01 AM ^

It would be nice if the current U of M administration could find a way to make peace with these guys and find a way for both sides to be made whole again, so these guys being courtside of a basketball game wouldn't have to be a distraction.  Four of the five were never implicated in the Ed Martin affair, so it's unfair that the University continues to kind of turn it's back on them.

CRex

January 29th, 2013 at 10:02 AM ^

If they want to come, and do so once able to with regard to those who have no contact orders, that is fine.  That said do it on their own time and don't tell the TV folks ahead of time.  Having the cameras pan over them during breaks in the game, zooming in on each player, and the announcers recounting their transgressions, is not something I want.  Let the announcers talk about the Five if they want, but let it remain abstract.  No reason to see any of them in the flesh.  

As for moral minorities or whatever complaining about the Five.  We mock tOSU for having no standards, tats, free cars, etc.  We mock MSU for ski mask raids and fights.  However suddenly when people are critical of inviting back players who found themselves at the heart of the worst athletic scandal in our school's history, I see it just the bleating of the moral minority.  Like it or not, it happened and trying to white wash it over 10 years after the sanctions doesn't change that.  If the school felt it had reasons to avoid contact with the players for the past decade, what suddenly changes just because a new date is showing the calendar?  The fact it was a corrupt time for our program remains.