JohnnyGopher
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ESPN's the Fab Five is very good, but I thought the HBO show on Tark and UNLV was also very good, love the shots at UCLA and Sam Gilbert and the ncaa.
Two very good college bb shows, Fab Five and Tark
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joemagoo362
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I loved the UNLV documentary on HBO, but I thought the Fab Five one was just okay.
Two national title game appearances by a team starting five freshmen, and then five sophomores. Tell me when that EVER happens again, even in this era of one and dones. Back then, the best players were truly juniors and seniors on the court. Chris Webber took money, it's not like it was some major conspiracy with the entire thing like an SMU deal or something.
Lots of hype for a team that never won a championship.
I watched the program last night. It was good until they started blaming the establishment for their troubles.
Boo Hoo! Like they were the first people in the world (and not just in athletics) to ever have others make money off their success. It couldn't have been too bad. I don't see any of them digging ditches.
As far as being five freshmen: That is an accomplishment, but remember they weren't just five guys no one had ever heard of. They had three who were, arguably, the three best high school players in the country and were probably ready for the NBA. A fourth, (King) was also not far behind them.
Bottom line for me, a basketball purist who has no interest in the pop culture aspect of sports (black socks, baggy pants, theatrics and anything else self-serving): They never won a conference crown, much less a national championship.
I can't stand Duke or Carolina, but at least they won the thing.
I'll take the '89 Wolverines any day.
Jim Nance had a great observation on the game yesterday when the documentary was mentioned. He said that as much fun as the Fab Five were (and he was right there covering it), it wrecked Michigan's basketball program for the next 15 years, and he doesn't understand why they're glorified in such a way.
I watched the program last night. It was good until they started blaming the establishment for their troubles.
Boo Hoo! Like they were the first people in the world (and not just in athletics) to ever have others make money off their success. It couldn't have been too bad. I don't see any of them digging ditches.
As far as being five freshmen: That is an accomplishment, but remember they weren't just five guys no one had ever heard of. They had three who were, arguably, the three best high school players in the country and were probably ready for the NBA. A fourth, (King) was also not far behind them.
Bottom line for me, a basketball purist who has no interest in the pop culture aspect of sports (black socks, baggy pants, theatrics and anything else self-serving): They never won a conference crown, much less a national championship.
I can't stand Duke or Carolina, but at least they won the thing.
I'll take the '89 Wolverines any day.
Jim Nance had a great observation on the game yesterday when the documentary was mentioned. He said that as much fun as the Fab Five were (and he was right there covering it), it wrecked Michigan's basketball program for the next 15 years, and he doesn't understand why they're glorified in such a way.
Well of course you would take a national champion over the Fab Five. The point isn't to say the Fab Five was the best team ever assembled. Their impact was beyond just the fact that they were five freshmen who made the title game, which is ridiculous in its own right, regardless of where they were ranked in recruit lists. The cultural aspects were quite huge. You can be a basketball purist and still acknowledge the impact they made in the game. You can argue they "wrecked" Michigan's program, but honestly, it was one kid who took a boatload of money, it's not like all five of them were just screwing that program over or something. I just don't find them to be over-hyped.
CP ESPN's 30 for 30 isn't about praising the greatest teams ever, which this film was extension of, it's about tell the story of some of most influential and important sports figures. And that is why the entire 30 for 30 series was great, not because you heard the stories of the 95-96 Bulls or the 76 Hoosiers that went undefeated but the stories of who killed the USFL and Reggie Miller vs the New York Knicks and story of SMU football. If you wanted to watch the story of the 89 Wolverines, 30 for 30 isn't the venue where you are going to find it.
You can't not deny that the Fab Five wasn't influential in college basketball. Personally I don't care about the black socks and shoes but thank God they got rid of the nut huggers.
As for the money part the Fab Five made it pretty clear that they weren't opposed to Michigan making money they just wanted a cut they thought they earned. As they said when a big deal to them is to pool there money so they can go to Taco Bell to get a couple of free extra taco's while Michigan is pulling in $10 million + a year I don't think its unreasonable to say maybe they should have a little spending cash.
And a complete side note but the people who run CBS Sports should be in prison for continuing to have Jim Nance call the Final Four and not Gus Johnson. They are robbing the American people of greatness.
You can't not deny that the Fab Five wasn't influential in college basketball. Personally I don't care about the black socks and shoes but thank God they got rid of the nut huggers.
As for the money part the Fab Five made it pretty clear that they weren't opposed to Michigan making money they just wanted a cut they thought they earned. As they said when a big deal to them is to pool there money so they can go to Taco Bell to get a couple of free extra taco's while Michigan is pulling in $10 million + a year I don't think its unreasonable to say maybe they should have a little spending cash.
And a complete side note but the people who run CBS Sports should be in prison for continuing to have Jim Nance call the Final Four and not Gus Johnson. They are robbing the American people of greatness.