I’ve been on the road in the last two weeks on business trips that just so happened to coincide with Flyer games in Dayton and Pittsburgh. One of the benefits to seeing the team play is meeting some of the folks that we hear about or read posts from on a regular basis here at UDPride.com, as well as on FlyerHoops.net and the A-10 Board. Here are a few of those people:

Chris Rieman

Gotta start with my Editor, for obvious political reasons. I’ve been emailing these diatribes to Chris for 1½ years now and the UMass game was the first chance we’ve had to meet face-to-face. If you look at the picture that accompanies his posts on the Message Board you would think that Chris is the second coming of Mr. Clean — a big, burly dude with a clean-shaven head. I hate to disappoint you ladies, but you would be wrong. Chris is about my size, kinda quiet and unassuming and a really nice guy. He kept thanking me for all my help on the website. What help? You do all the heavy lifting, dude — I just write a bunch of gibberish when the spirit moves me. You make the magic happen, Chris — don’t thank me, thank you!

The Flyer Radio Guys

Sorry fellas, I’m 52 — I don’t remember your names. That’s okay, because I don’t think they had a clue who I was, either. I told them I wrote for UDPride and they both looked at me like “Huhhh?” I figure most of the UDPride.com regular readers are located somewhere other than Dayton and are graduates, rather than currently enrolled, so it’s understandable. I sat with these guys up in the press area in Section 301 for the UMass game. They provide Flyer Fans with an alternative to Larry and Bucky on WHIO, which certainly helps in my case, since I can’t’ get the freakin’ ‘HIO webcast to work on my PC. Why is it that a student-run radio station can provide a “listen live” function that actually works, while one of Cox Broadcasting’s leading stations gives us a second rate online listening experience? At halftime, I walked down to the media area with one of the FR guys and he certainly knew his stuff — he was a fountain of facts and stats. Don’t know how they kept themselves from screaming when Brooks nailed those three consecutive 3 bombs — I couldn’t and I’m sure the folks listening to Flyer Radio heard me! Keep up the good work, guys!

Mark Adams

I had never witnessed the “Flyer Feedback” show live and in person at Flanagan’s and finally got my chance last week. I spent 18 years in radio and I have to tell you that nobody has a post-game show that even comes close to what Coach puts on the air. I stood on the side and watched him handle the callers, the folks at the mike (some of whom were well lubricated) and the live guests (Norm Grevey, Andy Meyer, Darnell Hoskins) with equal aplomb. I introduced myself during a break and he seemed as glad to see me, as I was to finally meet him. Your Hometown Coach is obviously enjoying this special season as much as we all are and he has such a unique vantage point, having been a D-1 Head Coach himself. Mark shared an observation that was so dead-on, I later wondered why no one had ever made the connection before. We were talking about Brooks Hall and how well he played vs. the Minutemen and Mark said this:

“You know what Brooks is? He is exactly like Oliver…all business.”

Bingo!

Leslie Gonya AKA Mrs. Flyer Fanatic

Leslie runs Ideal Travel, the company responsible for the banner ad you see on the masthead of this website. In another clever tie-in to Flyer Hoops, Leslie herself does a live radio spot from Flanagan’s during “Flyer Feedback.” She told me that she got tired of hearing the same ad running over and over again and finally convinced WHIO to let her do her own spots live during Coach’s show. Leslie was busy working the room, chatting with folks and handing out info. Where do you get all of that energy, Leslie? Here’s a free plug for ya — if you’re going to Maui (or anywhere for that matter), why not let someone who is just as crazy about the Red and Blue as you are help you make the arrangements?

Chris and Pete Waleskowski

Everybody who follows the Flyers knows Pete from his consistent presence on both Message Boards. In his spare time, he’s also the President of the Dave Lance Fan Club. At the Duquesne game in Pittsburgh, I got to meet Chris Waleskowski, Pete’s not-so-silent partner. Altho’ she doesn’t post on the MB, Chris is every bit as proud of the boys as Pete is and can get pretty vocal cheering on Keith and the Flyers, not unlike her husband. We were seated next to a couple of Dukes fans and Pete told them some stories about the boys. Did you know Adam dunked at the first b-ball practice he ever attended in the 7th grade or that Alter is the only HS team in the US to ever win four consecutive overtime games on their way to a State Championship? Pete was still talking about the baby hook and thunder dunk that Adam made to help seal the deal for FSU against Duke.

The Fly

I was really looking forward to hanging with The Fly (AKA Allan Walton) at the Duquesne game in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, as you may have read on the MB, Allan got a call on Tuesday that his mom was in the hospital back in Dayton and it didn’t look good. The Fly is the guy who represents the voice of reason amongst UD posters on the Atlantic 10 MB, on which I lurk every day, but post very infrequently. Want to know what kind of person The Fly is? Allan called me in my hotel room in Pittsburgh before the game to apologize for not being there and to thank me for my note on the MB about his mom. Even “Smell The Glove” (alias Snipe) a rabid X fan whose mission in life is to remind us that UD hasn’t beaten X in Cincy since 1981, was able to lay down the rivalry and write the following:

“You have my prayers Allan. Anyone who reads this should do something nice for their own mother today. You only get one mom.”

If your Message Board nemesis thinks enough of you to offer that kind of sentiment at a trying time like this, then you must be an okay dude, Allan. It obviously says something about Snipe, too.

Finally some notes on the UD/Dukes game:

— NFW there were 4,004 fans at the Palumbo Center — 1,004 maybe, but no more than 1,500, with 300-400 of those UD followers.

— A lot of comments on the MB concerning UD’s lack of defense against the Dukes. But there actually was some ‘D’ being played out there. Here’s my favorite line from the boxscore:

Jimmy Tricco: 0-2 from the field for 0 points

Brooks Hall was in Tricco’s face all night long. Remember, Tricco was the guy who burned the Flyers for 20 points the last time we saw him. One of the 2 misses was a tasty “Spalding Sandwich” that BH delivered to JT late in the game. Soon after, the Flyers got the ball away again from the Dukes when Sean Finn leaned in front of an opponent and batted a DU pass to a teammate. Pete said “I can’t believe they didn’t call a foul on that play” not because Sean committed one, but because the refs were calling everything, including fouls that never happened.

— Tricco is a big kid — like 6’8″ worth of big. The way he was bombing 3 pointers in the first game, I figured him to be Ramod’s size, but he’s as tall as KW.

–DJ Stelly says he got cussed at by a Dukes Assistant Coach. I have to believe that running out onto the middle of the floor at the end of the game and belly bumping with Brooks might have been why. Oliver was screaming at DJ to go to the locker room. Remember DJ, act like you’ve been there before.

— OP did a lot of offense/defense subbing late in the game. Smart.

That’s it “From the Swamp.”