For many years the EIWA was the centerpiece of the Penn State wrestling program. Pitt and Navy and Army were important meets on the Nittany Lion schedule, but none of these opponents were at the same rivalry level as Lehigh. The dual meets with Lehigh, either at Rec Hall or Grace Hall on the Lehigh campus, were the highlight of the Lion wrestling season and drew maximum crowds. Lehigh was a hotbed of wrestling interest, not only on the campus but in the community of Bethlehem as well.
Through the years Charlie Speidel and the Lehigh fans had developed an intense rivalry, which was fed by Charlie’s bantering with the Lehigh fans during individual bouts. Although the rivalry was intense, there were also instances of good humor on both sides. One action of Charlie fueled a semi-annual ritual when the meet was held at Lehigh. In earlier years Lehigh’s home wrestling meets were held in a small gymnasium on the campus, Grace Hall. I’m not sure of the capacity, but I’m certain that wrestling crowds there couldn’t have exceeded 2500 or so, and the hall was really packed. Many had to sit on the floor in front of the bleachers, and they crowded almost to the edge of the wrestling mat itself. By the team the Penn State team took the floor there was barely enough room for the Lions’ bench, and Charlie’s chair was right in the middle of the Lehigh crowd, which all during the meet exchanged banter with the Penn State coach. If Charlie wanted to go to his team bench to talk to one of his wrestlers he had to step over Lehigh fans. After several years fighting through the Lehigh crowd and being taunted by the fans, Charlie came up with his own solution to the problem.
Charlie pretended to trip over the mat, and, in regaining his balance, he kicked over the team’s water bucket—including all the water in it, of course. The water drenched the fans, who, because they were packed so tightly on the floor, had no place to go to keep their trousers from getting a lapful of cold Nittany Lion water. With a straight face Charlie pretended that it was an accident and apologized to the crowd. Every other year, of course, the Penn State-Lehigh match was scheduled for Grace Hall with its overflowing crowd. When the Penn State team came out to their bench, followed by Charlie, he smiled at the Lehigh students, who were now well back from the edge of the mat. As Charlie walked to the bench, he was greeted with “OK, guys, move back . . . this guy will kick over the water bucket if you get too close!” This became an event every time Penn State wrestled at Grace Hall. The crowd moved back, and, if it didn’t, Charlie would pick up the bucket and pretend to empty it on the mat-side crowd. After Charlie retired, Lehigh built a new and larger wrestling facility [Stabler Arena], and the annual cry of “Here comes the ‘kick-over-the-bucket guy’!” hasn’t been heard since. My guess is that the water bucket threat was enjoyed as much by the Lehigh students as by Charlie.
