I know nothing about the source of this, but the information/detail on this entry about recent EMU honoree George “The Iceman” Gervin is too hard for me to pass up:
A well-known thug who lives in San Antonio was arrested in 1989 for drunk driving and an assortment of petty crimes. Naturally, he jumped bail but was forgiven when he finally showed up. 36 years ago, while a sophomore at the illustrious “institution of higher learning” called Eastern Michigan University, he caused a riot during a basketball game and was thrown out, but not before he broke the jaw of one of his opponents. Because George was not backed up by the school for his behavior, he immediately dropped out. Some years later, while visiting friends at EMU, he took pop shots with his BB gun at passers-by from a window in a dormitory. The incident was laughed off by school authorities with a “That’s George for you” attitude. After retiring from his career as a professional basketball player, George was named as one of the 50 greatest basketball players of all time and inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Today, George receives the adulation and adoration of all citizens of San Antonio and has a school named for him. In fitting tribute to his virtues, last week EMU awarded him an honorary Bachelors degree. If you are so out of the loop as not to know his last name, let’s keep it that way. Why sully your brain cells?
Hmm. If it’s true, it makes me wonder about our honorary degree program….
Sitedad – The blog you link to cites no sources or any evidence of any kind to back up its many assertions. I regard it as a mere smear, and I regret, Sitedad, that you gave publicity to it without verifying any of its allegations. EMUTalk has many more readers than the blog you found these allegations on (it is a blog written by a retired EMU philosophy professor). The internet has many wonderful qualities, but its use for spreading unverified personal attacks contributes little to meaningful discourse or understanding.
Calling someone “a well-known thug” and saying this person was arrested for DWI “and an assortment of petty crimes” without naming those “crimes” is character assignation. If someone wants to make those allegations publicly, that person is morally bound to cite facts and sources to back them up. Do police in Texas actually arrest people for an “assortment of petty crimes” rather than specific offenses? What crimes were part of this “assortment”? Why should any reader today assume that this arrest of 20 years ago, if it occurred at all, was in fact warranted, rather than mistaken or illegal in the first place? If Mr. Gervin was arrested and charges later dismissed, isn’t that just as llikely because that was the just resolution of the matter, rather than (as the blog asserts) due to some unfair kind of favoritism extended to Mr. Gervin?
The sensationalism of the unverified allegations in the blog you link to is on a par with the 11pm newscasts of tabloid TV. Surely San Antonio does not name schools after “well known thugs” or to people who’ve made no substantial contributions to the community, although the ex-professor’s blog implies as much.
And surely George Gervin, like all people, deserves to be judged by the totality of his actions, not just a few incidents. That he dropped out of EMU is well known. No doubt Mr Gervin. like many athletes and many young men in general, had some physical altercations; some of those contributed to his leaving EMU after 2 years of playing here. So what? Such incidents are not all that this man has done in his life, and they were long ago.
Life is long, forgiveness rare. Making good is the point, and it seems Mr. Gervin has done so with his life both on and off the court. May we all be able to achieve meaningful accomplishments in life, as Mr. Gervin has, and may we all be judged not on our worst moments alone, but on the totality of our achievements.
The “Iceman” surely deserved the recognition given him last week by EMU. Awards and recognition aren’t given to perfect individuals – none exist. They are given for achievements. Isn’t one of the functions of a university to recognize achievement? Isn’t another to uphold a standard of evidence and reasoning that exceeds the rumor mongering of the internet?
— but of course it’s OK to give an honorary degree to a former president who committed a felony whille in office — or to a member of Congress who left someone at the bottom of the bay while he hussled to assemble his legal team.
The Iceman is at least as deserving as those two individuals.
I also note parenthetically that somone who is actually humbled by an award — and who recognizes and admits his own transgressions — is the most worthy recipient of all.
Mark is right on with his comments. I was around during George Gervin’s playing days and I know well the incident. Because he was such an outstanding player, he was pushed and shoved all evening. Finally, he pushed back and that resulted in “an altercation.” His coach, Jim Dutcher, resigned within the week because he felt he should have had better control over his players. Gervin dropped out shortly thereafter. Both went on to bigger things – Dutcher to UofM as an Asst. Coach and then to Minnesota as Head Coach and the world knows about Gervin.
Interesting stuff, EMU supporter.
And Mark, I agree that it’s all pretty unsubstantiated stuff. However, a) if I hadn’t posted this, then we wouldn’t have the other side of the story from EMU supporter, and b) lots and lots of stuff gets posted to EMUTalk.org anonymously, that is merely rumors, etc.