Time once again to empty my brain and my AOL file cabinet, just in time for the Holidays! Here goes:

— I love it when the Message Boards at UDPride and FlyerHoops are buzzing with activity like they are now. However, when it comes to passionate devotion to a sports team, we have a loooonnng way to go before we Flyer Faithful can catch up with Red Sox Nation. I cruise by SonsofSamHorn.com every now and then…it’s named after a career minor league power hitting 1B, who had a cup of coffee with the Sox. It’s the same site that Curt Schilling visited and chatted with fans at 12:30am (2:30am Boston time) on Thanksgiving Night, right before he signed with the Old Town Team. Schilling was totally blown away by the passion of RSN for all things Sox. Get this: one topic on the SoSH MB has 131 (and climbing) pages of responses. Not 131 replies (which would set a record on either Flyer Fan site’s MB), 131 pages of them! That’s insane. Here’s the link: http://pub208.ezboard.com/bsonsofsamhorn

— In my last FTS, I predicted that Jay Bilas should have nice things to say about the Flyers, after having seen them in Maui for 3 days straight. In a rare turn of events, I was actually correct! About the Flyers’ performance, Bilas stated:

“Best Team … Dayton: The Flyers were outstanding, and should be ranked and remain there throughout the season. Brian Gregory has done a great job of building on what Oliver Purnell did at Dayton, and has provided a new energy and toughness to the Dayton program. Dayton is big and experienced. The Flyers’ big men run the floor. The move that Purnell made last season in moving Ramod Marshall to the point and Mark Jones to the off guard spot is really paying off. Marshall was magnificent in the final against Hawaii, and Jones provided a high level of toughness and ability on the defensive end.”

As to BG, JB says:

“Best Coaching Debut … Brian Gregory, Dayton: Gregory did a great job of preparing his team, and his handling of the second half of the Hawaii game was outstanding. Gregory’s call for a lob play out of critical timeout was well conceived and well executed, and worthy of a veteran head coach.”

— Also in the most recent FTS, I took a shot at ESPN.com’s Andy Katz, saying he had a face for radio. Fortunately for me he’s never going to read that, unless he “Googles” himself. Regardless, Andy had this to say about UD shortly thereafter:

“Brian Gregory’s Flyers are one of the surprise teams this early season. But the most impressive win thus far might be the one at Pepperdine. Dayton beat the Waves on the way out to winning the Maui Invitational. Pepperdine beat Colorado on that same court after the Flyers came through last week on the way to the island. Dayton’s Keith Waleskowski, Ramod Marshall and Sean Finn should be in the top three at their respective positions in the A-10.”

— Reader Bill Mills had this response about Katz:

Swampy,

You don’t think Katz is good looking? As a confirmed heterosexual male, I would think that the ladies would find him handsome. I’ll ask my girlfriend tonight and see what she thinks.

Bill Mills, Jr
UD ‘ 00

Yeah, Bill, ask the expert…I don’t think it’s up to you or me to decide if Andy is ‘hot’ or not. Perhaps we should email his picture to the website of the same name?

— Not to be outdone, the guys at CBS Sportsline — Gregg Doyel and Frank Mejia — gave UD some props:

Doyel: I thought the same would happen at Dayton, without Brooks Hall and Oliver Purnell, but the Flyers won in Hawaii. Brian Gregory looks good right now.

Mejia: Yeah, the Flyers might just join Saint Joe’s as the class of the A-10. Sean Finn and Keith Waleskowski get it done inside.

Doyel: They are the class of the A-10. The league is looking lean beyond those two, which is a sad thing. Temple’s schedule will make it irrelevant, and La Salle isn’t coming through like I thought. Xavier looks decent, but Rhode Island might be the No. 3 team in that league.

Mejia: The Richmond people aren’t going to be pleased with you. They have a nice team over there that’s played together for some time. I put them in my preseason field of 65.

Doyel: Dude, Richmond has lost to South Carolina and UAB. It’s too early to be talking Richmond. The Spiders barely beat San Francisco

— Wonder if that Miami U Assistant Coach will have the huevos to bust out that Purple Suit for another Redhawk road game anytime soon?

That “Purple Suit” cheer was one of those things you miss by listening instead of attending a UD game at the Arena.

— The 2nd Annual FTS tour of Basketball Yearbooks at the magazine rack elicited a couple of responses. Here’s the first:

Thanks for the preview; now on to Borders.

Go Flyers.

Paul Schmidt
Class of ’75.
Jacksonville, FL

And this one from Mr. “Wear Red and Be Loud” hisself,

John R:

Thanks, you just helped me pay for two games this year. Since my tickets are $19.50 a game and with the savings on tax I can even buy a hot dog. Thanks again from a 1972 graduate like yourself. Remember be Loud and wear Red!!!!

It’s my job, John R and I love it.

The FTS Maui Preview also served its purpose, according to Steve and Lynda Joseph:

Swampy,

Thanks for your Maui restaurant guide. My wife and I are heading over on Wednesday instead of Saturday. I just couldn’t travel on the day of the OSU-Michigan game! We’re kinda celebrating our 20th anniversary in Hawaii and using the Flyers as a good excuse to head on over!!

Would love to see us beat OSU!

Enjoy your articles, keep ’em up! I graduated from UD in 1982, my wife in ’83. And our daughter is a freshman (freshwoman?) there, presently in Marycrest.

I hope we can help the Flyers bring back the Maui Classic trophy!

Aloha,

Steve and Lynda Joseph

In hindsight, maybe you shoulda left on Saturday, eh Steve? That was a bad week for OSU all around. At least your prediction of the Flyers having to check some hardware thru airport security came true.

And then there was this blast from the past, from my old editor at FlyerHoops.com:

Jim –

We’re never MIA…we’re just lurking in the background waiting for our time to return!

Great opening paragraph to your new article…I haven’t spoken or emailed with Lombardi in years. I would love to reunite with him for a series of articles. How’s everything going? Hope your family is happy and healthy.

Stay in touch!

Gregory J. Bilotta

Greg now sells advertising time for a radio station in the Big Apple. As for Joe Lombardi, who knows?

Finally, the long distance email award winner comes to us all the way from Dublin, Ireland:

Dear Swampy,

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinner and the Maui Invitational. It
was not the toughest field to be invited to the Maui, but a Championship
Trophy and 4-0 start is a great beginning for Brian Gregory and the Class
of 2004.

The College BB polls were released last night, and I was disappointed that
U.D didn’t crack the Top 25, but at least they’re starting to get noticed.

Hopefully, the Flyers will give Miami a solid thrashing tomorrow night, and
move up some more by next Tuesday.

Best Wishes,

Mark Ryan
Dublin Ireland
U.D. Class of ’79

In yet another case of clairvoyance, Mark was right about Miami, altho the Flyers didn’t quite administer the ‘thrashing’ upside the Redhawks’ heads that he was hoping for. Your patience finally paid off tho, Mark — that Top 25 ranking is now at last a reality.