Rick Snider: 'Without Bias' tells an untold story
By: Rick Snider
Examiner Sports Columnist
November 2, 2009
|
| Maryland basketball star Len Bias once represented the American dream of fame and fortune, writes Examiner columnist Rick Snider. Now he represents a cautionary tale. (AP) |
Twenty-three years after Len Bias' death, we're still debating whether he was a once-only loser in the lottery of tempting cocaine's deadly chances or a regular drug user who went too far.
Now the debate finally ends. "Without Bias", appearing Tuesday on ESPN, resolves the remaining issue of perhaps the biggest story in Washington sports over the past quarter century. Brian Tribble, who was doing drugs with Bias when the former Maryland star died on June 19, 1986, tells the whole story.
You won't like what you hear.
"I felt like the story was never told," said Kirk Fraser, president of District-based May 3 Films and the documentary's producer. "There were so many holes to what Len Bias was. I realized there wasn't that closure."
Bias was the second pick of the NBA Draft after one of the greater careers in Terps history. Taken by the Boston Celtics, Bias truly represented the American dream of fame and fortune.
Hours later, his overdose death shocked the nation. Sean Taylor's 2006 murder was jarring, but Bias created a national anti-drug movement.
"I remember being young and seeing adults crying around his death," Fraser said. "Being 10 years old, you can't comprehend when you see adults crying. That moment stuck with me. I wanted to tell the story of what took place, his life, who he was as an individual and the ripple effects."
The ripple effects were like fishing in a pond with dynamite. Grand juries were a daily staple. So were resignations, as coach Lefty Driesell led the exodus of nearly every prominent Terps official. Even football coach Bobby Ross left in the wake of school changes.
About the only ones who couldn't leave were Bias' teammates. Before a recent screening of Fraser's film at Maryland's student union in the shadow of Cole Field House -- drawing several hundred of Bias' family, friends and fans -- former Terps guard Keith Gatlin said players appreciated the one-hour documentary for showing they were bystanders.
"We couldn't tell the story back then because it was already perceived that people knew what happened and we were all bad kids. That was 110 percent false," Gatlin said. "This is the first authentic version and gives a sense of clarity to the people whose lives have been affected. It tells things I didn't know.
"[Players] knew Brian, but he was personal friends with Lenny so we had no interaction with him. Lenny was a great guy. You don't know what people do in private."
Bias' death was supposed to be the great wakeup call to America; that if someone as big and strong as the 6-foot-8 Bias could die using drugs, everyone should be scared straight. But, today's kids neither know nor care who Bias was.
Fraser counters that Bias' death created an impact then and the story still saves lives.
"His story saved me. There's a lot of individuals that it saved as well," Fraser said. "Now there is a generation gap who are more familiar with LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] and don't know about Len Bias. The reason why this documentary is still relevant now is because it's a cautionary tale."
Let's hope so. Watch the film with your kids. Make them remember Len Bias.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.
