Blackstar

Funny thing I've heard judges say for the last oh decade if not longer. "I would have scored them higher but I had to leave room for other corps" How the hell is that possible. If say the Crossmen come out on fire and percussion should be scored 18 out of 20 but Blue Devils and Cadets have yet to be judged. If they are better then they should get a higher score. It might be 18.5 and 19 but why should Crossmen get a 16.5 because they haven't scored that high all year and there are two more corps that have placed higher than them still to be judged? Slotting happens. Maybe not on purpose but it does. Drum corps is the ONLY activity where a group CAN"T go from last to first. Heck they can't even go from 6 to first.

Money money money. It takes so much money to start a corps, support a corps and grow a corps. Back in the day almost every corps had bingo. Now very few do because of Racinos in most cities. I really don't see how people think they can raise the money needed without some type of outside business to support the corps.

I'm hoping the links works because its really funny. This is comedian Rickey Smiley who has a syndicated morning show and also appears on the Dish TV Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yIHOybMCMA

When I log on with my tablet and check a thread I get the last page instead of the first.

Crossmen 1984 Huntington W. VA I remember Mr. Robinson and a couple of staff members were looking over the corps. They started pointing at me. They came over and asked how old I was. I always looked older than I was but I didn't have ID. My mom had to fax it. 1984! Cost around $20. She was not happy! We came in dead last with a 56.

So, could I start Star here in Delaware and would it still be star of Indiana or 27th Lancers Maryland? I know its not Indiana but you get my drift.

That's the point. Lightening very rarely strikes twice. If someone had the money wouldn't they start a corps in their own image. I wouldn't start another Blue Rocks even though most people in this area would want another go. Yes a past member might but how !much would it cost to start out at that level. Good luck to anyone that can pull it off.

With Southwind announcing their coming back the cries for the return of Star of Indiana ring out. I pray it never happens. Does anyone realize what a startup would look like? Smaller corps, less musical less original. It would be a shadow of its former self. And who is to say it would ever reach the same level as the original. Smaller corps such as East Coast Jazz, Pride of Cincinnati, maybe the Freelancers, Guardsmen or SkyRyders. But never Star or 27. Some things are better as a memory

While watching the Arena Bowl I realized that these stadiums would be ideal for smaller corps to compete. At a field of 50 yards, closer seats it gives a better feel for smaller corps to compete instead of being lost in large stadiums or make shift parking lots. There are over 50 indoor football venues around the country. They play during the summer same as drum corps. The cost I think would be lower and offer a possible better return on revenue. Membership could be limited to 75 or 100 (2 buses?). Same rules as Soundsport or IDCA. Definitely feel it would give the activity a better boost then Soundsport.

I know the season has just started but why wait until all the corps met. Thats the chicken way out. I'm putting it on the line right now! Cadets hold on to the lead, go undefeated and take it all. I called their last victory in 2011. This is not a favoritism thing. I didn't like thier show in 2011 and haven't like a Cadets show in some time. But a winner is a winner. In one of the tightest races ever Bluecoats barely edge out Crown and Devils for 2nd. Only 5/10's separate these corps. Phantom passes Vanguard at the end with a very emotional show. 7th Crusaders 8th Cavaliers 9th Madison 10th Blue Knights 11th Blue Stars 12th And it comes down to Troopers, Crossmen and Spirit. Will the Troopers make it after a heart breaking 13th place last year? Are the Crossmen ready to move back into a finalist position? Does Spirit have the show to stay a finalist? My heart says Crossmen, my head says Spirit, but I'm going with Troopers this year. We'll see right I am in a couple of months.

People know the corps of today as powerhouses but many were "not as talented" as today. Cadets were not a consistent top 12 corps until the late 70's. Colts, Blue Knights, Boston were around 25-35 most years until the late 80's mid 90's. 27 was a very consistent corps until the end. Like Bridgemen the end came very quickly unlike Blue Stars that had some very bad years (for lack of a better term) until they came back into the top 25.

I'm bored at work....really bored. So I was wondering what is the average placement of each corps. The criteria is that they must have made finals at least once. Been in World Class/D1 at least 10 years. Some corps didn't make the 10 years such as Kilties, Star of Indiana and Kingsmen. Many corps scored high in the 20's and 30's in the 70's but rose as the activity declined. Blue Coats, Blue Knights, Colts et al. Troopers may be the most inconsistent corps going from a mid 20 cors the the top 12 back to the mid 20's. 1 Blue Devils 3.02 2 Vanguard 3.94 3 Phantom 5.05 4 Cavaliers 5.6 5 Cadets 5.61 6 Madison 7.56 7 27th Lancers 7.66 8 Crown 11.66 9 Freelancers 12.15 10 Crossmen 12.24 11 Spirit 12.41 12 Bridgemen 12.76 13 Blue Coats 13.29 14 Blue Stars 13.95 15 Suncoast Sound 14.18 16 Blue Knights 14.86 17 Velvet Knights 15.80 18 Sky Ryders 15.94 19 Boston Crusaders 16.63 20 Troopers 16.89 21 Glassmen 17.56 22 Colts 19.31 What does this all mean.....nothing really. I was bored...really really really bored today and it killed a good hour.

So people knock SDCA because of the google results. But laud DCI for a format that has been dead for 30 years (A-60). What does the open class format do for small corps? Has DCI ever presented a small corps simulcast? Are they marketed as equally as the larger corps? Someone mentioned that Soundpsort does not pay corps but SDCA does. So who does more for small corps. At least they are spreading the wealth around no matter how little it is. SDCA does not have the financial resources of DCI and is very grass roots. Yes they need to market more. We preach that more needs to be done to help the activity but as soon as someone does something people sit in their lounge chairs on the internet and do everything they can to knock them. Sadly the more I read things on DCP the more I dislike this activity and the people in involves.

******* WARNING THIS IS AN ANTI-DCI THREAD******************** Once again DCI has jumped into someone else's footsteps. SDCA started as a way for small corps to be featured and get exposure that they didn't receive in DCI. Now DCI has started Soundsport "as a way for new corps to form and perform without the cost of touring" We need SDCA. Having a monopoly in anything is a bad thing. Having DCI control outdoor and indoor drum corps will spell the end of both. While Soundsport is the first thing DCI has ever done for smal corps its only a matter of time before it becomes the same thing DCI has. A way for larger corps to bully smaller corps into inactivity. I know I know, I have no proof if this so I'm not going to bother explaining why I believe this to be so. With the loss of DCM/DCE and others circuits, even the small ones such as GSC, there is no place where a small corps could perform every weekend with 100/200 miles of their home base. SDCA has been around for several years and has offered a solution and now once again DCI is climbing on the backs of others to take over another sector of the activity. We need to support SDCA in their efforts

Not going to do a poll.....YET, but I'm wondering who people think had the best uniform ever. Then I'll do a poll per decade. My vote Suncoast Sound