When Unversity of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman took her position in 2002, one of her first actions was to remove the banners commemorating the Fab Five basketball team’s successes. The Fab Five — comprised of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson — was the name for Michigan’s famed 1991 recruiting class. The group led the Wolverines to back-to-back championship games, but they had most of their wins and accomplishments vacated by a scandal. Asked by students Tuesday if the banners might come back up, Coleman said not under her watch. That prompted an angry response from Jalen Rose, who tweeted the following messages on Thursday:
I saw that U of Michigan has no plans to put back up our hoops banners. Should I do like most of its former BBallers & never return? cont
— JALEN ROSE (@jalenrose) April 12, 2012
or should I ask for the $250k I donated for my Endowed Scholarship back & move it to another school? Stay Tuned.
— JALEN ROSE (@jalenrose) April 12, 2012
It’s a tough position for everyone involved. Coleman is taking a moral position in choosing not to celebrate accomplishments that reflect poorly on the university. Rose probably believes that the team accomplished a lot on the basketball court and that their efforts should be recognized.
We’re not fans of all the NCAA rules, but Michigan players got caught taking money from a booster, which is clearly against the rules. It’s understandable why Coleman pulled the banners and wants to keep them down.
H/T The Dagger
Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg/ALLSPORT
