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.