“Dayton. The way the Flyers have been going lately, Dayton’s a tougher ticket than Daytona. And the amazing thing: That’s the way it was in the early ’90s, when the Flyers were winning four and six games a year.”—Jeff D’AlessioThe above two sentences appeared on The Sporting News web site this last week. It seems that the rest of the world is beginning to hear what we have been saying for years, “The University of Dayton has the best fans in the world.”

Before our heads get so big that we will no longer fit through the doors of the UD Arena, let’s think a little bit about what is being said here and decide if it’s really true. One of the easiest ways to determine if we have the best fans is to look at the attendance per game over the last decade:Year

Year / Record / Attendance

1989-1990 22-10 12,338
1990-1991 14-15 12,597
1991-1992 15-15 12,259
1992-1993 4-26 11,470
1993-1994 6-21 10,868
1994-1995 7-20 10,962
1995-1996 15-14 11,342
1996-1997 13-14 10,885
1997-1998 21-12 11,717
1998-1999 11-17 11,975
1999-2000 22-9 12,644

I doubt that there is any other program in Division I that could withstand the kind of seasons that we had in the mid-90s and withstand just a minor drop in attendance. The question that needs answered would be, “Why are these people still showing up?” There have been a number of theories suggested over the years, but I really think that you need to take a look at the fans that attend the games to understand why they continued to attend even when things were at their darkest. Probably 99% of those that buy tickets would fit into one of the following categories:

1. “Lester has been gone for three years now, but God, how he loved those Flyers. I really couldn’t give up his seats now.”

2. “The clients like to come to a game now and then, so we really can’t afford to give them up.”

3. “Look, I graduated from UD. It’s my way of giving a little something back.”

4. “I love rooting for the underdog. That’s why I’ve always loved the Flyers.”

5. “What they play in the NBA isn’t basketball. This is the way the game is supposed to be played.”

6. “I’ve been a fan since I was 6 years-old. It was impossible to get tickets then, so I’m not about to miss a game now.”

7. “I can get into a game for less that a movie at the multi-plex.”

8. “I have a couple of beers before the game, a couple at the game, and a few more after the game.”

9. “One of these days, they are going to win something big and I want to be part of it. Besides, what else is there to do in January in Dayton?”

10. “Tony Stanley sure is cute!”

On the surface — when just looking at the numbers — somebody might say that we would attend no matter what, and they may be right. But, just coming is not enough. Much like football in the city of Columbus, going to a UD game is as much a social event as it is a sporting event. To see and to be seen talking to the right people is far too important to some. If you asked everyone in the crowd what a pick and roll was, I’m afraid you would get far too many blank stares. Message boards are filled with complaints about the fact that the announcer doesn’t get the crowd fired up or the music that they play isn’t what is needed to drive us into a frenzy. There are times when you can hear a pin drop in the middle of a close game. If it is not a name opponent, forget about excitement generated by the crowd. If you are not careful and stand too long at the wrong time, somebody is sure to yell, “Down in front”. Have you ever noticed how many people exit at the four-minute mark? How many times have you heard the guy next to you boo the home team this year?Do we have the best fans or are we a flock of sheep that just continue to do what we have for years? I think when you drill right down to the core, we are a little bit of both. There are many that would do whatever it takes to come to a game. There are some that are into every play and die a slow death when we don’t come away with a “W.” I was stupid enough to drive 90 miles each way for every home game during the last two years of the O’Brien era to see just a handful of wins. Was it just because I didn’t want to waste my tickets, or did I just want to yell at Jimbo?We are a loyal group, we UD fans. We stick with the program through thick and thin. We think we really make a difference when it comes to winning or losing. We wear our red and blue with honor no matter what our record may be. And we love to hate the Bearcats. I guess we are pretty special.