Time once again for the irregular UDPride.com feature known as the “From the Swamp” mailbag. It’s irregular not because I’m constipated, but rather that’s the rate at which I receive emails. One of the joys of writing this column is the feedback I get from adoring fans. Here’s one from a Mr. D. Prinz that I received after the 2nd X game:

Dear Mr. Swampy:

“The game I just witnessed between Xavier and Dayton was pretty simple to evaluate. Xavier dominated the game from all fronts and was clearly the better team. Not to mention Dayton was out-coached once again.

Now, would you please be so kind to forward to me a complete list of excuses that yourself, other media and Dayton fans will concoct for Dayton to lose this game.

Please remember that in the grand scheme of things Dayton will always only be just Dayton and will continue to be a non-factor in the national college basketball scene.

I will anxiously await your response.

In addition, your fans showed a nice touch of class when batteries, ice and basketballs were hurled to the court near the end of the game. Congratulations on supporting such an environment.

Have a miserable life.”

DPP

Gee, I wonder what team DPP roots for? BTW, those were a couple of really fine showings that Xavier had against Duquesne and GW, Ace.

In the second X game, UD had the ball with 15 seconds left, down by 1 point. Excuses? We don’t need no stinking excuses! Domination? Since when is a 1-point victory considered “dominating?”

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you and I actually agree on one thing, DPP: whoever threw stuff on the floor should be banished from UD Arena forever. I don’t ever want to hear ESPN announcers refer to one of the Flyer Faithful as a “moron” again in this lifetime.

Here’s another love letter from a Muskies123. I guess we don’t have to wonder who he’s pulling for, either:

“You are so full of crap. KW and SF are like little girls. Five in a row is damn good in anyone’s book. Get a life. Purnell sucks and what about Hall? He is worse now then he was as a Frosh. He looks like he has bulked up in four years…from lifting towels.”

If you re-read my article the first 2 points that I made were:

— KW can score against Xavier. He did. Again.

— Sean Finn can and will give X fits on both ends of the floor. He did. And will again.

As for Brooks, he focused on stopping Sato. He does whatever the team needs him to do and he doesn’t always have to be scoring for him to be effective.

And as for my comment about X being screwed without DW, just wait until next year, cowboy. Caudle and Myles are nice players, but they are garbage men. On offense, their man doubles down on West and they put back any misses, because there’s nobody laying a body on them. You’ll soon discover that garbage men aren’t very busy when there is nobody to clean up after.

And here is my family’s favorite from K. E. Fagan, sent before the X game and after my “Beat Xavier” column was published in its entirety (and without my permission), including my picture, on Musketeer Madness:

“In addition to being a huge fat a**, you’re a f***ing moron —- Xavier by 10!”

Mrs. Swampy and the younger Swampette had a lot of fun with this one in Florida, constantly referring to me as “the moron” or “hey, fata**.” Thanks for providing my family with hours of entertainment! The last time I looked, the name of this website is UDPride.com not, MuskiePride.com. These three guys kill me. They take my column from UDPride.com, publish it on Muskie Madness and then tell me that I’m an idiot. You don’t agree with my opinions? Gee, what a surprise, fellas! Could it be because I’m not writing to please you?

Not everyone drilled me a new bunghole via email. I got a couple of nice comments on the MB. This one was from Kid Vegas:

“I like Swamp’s articles because they remind me of Peter May. Basketball, especially college ball, lacks the great writers that football and baseball enjoy. Always a pleasure, Swamp. IMHO your work flies above the banter that is spewed on ESPN.com.”

And another from GhettoBoy:

“Swamp has a great knack for the tongue in cheek, but he always keeps it clean and friendly. That’s how it should be.”

Thanks, fellas!

Joe Page sent me this note about the very same article that the three X guys loved so much:

“All I can say is GO FLYERS! Good column.

I must tell you though, I have a soft spot in my heart for X. I got caught cheating on a religion test for the roommate of my brother when I was a senior at Chaminade and was going down to Florida on spring break with him. His roommate got a D in the course and my brother never got caught! It WAS scary though when the priest called me over as I dropped off the test and was leaving the room. To this day, I wonder how I did.

Keep up the good work.”

Joe Page

That’s way too much information, Joe. I don’t know what the heck it has to do Xavier or with basketball, but thanks for writing!

Reader Brad Gingrich had written me back in January, saying he was going to be spending a good deal of time up here in Dearborn, MI and asked if I knew of any good sports bars. I gave him the names of a few places. Here’s his reply:

“I meant to thank you for the advice. I had been to Miller’s a few years back, but forgot it was in Dearborn. It is the best burger around. Also, Bailey’s has satellite & pool tables.

I read you were planning on going to the UMASS game. I hope you enjoyed it. I drove back to Dayton for that one and was back in Dearborn for an 8:00 am meeting Thursday (not the smartest thing I’ve ever done).

2 years ago, when Dayton was playing in the third round of the NIT against UDM I convinced my family that the weather was going to be bad and we flew home early from Florida. They made it clear that we wouldn’t be doing that again – so I will watch it on TV.

Enjoy the rest of the season.”

Brad Gingrich

The things we do to follow our Flyers, Brad! My family’s favorite is when I sit outside in the freezing cold, listening to a barely-audible WHIO on my car radio, because I can’t get their blasted web feed to work.

Finally, a note from Joe Sutherland known to UDPride.com Message Board posters everywhere as “Moville” regarding my column on the memorable 1974 UD/ND game:

“Nice column Swamp. They’re all nice pieces of writing.

The ’74 ND game is special to me. I was a nightside, general news reporter for the old Beacon News. Mr. Phelps would come into the news office on game nights and check out the sports ticker – they’d give five-minute updates all night long. There I was in Beacon, NY in a storefront drafty news office with Digger’s dad, drinking coffee, talking sports, making the occasional police call, listening with the other ear to the different radio monitors – and trying to enjoy the game that was taking place 650 miles to my west. What a night.

Mr. Phelps was always the perfect gentleman. Kindly and gentle. The kind of mortician you’d like to be buried by.

Take care, Swamp.”

Joe

Guess you couldn’t really yell “Sit Down Digger!” like the rest of us were at the time, eh Joe?

That’s it “From the Swamp.”