Fab Fail

I watched ESPN's documentary on the Fab Five from Michigan last night.  The biggest takeaway for me is that I'm getting old fast.  It seems like that was just the day before yesterday, and it turns out that was 20 years ago. 

Beyond that, I hate this story.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I am an Ohio State football fan, and nothing to do with the fact that I am a UCONN basketball fan.  I'd hate it no matter what school they went to.  At first I thought I could admit I'd be more forgiving had they played for UCONN.  But after giving some thought, I am very grateful that they didn't.

The Fab Five is such a depressing story to me because there hasn't been a story in my generation that has so much promise which comes up so incredibly short.  This could have been a story about develpment, growth, redemption, and ultimately gone down as one of the most significant triumphs in sports in our generation.  Instead, it fell victim to the "me first" generation that is best exemplified by pro-wrestlng and followed closely by the NBA. 

The Fab Five didn't have to stop being a team after 2 seasons.  Chris Webber made a choice; a conscious decision to abandon his team instead of taking his licks and learning how to become a true champion.  They could have been the 5 players who made 4 straight appearances in the NCAA finals with back to back titles in their junior and senior years.  Then they all would likely have gone on to play for championship teams in the NBA.  But that is not what the NBA offers.  The NBA is the land where talent trumps discipline, ego dwarfs loyalty, and sport takes a backseat to show.  So instead, the University of Michigan had their hopes dashed not by Duke and North Carolina, but by selfishness and greed.  Boo hoo.  Their selling Fab Five T-Shirts and we're not getting paid.  Off to the NBA we go, we outta here.

Why bother to stick around and learn how to play like true champions?  Were Grant Hill and Thomas Hill getting way better salaries than Webber and Rose?  Nope, just a simple thing like pride in your team and a desire to bring glory to their school and program, and get an education while they're at it.  But who cares about that?  (As an aside, it really kills me to use Duke as an example.  The only thing I hate in college basketball more than the Fab Five story is the Duke Blue Devils).

U of M failed to make their Fab Five into a team.  Yeah, I believe them when they say they were the tightest knit group that has ever played together, and still are.  But all it produced was 2 years of razzle dazzle, and 5 people who as great as they were, never even came close to reaching their true potential.  And never will.