A chance at redemption

I sit down to write this the day of the NCAA championship game, and I may be right back here tomorrow recanting some things I might say here.  Bear with me.

This title game is a tough one for me.

I'm not a Michigan fan, by any stretch of the imagination.  Growing up in the greater Seattle area I rooted for the UW Huskies in many a Rose Bowl, and who was their most common opponent?  That's right, Michigan.  Needless to say, my dislike of Michigan began at a very early age.  But now, as an adult, I have friends who attended Michigan, and there are people I like, so yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing them happy.  There's the Michigan dilemma.

Then we have Louisville, whom I have no vested interest in, just that I've always liked Rick Pitino and this Andrew Ware injury has made the entire country root for them.  I include myself in that, seeing that kid get hurt the way he did was just rough. 

So on the surface, it seems to be a no brainer, I should root for Louisville, right?

Not quite.

The Fab Five, from left to right, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard.

The factor I didn't mention in the Michigan spiel is the Fab Five factor.  Jalen Rose is pushing for everyone to be there at the Final Four, and at the title game, and rightfully so.  He feels that it's important for them to be there, to support this generation of Michigan players, who are the first team from Michigan to go this far since... the Fab Five.  But, as it always has in the past, this reunion will not be complete because of Chris Webber.  Webber, the guy who broke up the Fab Five early, Webber the guy who infamously called a time out when his team had none and cost Michigan a title, Webber who's actions ultimately led the NCAA to stripping Michigan of all awards earned during the Fab Five's reign.  While it was ultimately Webber's transgressions that led to Michigan being investigated, he was not the sole culprit, so laying blame solely on him is wrong, but he still is deserving of the lion's share of that burden.

The Fab Five factor has me wanting to root for Michigan because of the simple case for redemption.  Those five kids, who are now adults, are still shadowed by their time at Michigan, and the case is stronger for Webber, who will never escape from the shadow of the Fab Five.  However, if Michigan were to win the title tonight, I won't say that Webber will be forgiven, but something tells me that a massive sense of relief will be granted to him and all his team mates from those Michigan teams.

Webber has never been part of anything to do with the University of Michigan since he left the program to go pro in 1993.  Jalen Rose has been pleading for Webber to appear for quite some time now, and the 30 for 30 documentary about the program (titled "The Fab Five") was noticeably missing Webber.  I'm not saying that if Michigan wins tonight he will suddenly break his apparent vow of silence on the subject, but part of me does think that if Michigan does win, he would at least be willing to consider it.

And I suppose that's something.