On Mon, 9 Jan 1995, Ralph N. Baer wrote:
 
> Art Berman wrote:
>
> >I remember the 1973 game when BU lost to Bob Crocker's Penn team.  That
> >game is the only game in my life when I did *not* root for BU, because
> >Crocker was Jack Kelley's long time assistant and he was passed over for
> >the coaching vacancy, a real shaft job as I recall even now.  It was
> >justice that a far superior BU team was beaten that day.
>
> >In fact, Kelley's replacement, I believe Leon Abbott (?) did not pan out
> >and Jack Parker was a mid season replacement.  If anyone with long
> >memories has the inside story on that I'd love to hear it.
>
> Leon Abbott apparently left BU as a consequence of the "Dick Decloe
> Affair".  Decloe had accepted had some of his secondary school
> educational expenses paid for him while playing for the London, Ontario
> Knights (OHA) for a two month period in 1970 prior to his matriculation
> at BU in 1971.  The situation did not come to light until midway
> through Decloe's sophomore season (72-73).  (Decloe was on a freshman
> team as a freshman, not the varsity.)
>
> For more details search in the hockey-l archives in April 94 for the
> word "decloe".
>
> Ralph Baer
> RPI '68, '70, '74
>
No one ever explicitly made that connection at the time, to my
recollection.  It makes sense to me, but does not change my long standing
feeling that Decloe, BU, Abbott, and Crocker, for various reasons were
all treated unjustly at the time.  My other recollection concerning this
sordid affair is that Ned Harkness caused the suspension and forfeitures
by pursuing this issue.  That was what caused me to respond to the Maine
postings awhile back concerning their recent problems.
 
Arthur Berman   [log in to unmask]