One year ago, I ate lunch with a prominent player from the Michigan basketball teams of the early and mid-’90s and got into a discussion about Eddie L. Martin. He told me a story about a conversation that he had with a teammate regarding Ed Martin. Before they knew it, they were talking about what would happen if Martin offered them money. How would they react? Would they tell anyone?
- Paul Wong
- Raphael Goodstein
Would they take the money?
When the conversation was over, the two agreed that if offered, they probably would have taken the money.
Martin’s indictment taints the legacy of the Fab Five and the other Michigan teams of the mid-’90s, one of the most successful times in Michigan’s storied history. It’s possible that victories will now turn into forfeiture, and banners will be brought down – just as they should be.
But ultimately, the NCAA needs to decide how it is going to prevent what happened at Michigan from happening at other programs. Because it does happen. Ed Martin had an influence at more schools than just the University of Michigan. And to believe that there aren’t other Ed Martins at other schools is na