Bill Brooks occupied the same ice-level seat for every Capitals home game between 1974 and 2007 – as a penalty box official. In the photo at left, Brooks is keeping Bobby Carpenter company.Like the players, Bill worked his way up from the minors; he’d served as a sin bin keeper with the AHL’s Baltimore Clippers.
The gig dovetailed nicely with Brooks’ day job, as a Maryland State Trooper. He rose to the rank of Captain before retiring in 1992.
Bill pulled no punches when Dale Hunter became a Cap in 1987, telling him “I don’t like you.” The relationship improved – after all, they shared a lot of time together – so one time, when Brooks was drinking a can of Diet Coke, Hunter asked for a swig. Soon, Brooks was stocking six-packs for Dale’s frequent visits. It was private stock, too. Kevin Hatcher requested a can once, and Bill turned him down.
That’s not to say Brooks was immune to the needs of fellow Capitals. He once helped Michal Pivonka get out of a speeding ticket.
(Sources: Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Legacy.com)