As you’ve figured out, major changes took place over the spring and summer months to help you stay informed and entertained throughout the college basketball season. The biggest change, of course, is our new domain. Formerly known throughout the Flyer spectrum as Dayton Flyer Etc (DFE), we’ve become UDPride.com and the change makes it easier for you and other Flyer fans to find us on the Internet.

But a domain change is about more than just convenience. When we brainstormed about a new identity we wanted a name that would best reflect the University of Dayton experience, the basketball program, and its die-hard fans who’ve entered into near cult-status with their relentless support over the years. UDPride.com is about celebrating the exclusivity of our passion — a passion for Flyer basketball and everlasting pride we all have for being a part of the university’s mission in our own special way. We feel UDPride.com encompasses the spirit of every UD alum, student, and armchair fan no matter what sport they choose to root for. It is our pleasure in welcoming you. Names aside, it’s time to talk about the meat and potatoes of this year’s site. We’ve made every effort to develop our strengths and improve our weaknesses so that we provide the best coverage of UD mens basketball on the planet.

We’ve completely redesigned the visual layout of the site to make a stronger impression on the web. Everyone has worked hard to ensure you are offered the best looking site, best graphics, and best content. One of the exciting additions for this season is RealAudio/RealVideo content. It is our hope that we merge cutting-edge multimedia and sound journalism into a product that competes with any other UD source in the country. The addition of streaming audio and video allows us to showcase great moments of the past, unforgettable shots, and incredible radio calls that blend nicely with the stories they accent. Streaming multimedia also means there’s little to download and less time to waste. More still-graphics and images are going to be available this year as well.

For those who enjoyed the feature stories last season, 1999-00 will be right down your alley. We’ve dramatically expanded our efforts in this area and will bring you in-depth columns on major issues facing UD basketball, the sporting world, and other interests that affect student-athletes and college athletics — stories that can only be seen and read at UDPride.com. Despite all of the changes however, much is still the same. You can expect complete pregame and postgame coverage of every Flyer contest, complete archives dating back to 1998-99, updated records page, full roster bios, coaching bios, an Official UDPride Message Board, and much much more.

In addition, UDPride.com is pleased to offer complete player previews for the 1999-00 season, as well as our annual preseason All-League and All-America previews and selections.

Back by popular demand is our LIVE JavaChat. Last year we were the first in the world to offer real-time discussion forums for Flyer fans and offer it again for 1999-00. Join UDPride.com every Sunday evening at 8pm for a moderated discussion on Flyer basketball. Special guests are already being contacted to supplement the roundtable talk.
Every effort has been made to ensure UDPride.com is the best web site devoted to UD basketball. We’ve also been careful to maintain our focus. From the start, Dayton Flyer Etc. and now UDPride.com has stressed the importance of professional, timely, and fair newswriting. While we try to offer as many incentives as we can to earn your return visit, we realize that UDPride.com’s exceptional writing will always be our bread and butter.

Finally, it’s not overstepping our bounds to remind everyone that UDPride.com is maintained by Flyer fans for Flyer fans. In fact, most contributors are season ticket holders, alumni, or both. We are Flyer fans first and Internet content providers a distant second. Having said that, UDPride.com is free from many of the constraints that prevent other news providers to say what you want to hear. At UDPride.com, there are no screaming editors or face-saving stories that dance around the edges. Telling it like it is without semantics, doublespeak, or smoke and mirrors is what we’re all about. We will make mistakes, and we may even trip over our own feet in the process, but I can assure you our intentions are sincere. None of us at UDPride claims to know everything there is about UD basketball and college basketball in general. My only guarantee is that everything we do reflects our own opinions, feelings, and perspectives based on our relationship with the program over the years. We will bring it to you honestly, and with only the best of intentions.

Please call or E-mail us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns this season. Your thanks and appreciation are our only profits.

Enjoy the season.