COLLEGE BASKETBALL Fab Five 'scandal' shows hypocrisy of Mich., NCAA

The players are being made scapegoats for doing something that the NCAA and the universities do every day.
By STEPHEN A. SMITH
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PHILADELPHIA -- According to the University of Michigan, the Fab Five never existed.
Those five freshmen did not participate in the national championship games in 1992 and 1993.
Because Chris Webber and three others who later played for Michigan allegedly accepted money from a booster named Ed Martin, any knowledge of Webber's existence, along with that of his cohorts from college, has been disavowed.
Banners from their trips to the Final Four have been lowered from the rafters.
This season's team has been banished from postseason play. Money (pennies, really) has been returned.
Shame has been acknowledged.
And fingers are pointing directly at the star of the Sacramento Kings.
Ten years after millions in profits were generated by the Fab Five for the university and the NCAA through television, sponsors and advertisers, and ticket sales, Michigan coach Tommy Amaker and a bunch of players not even into puberty when all of this was going on are left to suffer the consequences.
Webber should remember this vividly the next time the university comes asking for a donation.
I'm pretty sure the university will ask for more than the $450,000 it returned to the NCAA for postseason appearances during the time of these alleged violations.
For those looking for the quintessential definition of hypocrisy, it simply doesn't get any better than this.
Looking for scapegoats
Ten years after Webber and four other freshmen -- Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson -- held the basketball world in their back pockets, garnering greater attention than most NBA teams, now here come Michigan and the NCAA, looking for scapegoats.
And for what, exactly? Receiving money? That's something universities and the NCAA do every day of the year.
There's no record of gambling being involved. Point-shaving hasn't been mentioned. The worst-case scenario would be that everyone else was making money off the athletes, so some athletes decided to make some, too. Besides Webber, Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock are alleged to have received money from Martin.
Before anyone gets heavy-handed about Webber, prosecutors in Michigan are already doing that. They believe Webber lied to a grand jury when he denied accepting approximately $280,000 from Martin, and they intend to prove as much.
A plea bargain is unlikely because of Webber's emphatic public denials of accepting any payments, along with the notoriety his case would generate.
One way or another, Webber's guilt or innocence will be determined, hopefully after an uninterrupted basketball season.
There's no need to wait that long to judge the university and the NCAA, however. Both have prided themselves as being institutions involved with amateur sports, and they hoodwink the public every time they say so.
Exploiting the players
In amateur sports, marketing is at a minimum and little funding exists. In professional sports, laborers get paid according to their value.
In men's college basketball, the laborers get exploited.
When Webber was at Michigan, he once said, he watched people walk into stores and buy jerseys with his name on them.
"Not only did I not get a dime, but if someone chose to buy it for me, it could have warranted an investigation," he said.
The worst part is that it happens now, with Michigan down and out, far removed from any postseason aspirations anyway. Years ago, former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian articulated that point brilliantly, saying that whenever Kentucky commits a violation, Cleveland State suffers.
Tark was saying that it's the little guys who are picked on, those whose best interest resides in leaving well enough alone, saying as little as possible to avoid the wrath of the NCAA.
If Webber lied to a grand jury, he will have to pay the price. But he has said he's innocent, so we'll go from there.
The problem is, there's nothing innocent about the NCAA or the institutions it presides over. Because the NCAA essentially is run by university presidents, they basically police themselves.
When has that ever worked?
Notes
Monty Williams said he expects to be back in a Sixers uniform by next week, and that he expects to be the difference -- against Orlando, more than anyone else. "When I was with them, all we did to beat the Sixers was spread the floor and fire away," said Williams, recovering from surgery on his left knee on Oct. 25. "We knew Philly didn't have that many athletes that could jump out on defense. Needless to say, that is not a problem we have now."
After winning their first two games of the season, the Bulls have lost four straight. So I guess that youth movement isn't in full effect as of yet.
Don't be surprised if Karl Malone tries to land in San Antonio next summer instead of retiring. With David Robinson departing and the Spurs unlikely to land Jason Kidd via free agency, Malone would be the next best thing. There was a time when Gary Payton may have been that, but the Spurs don't appear too unhappy with Tony Parker.
Clippers coach Alvin Gentry on his job status: "That's the furthest thing from my mind. I'm not worried about that. I'm in the last year of my contract and I have no control over the situation. All I can do is coach this team. Obviously, I hope to remain here." Problem? Jeff Van Gundy wouldn't mind showing up in L.A. for the right price. Neither would Mike Dunleavy.
Memphis coach Sidney Lowe needs to start winning some games. Grizzlies president Jerry West didn't want to make a move in his first year on the job, but he may not have a choice if things don't change.