20 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 12, 2003
Fab Five era now an embarrassment to 'U'
4
J. BRADY MCCOLLOUGH
All About the Cause
So, was it worth it?
S Was it worth it to see your
team play for two straight
national championships? Was it
worth it to watch five 18-year olds
rub their asses all over the Spartan
'S' at the Breslin Center's half-
court? Was it worth it to wear those
baggy, maize shorts with the blue
block 'M' and know you were the
coolest kid on the playground?
After listening to Thomas Yeager,
chairman of the NCAA Division I
Committee on Infractions, tab Michi-
gan's seven years of fun and glory
from 1992-99 a "sham," I began to
think very hard about that question.
I was sitting in a room of about
60 members of the press, and sure,
I was wearing my media "game
face." But I had something no one
else had - an MCard in my back
pocket. I am a student of the jini-
versity of Michigan, and for the
first time in three years, I am
embarrassed to be one.
Don't misread me - I am proud
of how the University's current
administration has handled this scan-
dal, by constantly seeking the truth
and eventually imposing sanctions
upon itself. But the fact remains that
the NCAA's findings, released in a
report Thursday, are appalling; it will
take a long time for the athletic
department and the basketball pro-
gram to live them down.
For seven years (and who knows,
maybe even longer), the Universi-
ty's basketball program was dirty
- dirtier than I ever imagined,
even after Eddie L. Martin plead
guilty a year ago to giving Chris
Webber, Robert Traylor, Maurice
Taylor and Louis Bullock a sum of
more than $616,000.
At least then, we all could write
Martin off as an outsider to the
program - someone who was giv-
ing money to Michigan players
because they were from Detroit
(except for Bullock, who was from
Maryland).
But what the NCAA's investiga-
tion revealed was a coach, Steve
Fisher, who allowed "Uncle Eddie"
to gain an "insider" status within
his program. There are many more
Martins in this country - basket-
ball junkies who want more than
anything to be a part of big-time
college basketball. What makes the
Michigan case one of the most
"egregious" violations in NCAA
history, is the fact that the basket-
ball staff didn't keep him on the
outside, instead embracing him as a
part of the Michigan family.
. Martin, who reportedly gave.
money to other college athletes at,
other schools as an outsider, began
his relationship with Michigan dur
ing the Bill Frieder era in the mid-
1980s. Even though there were
several "red flags" about Martin -
two articles in the Detroit Free
Press, one in 1985 and another in
1989 - Michigan let Martin
become a fixture at Crisler Arena,
as he established a "cordial" rela-
tionship with Frieder.
When Frieder left in 1989, Mar-
tin immediately began to court
Fisher and his family, showering
them with gifts (usually food
items). By the time Webber and Co.
were in Ann Arbor, Martin and
Fisher had developed a close bond,
even after Fisher was warned by
Martin's long time friend, assistant
coach Perry Watson, to keep Martin
at a distance.
Before long, Martin's name regu-
larly appeared on the complimenta-
ry admission list for home
basketball games, he was given
"tunnel access," and it was Fisher
who organized these benefits for
Martin.
Martin and Fisher were so close
that when Fisher's father passed
away, Martin organized a barbecue
at Fisher's house for the wake and
handled the funds for the occasion.
Telephone records indicate that
Fisher made a four-minute phone
call to Martin two days before the
1992 NCAA Final Four to arrange
for Martin to receive two "select"
hotel rooms at the team's hotel in
Minneapolis. One room was for
Martin, and the other was for Web-
ber's family, which gave the
NCAA good reason to believe
Fisher knew Martin was giving
these benefits to the parents of a
student-athlete.
The report also said that Martin
was involved with the recruitment
of players. He became involved
with Traylor and Taylor early in
high school, developing close ties
with Traylor's grandmother and
Taylor's aunt. When Michigan State
star Mateen Cleaves was making
his official paid visit to Michigan
in February 1996, he visited Mar-
tin's house in Detroit along with
Traylor and Taylor. The report said
that not only the Michigan players,
but also Cleaves, received money
from Martin that day.
The last straw came in late sum-
mer 1996, when Fisher discovered
that Martin had given Bullock and
Traylor a deposit to hold an apart-
ment in Ann Arbor and had also
purchased airline tickets for the
players' parents to attend a tourna-
ment in Puerto Rico. Fisher told
Martin to take back the deposit and
cancel the plane tickets, but that
was as far as he went. He did not
tell the proper officials at the Uni-
versity of Martin's wrongdoing, and
hoped it would just go away.
So, that's the story - finally.
Fisher got his hands dirty, and now
the University is more than respon-
sible for cleaning up the mess he
left behind. The NCAA saw enough
"institutional culpability" to slap
Michigan with another one-year
postseason ban.
The University is appealing,
because "it's not fair" to our current
athletes, and I understand that. But
someone has to pay for this, and it's
going to be the University, no mat-
ter how unfair it is that Fisher will
continue to coach at San Diego
State next season.
So, was it worth it?
We all can guess what Fisher's
answer would be. But when I look
back at those "glorious" seven
years now, all I see is a shameful
corruption of college athletics.
And as a proud student of this
University, that is something I
wasn't prepared to see.
J. Brady McCollough can be reached
at bradyrcc@umich.edu.
4
ED MARTIN REVEALED: HIS LONG AND INFAMOUS ROAD INTO MICHIGAN BASKETBALL HISTORY
Ed Martin's relation-
ship with the Michigan
basketball program
really took off in 1991
with the Fab Five, but
his involvement with
Martin some of the players
began long before.
Below is a timeline highlighting
Martin's relationship with Michi-
gan basketball.
Early 1980s
Martin befriends Perry Watson, the
basketball coach at Southwestern
High School in Detroit, and provides
meals, clothing, money and other
benefits to the school's basketball
players. Martin is also present at a
visit to a prospect's home made by
former Michigan coach Bill Frieder.
Mid 1980s
After the prospect enrolls at Michi-
gan, Martin and the prospect's father
begin to attend Michigan games and
practices. Martinalso accompanies
Watson to games and practices, and
even gained entrance into the team's
locker room. During this time, Martin
develops a relationsip with Frieder.
Late 1980s
Martin begins his relationship with
Chris Webber after seeing him play
in a middle school game. To
strengthen his relation-
ship with Webber, Mar-
tin attends Webber's
church, where his ;Y
father serves as a dea-
con and makes frequent
visits to his house. Webber
Between 1988 and
1993 Martin gives Webber about
$280,000.
1989
Frieder leaves Michigan and Steve
Fisher becomes the new head coach.
Martin begins to provide gifts to
Fisher and his family.
Early 1990s
Martin continues to form a tight
bond with Fisher. In return, the
coaching staff regularly makes tickets
to Michigan basketball games avail-
able to Martin.
1991
Watson joins Michigan as an assis-
tant coach. Martin begins his rela-
tionship with Robert
Traylor when he is a
freshman in high
school. When Fisher
travels to Traylor's
home on a recruiting
visit, Martin is also
present. Between 1994
and 1998, Martin gives Traylor
about $160,000.
1992.
When Michigan reaches the Final
Four, the University receives a limit-
ed number of rooms at the team
hotel. Fisher makes two of the covet-
ed rooms available to Martin. Martin
keeps one room for himeself, and
gives the other room to Webber's
father, a violation.
1993-94
Martin begins his rela-
tionship with Maurice
Taylor when he is in>
high school. Between
1995 and 1998 Taylor
recieves about $105,000
from Martin. Taylor
1995
After signing with Michigan, Louis
Bullock is introduced
to Martin. While the
other three violators
are from Detroit, Bul-
lock attends high
school in Maryland,
and doesn't receive
Bullock benefits until he enrolls
at Michigan. Bullock receives about
$71,000 from Martin through 1999.
February 1996
Five Michigan basketball team mem-
bers, including Traylor and Taylor
and a recruit, Mateen Cleaves, visit
Martin at home. Martin provides
money to all the players, including
Cleaves. After the meeting, the group
is involved in a car accident. The
accident raised questions about the
car's ownership and Martin's involve-
ment with the Michigan program.
August 1996
Martin attempts to place deposits on
apartments for Traylor and Bullock.
He also offers airline tickets to Puer-
to Rico to Bullock's parents in order
to see a tournament. When Fisher
becomes aware of infractions, he has
Martin retreive the deposits and
make sure that the airline tickets are
not used. But Fisher does not report
these occurances to Michigan's ath-
letic administration or compliance
office, as he is required to do.
September 1996
Michigan athletic director Joe Rober-
son learns of the allegations and
orders interviews with the basketball
coaching staff and players. Michigan
learns of the benefits Martin has
been providing. Martin speaks with
an NCAA enforcement representa-
tive and denies any wrongdoing.
Later, he refuses to cooperate with
both Michigan and the NCAA.
March 1997
Michigan officially diassociates
itself from Martin due to his lack of
cooperation.