"Fraud-Five" To Be Part of Final Four Festivities in Detroit

When will they ever learn? This has got to be the question on the minds of thousands… hell… maybe millions of Michiganders that follow college basketball.Â

When will they ever learn? This has got to be the question on the minds of thousands… hell… maybe millions of Michiganders that follow college basketball. According to the Associated Press, the fabled University of Michigan “Fab-Five” will reunite in Detroit as a part of the Final Four festivities. Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Ray Jackson will be appearing at the Motor City Casino to benefit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

 

Does anyone other than myself see this as another chapter in the “Fraud-Five” tragedy?Â

Although not every member of the “Fab-Five” was a proven cheater, Webber himself takes away any legitimacy of their existence as a unit. They are a stain that marks a dark time in the history of college basketball. The damage that was done to both the University of Michigan and college basketball is unforgivable. This further illustrates a cultural problem within the city of Detroit that is quick to make excuses and slow to remember the travesty that took place in the early ‘90’s.

 

The Final Four is about celebrating the best of the best that college basketball has to offer. This unit did not represent the best.�� They represented everything that is or was wrong with college basketball. The win at all costs mentality should have resulted in the death penalty for the University of Michigan basketball program. The more than $600,000 that was paid to Wolverine players during this era hurt more than a college basketball program and the actions of both Michigan and the players involved are inexcusable and unforgivable.

 

What will they celebrate? What can they say while attending this event? Did Chris Webber ever truly pay the price for such an egregious act? Webber certainly has millions stowed away after his enormous, yet undeserving NBA contracts. As for the other four, there is little to say. It was never proven one way or the other that they accepted any money, however, they remain members of a group that is too often heralded and not used as examples of what can be so wrong about amateur athletics.

 

Further cementing the inappropriate appearance of these men is the fact that it is tied to a charity that celebrates African American history. I am not African American, but if I were, I would be really upset that these men were representing a celebration of people that I identify myself with. It takes away from the legitimacy of other African Americans who truly struggled and worked to better position themselves and their fellow people. The “Fab-Five” was about money, deception and cheating. What would Dr. King say? How about Rosa Parks? Booker T. Washington? What would Barack Obama say about these men as fellow African Americans, citizens and responsible individuals?

 

Their appearance says a great deal about their attitudes toward their contributions to both college athletics and responsibility. It tells me that they still think of themselves as something worthy to celebrate. It tells me that they hold little remorse for their actions. It tells me that they still view themselves as role models. It sends the wrong message to today’s youth that aspire to be collegiate or professional athletes. It clearly shows that there truly is no penalty for lying, cheating and taking money inappropriately if it furthers your own cause.  The Charles H. Wright Museum should cancel their appearances and put some individuals at their charitable event they are worthy of praise and celebration. I can think of five truly fabulous men that did it right, did it honestly and actually won a national championship. I wonder what Cleaves, Peterson, Bell, Hutson and Thomas are doing April 4th?