"What he did as a player here was just unbelievable, even Lane MacDonald, for as good a career as he had, didn't have Cleary's numbers," Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni said. "But in typical Billy fashion, he came back to the locker room after the game and told the kids the best thing about the night was that they beat Yale."

Harvard University finally paid appropriate tribute to Cleary on Friday night. Even the game was played in a style that he would approve--a wide-open, end to end scoring affair. After the evening was over, the only question remaining was, what took Harvard so long?

Cleary was the Crimson's Gordie Howe, Scotty Bowman and Gary Bettman wrapped up in one package. Harvard should not have waited decades to pay him this honor. It should not have taken a man of such immense stature to break the 150-year-old policy of not honoring individual achievement.

There should be a similar ceremony for the gentlement on the ice with Cleary. The Fuscos and MacDonald have and continually remained an integral part of the program. With all due respect to a player who is having a fine season, MacDonald scored 111 goals and had 114 assists and captained the Crimson to a national championship, why is junior Jared Cantanucci wearing his No. 19?

The Athletic Department prides itself on an "old school" amateurism-in-athletics philosophy that places the ultimate and final focus on the team. While that idea is admirable, the school does a really poor job of tapping into the breadth of its athletic tradition.

Gaze up to the rafters at Bright Hockey Center and you'll see a couple big banners, including the men's and women's national championship banner. But then look around and all there are are fading white sheets with years that the school has won Ivy championships, Beanpots, ECAC titles. It gives the place the feel of a high school gymnasium, not a major Division I program.

Imagine if each title Harvard has ever won had its own banner. Bright already is one of the ugliest arenas in the conference; seeing the sea of championships the Crimson has won would only add to the dungeon-like quality of the place.