This is a story from the 1973 season. An early season game, at Bridgewater State. They were playing their first night game in a new stadium - we beat them. But, that's not the story.

Dinner was at a restaurant where we sat mostly in groups of four, so we were scattered throughout the dining room. Being in a celebrative mood the captains, Jeff Crane, Mike Canale, and Ed Assenheimer, discussed having a victory beer with some of the other vets and we agreed that if we pay for it (one beer) it should be okay, (drinking age was 18), as long as no one under 18 had a beer. For the record, Mike had a Heineken. Maybe a little less than half the players ordered a beer. We figured we had covered all the bases. I am sure most of you realize the one significant oversight in our thinking. I'm sure you are thinking we were dumb asses to even think this would be OK with Coach D.

We walked out of the restaurant towards the bus across a gravel parking lot, and Coach D announced he wanted every player who had had a beer to line up outside the bus. Needless to say, he was hot as hell! We're all lined up and he's walking up and down the line, kicking the gravel as he went - I think one rock (they weren't the small pebbles) went flying and bounced off a bus tire. Well, he's fuming about how embarrassed he is. He should have us doing sprints, right there in the parking lot ... and I'm thinking to myself, or should I say praying to God, "He'll do it. God, these younger players don't know that he'll do it. God, please don't let him do it." That was an honest to goodness prayer to God. I was sweating bullets of fear. Then came the, "I should make you walk home!" Again, those thoughts, "He'll do it. God, he'll do it. Please God, don't let him do it."

Mike recalls a few other details of the story...

First, he isn't going to let a story of this game go by without this reminder. I can’t forget this - that I intercepted a pass and was "streaking down the sideline" and all of a sudden a guy hits me from behind and knocks me down! It was you (he is referring to me, Assie), my teammate, fellow captain and linebacker, #51!!! I would have scored. You said you were trying to block some guy who was trying to tackle me. I didn’t see anyone.

It had been raining hard and he walked through a puddle that looked like it was water up to his knees. I also think Fred Ciaburri was still in the bathroom and Coach D was going to leave him, until he came running out to the bus at the last possible moment. Coach D was pissed and we knew it - there was not much talking all the way back to B-port. After Sunday game films the captains met with the coaching staff, well, primarily with Coach D. We explained our point of view about the beer. Coach Hutter also talked to him after we did. I think Coach D told us that he "thought it was wrong but there would be no penalty". We told the team that Coach D was OK with it and no penalty. When we got done with Monday’s practice, before going in to shower, Coach D says, "OK ALL YOU BEER DRINKERS - GET ON THE LINE". We knew we were toast! I remember running MANY 100 yd sprints - until guys started puking. I don’t remember if the whole team ran, or just the beer drinkers. Needless to say, we never had a beer as a team win after that with Coach D.

Ed Assenheimer, #51

Mike Canale, #62