A few thoughts:
 
1.  When it comes right down to it, an "unwritten rule" isn't worth the paper
it's not printed on... especially a so-called "gentleman's agreement" that
permits and condones rule-breaking.
 
2.  The few times I've seen Frank Cole do an ECAC game, I've been relatively
unimpressed.  Nonetheless, he is a well-respected ref in Hockey East, and I have
to believe that Coach Gilligan's comment about Cole "putting a stop to" the
stick measuring was a misinterpretation of the situation, and that what Cole was
actually doing was telling the Cornell coaches that they couldn't call for more
than one stick measurement during a single stoppage of play (which I think is
how the rule goes) -- *not* that they couldn't call for any more at all.  If
Cole, in fact, did say or do the latter, he should be disciplined by whichever
league is appropriate.
 
3.  Does it strike anyone else as, well, counterproductive that the Vermont
coaching staff seems to have let this whole incident stick in the craw so much?
 Coach Schafer pulled the same "tactic" in the game at Yale after the Elis took
the lead with a minute left (it didn't work; Cornell still lost that one), and I
think we're still waiting for Tim Taylor's reaction.  Coach Gilligan and his
assistants were furious when the measurements were called for, and there were
more than a few Vermont players who were pretty distracted too.  Then Gilligan
and an assistant had a few things to say after the game as well, and the
"gentleman's agreement" was brought up yet again on a cable show three days
later.  I expect the Cats are focused once more on the games that remain to be
played... if they're still distracted, Union and RPI are going to have a lot of
fun hosting them this weekend.
 
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
"I believe Marcel Marceau said it best."
-- Madeline Kahn, "Cosby"
 
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