Jalen Rose says he really likes Mary Sue Coleman, believes Michigan will find a way to honor Fab Five
Jalen Rose's hard feelings toward his alma mater, its president and his beloved Final Four banners may be subsiding.
During an interview with WJR's Frank Beckmann on Wednesday, the former Michigan basketball star said he's not turning his back on the school he once played for -- and he's hopeful the Fab Five will be fully embraced in Ann Arbor once again.
"I really like Mary Sue Coleman, the president of Michigan, I love (athletic director) Dave Brandon, I still support the university," Rose said. "Dave Brandon feels that there is a way to still honor what our teams brought to the table, and it's up to him to decide how he's going to do it. That's out of my control.
"I do think the University of Michigan is going to do the right thing in 2013 and find a way to honor what we helped bring to the table."
Former Michigan basketball star Jalen Rose says he's confident Michigan will find a way to honor the Fab Five at some point, he's just unsure how it'll be done.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
At the time, Rose publicly wondered whether or not he should stop supporting Michigan altogether.
"I saw that U of Michigan has no plans to put back up our hoops banners," Rose tweeted. "Should I do like most of its former BBallers & never return?"
On Wednesday with Beckmann, Rose said that's not the case. He attended the Michigan football program's "Mott Takeover" event this spring, and said he has plans to be at Michigan's Sept. 1 season-opener against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium.
Moreover, he said his move to ESPN's college basketball "GameDay" next season will help him to get a better "snapshot of what's happening in Ann Arbor."
After Rose's comments in April, Brandon told AnnArbor.com that he wasn't sure whether or not the school could actually put the 1992 and 1993 Final Four banners back into the Crisler Center rafters, but did say he'd be "glad" to honor the club in some way, shape or form.
The university's 10-year disassociation period with Fab Fiver Chris Webber, one of the key figures in the Ed Martin scandal, ends in May of 2013.
Asked whether or not he could persuade Webber to "apologize" to the school and return for an embrace, Rose said that's not up to him.
"That's between him and the university," he said. "That's the lead domino for this. Situations take on their own forms, but this wasn't a Fab Five scandal. It was one individual.
"But that's your teammate and we all take the fall and I understand that had to be the course. The sanctions get lifted in 2013, we'll see how the university responds."
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
Comments
rocco
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 10:35 p.m.
I'm very impressed with how the Fab 5 have developed as individuals since they left UofM. They are all successful in their own way, excellent citizens and are giving back to their respective communities. Chris and Jalen are national sports commentators, Juwan is still playing for Miami, and Ray and Jimmy are coaching. I truly believe the Michigan experience aided their development and gave them a good start. Time is a great healer. Chris is at a stage in life where he can apologize to the UofM for wrong doing in his youth. The university is likely to embrace the group once that is done. Whether it restores banners is another thing. These gentlemen are a signficant part of UofM sports history and as well as sports history at the national level. University leadership should find a way to bring them home.
redceder1
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 1:30 a.m.
Besides cheating, they are best known for bringing low baggy shorts to college basketball. I'm sure Brandon will find a way to honer that. It does appear that the term "Fab Five" will now refer to the 2012 U.S. Women's Gymnastics team.
glenn
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 10:57 a.m.
It is easy to call the Fab Five cheaters. I never fully understood the situation at the time. I enjoyed the Fab Five documentary as it provided the view from the other side. Rarely is a case not this one so black and white. I was very impressed with Jalen Rose in the documentary and since then. Mary Sue Coleman is a very good President for Michigan and has done very well for the school. But I didn't care for her comments in the documentary. Brandon will honor the Fab Five if he thinks he can make money on them.
observer
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 9:59 a.m.
old news.....people cheated, so how can you honor that.....and Fisher plays dumb......
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 5:05 a.m.
Rose played for Perry Watson. I'm not sure why he believes this is all on C-Webb. He was there. Does he think we don't know most of the story by now? They cheated. I don't blame Rose or Webber, really. I blame the guy who recruited them and gave Watson a spot on the bench. I blame the guy who let Ed Martin within 100 miles of the locker room. I don't see the point of honoring them. In a fair college sports world, they would not have been together.
xmo
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:29 p.m.
Honoring a bunch or Cheaters? Why not, Its Michigan! I guess that's the Michigan Way!
Blue Marker
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:22 p.m.
1998pa, it's the most intense investigation in NCAA history. No stone was left unturned. To think there is unknowns is well, absurd.
1998pa
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:45 a.m.
Even as a diehard Spartans fan, I don't think it's remotely fair to say that's the Michigan way. That said, Rose is as biased as can be, as he was a part of the Fab Five. It's convenient to blame everything on one guy. And it's absurd to think -- even if they didn't directly take from Ed Martin -- that the other four didn't benefit in a massive way. In fact, that's why I believe Webber has distanced himself. I'd be resentful too if I was made the scapegoat for what the whole crew took part in. The Fab Five is a part of history. You can't erase that. But it would look worse for Michigan to honor such an embarrassing era of an otherwise rich history. If I was a Wolverines fan, my attitude would be whatever is in the past is in the past. Let's move on.
heartbreakM
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
Only fab five that the university will honor any time soon is those wonderful gymnasts who won the gold.