Jalen Rose: The Downward Spiral of the Once "Fab" Phenom
After a whirlwind of controversy amidst his criticism of the Duke men's basketball team in the premiere of the ESPN documentary "The Fab 5," Jalen Rose has now fallen harder than ever.
Rose, 38, was cited for suspicion of drunk driving after his Cadillac Escalade slid off of an icy road during the late night hours of March 11th in West Bloomfield, Mich.
Prior to his latest debacles involving alcohol and slanderous terms towards Duke's basketball team of the early 90's, Rose was a stand-out commentator. He brought NBA experience, as well as a clean-cut image to the tables of ESPN.
However, the past month has been one Rose wishes he could have back.
The March 13th release of "The Fab 5," a documentary produced by Rose focusing on the five freshmen at the University of Michigan who helped spark a cultural shift in basketball, saw a great deal of heat from many viewers. In the film, Rose referred to the African-American players on Duke's basketball team as "Uncle Toms."
Rose's comments were rebutted by former Duke star Grant Hill and coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Two days prior to the release of the documentary, Rose found himself in a Michigan police station after refusing to take a breathalyzer test at the scene of his car crash. According to the West Bloomfield Patch, Rose's blood alcohol content level was a 0.12-above the 0.08 legal limit—and he was given a citation.
Before March 2011, Rose was viewed as an intelligent commentator with a sharp edge for the game of basketball. Now, Rose's public approval is dwindling faster than President Bush's during Hurricane Katrina. He's already been called out by Coach K, and the fact that he has been cited for a DUI likely means he won't have a job with ESPN for much longer.
Rose knew that ESPN does not tolerate behavior that jeopardizes their image. Sure enough, he found a way to mess it up. It's only a matter of time before he gets the Steve Phillips treatment.
Nothing "Fab" about that at all.
