Gymnastics team gets new nickname after Jalen Rose complains
The US women's gymnastics team that won gold in the team competition at the London Olympics has changed nicknames after hearing complaints that the "Fab Five" moniker was already taken.
Jalen Rose was a prominent member of the University of Michigan's 1991 basketball team whose five incoming freshmen -- Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, and Rose -- were dubbed the "Fab Five." The Fab Fivecomprised what is considered to be one of the greatest recruiting classes ever, and they even had a documentary made about them.
Rose expressed disappointment that the media didn't display more creativity when nicknaming the women's group, which until recently went by the same nickname.
"To use the nickname just points and screams of lazy journalism by the national media, that's really what it is," Rose told Jamie Samuelsen of 97.1 FM in Detroit. "It's no fault at all of the young gymnasts. But I really wish they would have come up with an even more creative tag for them and their gold medal pursuit."
Not only is Rose trying to protect the reputation of his legendary Michigan crew, but also his financial interest; he reportedly was granted a trademark to the "Fab Five" phrase last year.
The women's gymnastics team responded accordingly and decided to change nicknames to the "Fierce Five." The name was apparently selected by gymnastics team members Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney.
"I guess (Fab Five) was taken by some basketball team or something," Maroney said, per USA Today Sports.
"We went through a bunch 'F' words and came up with fierce and we thought that was perfect," Wieber said. "We're all so fierce on the competition floor."
And Maroney just made me feel incredibly old with that comment. The 16-year-old wasn't born until December of 1995, well after the last Fab Five member played for Michigan.
I actually agree with everything Rose said, and I'm pleased he directed his frustration to the lazy media rather than the gymnasts, who as he pointed out, had nothing to do with it. Rose has said some pretty dumb things during his time as a media member, but he was on point with this one. And the good news is the women's team now has its own nickname that won't be confused with the Michigan squad.
H/T Lost Lettermen
Photo credits: Duane Burleson/Getty Images Sport; Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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HEY JALEN>>>>WHAT DID YOU GUYS WIN? YOUR FAB COULDN'T EVEN CALL TIME OUTS THE RIGHT WAY. IT FIGURES A MICHIGAN CRY BABY THAT WON NOTHING WOULD BE COMPLAINING. JALEN GO HOME AND SHUT UP. YOU WON JACK CRAP NOTHING. THESE LITTLE TINY GIRLS GOT TONS OF MEDAL, INCLUDING GOLD...EAT YOU HEART OUT JALEN YOU LOSER. I JUST WISH THAT SOME HOW SOME ONE WOULD GET THIS TO YOU. THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW PETTY & LITTLE YOU ARE. HERES AN IDEA, HOW ABOUT WE GO DRINKING? I KNOW YOU ARE GOOD AT THAT...
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Thank you!!!!!!!!! TeamMaltby, you said what needed to be said.
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Rose should reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy STFU. What a whining wuss. Those girls are more deserving than those Jacka**es.
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Jalen Rose still doesn't get it.After being on a team that was touted as best ever recruits,he was a ringleader in being disrespectful to opponents,amateur basketball,and anyone else who thought different,It was Rose who created the documentary about his Michigan team.The documentary was a shameful display of attitude and arrogance in trying to change the past.If Rose had any sense at all,he would know that the phrase "fab five" was a media creation to describe the Beatles when they first appeared.Get this arrogant,language challenged whiner off the air and let the gymnasts have all their credit for being winners,something he knows nothing about.
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Ummm... aren't the "Fab Five" Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto? I'm pretty sure they were the "Fab Five" way before some college basketball players in 1991.
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Someone should tell this idiot to get over himself. Maybe The Beatles should put a cease and desist on his trademark of Fab Five, since the media assigned them the Fab Four many, many years previous. Then, the media came up with the Fab Five. The Michigan thugs, I mean basketball team, didn't have any trouble with riding the coat tails of that nickname then. No one else can use the word "Fab"? Or is it "Five" they have trouble with?
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Fab Five? what about "Black Mamba"? the original was Roger Mayweather, Uncle and current trainer of Floyd Mayweather,Jr. Roger was a skilled fighter who possessed a one punch knockout right hand. I remember him as a slight but well built black light and welter weight champion who often dressed in black shorts and black shoes well before Mike Tyson did. He had a very good jab that set up his lethal right hand. Always exciting to watch. Unlike there hamburgers we see currently. Kobe, be a little more creative. THE BLACK MAMBA already exist. How about your nickname is "the luckiest guy to win an NBA championship"(you really load up on those all-star 7 and 8 foot centers to get it done).
