Then the regulars attack--Brown, MIT and Princeton, Navy and Penn on consecutive weekends--all with abnormal strength in what could be Harvard's year of abnormal un-strength. Each crew will attempt to break the Crimson for what each sees as long overdue defeat in the Eastern Sprints on May 16th.

Harvard and Yale have traditionally looked forward to their annual four-mile race at the Red Top camp in New London each June. But this year, after passing a Harvard boat in the Head of the Charles, Yale has been counting the days.

'Yes'

"Yes," Parker said Tuesday, "we're not as strong as we were last year. We're going to have a hard time and against a number of crews. Other crews are going to be stronger. But we're looking forward to beating as many crews as we can."

A strange thing to hear the year after the Crimson was talking not about how many crews it would beat, but about how many lengths it would beat them by.

But however startling Harvard's predicament might seem to recent Crimson crew fans, that is--after all--the way things should be. Besides, there is still hope for another championship season.

Last Monday, the 1976 Harvard crew faced its greatest foe, the reputation of Harvard's 1975 crew. Dick Cashin, number-six man of the latter crew and the U.S. National Team eight, returned to Cambridge from Cambridge, England, for a little workout at Newell.

Cashin sat on the seat of the port ergometer and set the counter for a four minute piece. Junior John Brock sat on the seat of the parallel starboard ergometer and set the counter for a four-minute piece.

Eruption

Ready. Go. The two men erupted simultaneously, sprinted to a gruelling cadence, then settled into a pattern of long simulated oarstrokes that has induced many people to call the erg, "the Ugh."

Cashin, smooth and experienced, seemed to blast each stroke effortlessly, all the while spinning the six-pound weight behind the ergometer furiously with each eruption of his legs and back. Brock, somewhat rougher in style but determined to beat Cashin, grimaced and hurled his weight in kind.

Both men grunted and both ergs clanked and screeched as oarsmen collected around them in silence. The grunts, the clanks and the muttered curses increased as, in that room, the duel between 1975 and 1976 was played.

In the final minute, both men jacked up the cadence once more. On the last drive, the counter clicked. Fellow oarsmen with contrived nonchalance sidled up to each counter to compare the scores.

Brock--and 1976--had won, by 50 points. Maybe 1976 will be the year that the reputation of 1975 is un-done.