Wes Miller and Simas Lukosius of UC on the loss to Dayton
UC’s Wes Miller and Simas Lukosius on Dayton’s loss in the Hoops Classic at Heritage Bank Center
Ask columnist Jason Williams any question – sports or non-sports – and he will select some of your questions and answer them on Cincinnati.com. Email: [email protected]
Subject: No love for Dayton Flyers basketball in Cincinnati media
News: The media in Cincinnati has never given Dayton the recognition it deserves. For some reason, the media in Cincinnati is biased against the Dayton Flyers. The team 50 miles north is just as good as the teams in this area, but I think a lot of us UD alumni believe there is a conscious effort to keep (coverage of the Flyers) away.
Answer: The obvious answer is that we are not the Dayton Enquirer. Two cities. Two separate media markets. The media in Cincinnati will never cover UD on a regular basis. Just like the media in Dayton will never cover the Bearcats and Musketeers.
It would be easy to stop here, but the matter deserves more because you are not the first person to raise this issue.
According to UD’s website, 10,000 University of Dayton graduates live in the Greater Cincinnati area. That’s a strong alumni base from outside the city. Some UD graduates from the Greater Cincinnati area may identify with both cities, and for the diehard Flyers fans who live in and around the I-275 loop, the line between media and market may seem blurry.
Not all media outlets in Cincinnati ignore UD basketball. Lance McAlister of 700 WLW and Mo Egger of ESPN 1530, a former UD player, deserve credit. They usually give the Flyers some attention on their radio shows during basketball season.
Additionally, the media in Cincinnati would probably pay a little more attention to the Flyers if they were in the Big East Conference (where they should be) along with their old rival Xavier. The annual rivalry between Dayton and Xavier ended in 2013 when the Muskies left the Atlantic 10 Conference to join the Big East. Dayton remains in the Atlantic 10.
UC and Dayton renewed their rivalry last December for the first time since 2010. The game, played on neutral ground at the Heritage Bank Center, drew a hefty crowd of 12,547. Flyer fans were in full force, chanting “This is our house” as Dayton won its 92nd all-time game against UC, 82-68. According to College Hoops Today, Dayton and UC could play at the Heritage Bank Center again this season.
Only bias: I would love to see Dayton play at least one Greater Cincinnati team every season – and include the Northern Kentucky Norse as well. That would definitely get my attention.
