michigandaSy.com
sportsdesk@umich.edu
a
30
Transfer
gunning to
take over
By J. Brady McCollough
DailySports Writer
When spring practice began, Michi-
,,an's quarterbacks had nowhere to go
but up.
The incumbent, junior John Navarre,
struggled at the end of last season,
throwing nine interceptions in his last
five games as the Wolverines' offense
took a nosedive. Meanwhile, sopho-
more Jermaine Gonzales is remem-
bered mostly for the snap that flew over
his head in Michigan's 26-20 loss to
9hio State. And finally, when he was
inserted into the opener against Miami,
junior Spencer Brinton overthrew a
screen pass - his only attempt of the
season.
"(The coaches) would say, 'You guys
are horrible right now,'" said Brinton of
the beginning of spring practice. "But
we've gone from the ground to a little
bit of horrible. We just need to keep get-
,ing better."
Ed Martin agrees to plea bargain
Banned booster agrees to tell all to Michigan athletic department
4
Spencer Brinton completed l1-of 18
passes for 126 yards in the spring game.
Brinton took the first step in that
direction in the annual spring game
April 13 at Michigan Stadium. The jun-
ior transfer from San Diego State, who
was on a Mormon mission for two
years before coming to Michigan, con-
nected on 11-of-18 passes for f26 yards
and one touchdown and found himself
in a rhythm as the game progressed.
"You have 15 practices, and then it
all comes together, and the cobwebs
start to get out," Brinton said. "I'm
starting to understand the philosophy.
"I'm starting to understand the
offense and what we're trying to do
See BRINTON, Page 31
By J. Brady McCollough
Daily Sports Editor
DETROIT - Banned Michigan
basketball booster Ed Martin broke
more than a decade's worth of
silence May 28 when he admitted his
guilt for the first time in front of
U.S. District Court Judge Robert
Cleland.;
Martin, a °
retired Ford 7
autoworker who'
has spent the last
three years under
federal investiga-
tion for launder-
ing money from #
an illegal gam-
bling conspiracy,
accepted a plea Martin
bargain and avoided a trial that was
originally scheduled for June 17.
By accepting the plea bargain
negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attor-
ney Rick Convertino and Martin's
lawyer, William Mitchell, Martin
gave up his constitutional rights and
will be forced to disclose all infor-
mation regarding his illegal gam-
bling conspiracy as well as the depth
of his involvement with former
Michigan basketball players Chris
Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert
Traylor and Louis Bullock from
1988 to 1999.
"We're happy to resolve this,"
Mitchell said. "It's been a long haul.
A lot has been said that is true, and a
lot has been said that is not true."
Martin confirmed the alleged
totals given to the players -
$280,000 to Webber, $160,000 to
Traylor, $100,000 to Taylor and over
$70,000 to Bullock, who was the last
player to receive help from Martin.
As part of the plea bargain, Martin
will be required to cooperate with
the government and University offi-
cials, and could be subjected to lie
detector tests.
A time has not been set for Martin
to meet with officials from the Uni-
versity. Convertino said that Martin
would definitely meet with Universi-
ty officials prior to his Aug. 29 sen-
tencing date.
The Michigan basketball program,
which has been under the NCAA's
microscope since March 1996, could
receive probation, television and
tournament bans or scholarship
restrictions, depending on how the
NCAA views Martin's testimony.
"We have always been interested
in finding out the truth with the case
surrounding Ed Martin," Athletic
Director Bill Martin said. "Today's
plea bargain is a step in that direc-
tion. We hope to have the opportuni-
ty very soon to sit down and speak
with Mr. Martin, so we will be able
to bring this matter to a close."
Mitchell said that a big factor in
his client's decision to plead guilty
- a decision that Martin neglected
to make the last time he was given
the chance in May 2000 - was that
the charges of conspiracy against his
wife would be dropped.
Ed Martin also had all counts dis-
missed except "conspiracy to laun-
der monetary investments." He was 4
originally charged on eight counts,
including conspiracy to launder
money, three counts of laundering
money, two counts of using money
for illegal gambling activities and
one count of having an illegal
See MARTIN, Page 32
4