FanNation - The Republic of Sport

(3/15/08)

     Within a community, a bell of hope and valor tolls.  As many look around, trying to find this bell, it becomes louder and louder.  But for all of these wondering visitors, the bell will only be found in one place.  When they find it, all will be understood.  For those familiar with this community, this bell signals a new beginning, and undying hope.

     Amidst the sounds of cheering and clapping, the long awaited bell begins to encompass the venue.  The crowd erupts in excitment, as the Dayton Flyers enter the packed arena, and start to make their way onto Blackburn Court.  Deep inside the heart of every child, woman, and man, the new bell rings, and music plays throughout U.D. Arena.

    Many say that their school is the most spectacular, but I am not one of them.  I, instead, consider it to be similar to the others, but at the end of the day, considered a storied, but unrecognized program.  While the ESPN crew somewhat resents the Dayton Flyers, most likely because of the 2003 loss to 13 seeded Tulsa in the NCAA tournament, several other corporate giants of the sports journalism world just don't realize that Dayton is a D-I program.

    With the exclusion of Xavier, and the occasional St. Joseph's, the rest of the A-10 seems to get left in the dust.  As far as U.D. is concerned, that is a familiar stance. As far as I could tell from the NIT website, the Dayton Flyers have the most Postseason NIT appearances, with 20.  Unfortunately, many of today's fans see the NIT as pointless.  What they must realize is that before the NCAA National Championship (the tourney), the NIT was the championship tournament.  But it fell by the wayside once the field of 64 became more popular.

    Earlier this year, the University of Dayton held a "Celebration of Flyer's Basketball", which looked back to the beginnings of the program, and went from era to the next, up to last season.  It was a remarkable sight, with figures like Bob Knight, John Paxson, and Jay Bilas in attendace.  The time of change was nearing, but few knew it.  I soon found myself rooting on the Red and Blue, just as I had been for the past 15 years, but this year was different.  Much different.

    The Flyers; my Flyers, the team that had been struggling for the past few years, had it all going for them.  I went to every U.D. basketball game that I could; the Findlay exhibition game, the American University game, and the Coppin State game.  Any time the team hit the road, or played a game I couldn't go to, I put my MacBook to work, using Gametracker to follow my team.  If it was televised, I would watch it.  

    Although Dayton began to tumble at the end of the regular season, the senior leader, Brian Roberts, did his best to give his Flyers a shot at going to the postseason.  When this season is over, many people will remember the faces, the wins, and the losses.  Others will remember the star players, the joy, and the hard work these young men put forth.  But for me, memories of the leadership, the perserverance, and the heart of each one of these players will sustain me until next year, when people will indeed realize that a new bell has tolled in Dayton, Ohio.