goalieguy

FACTS...We don't need no steenking FACTS!!! Booyah! Pat

Maybe took the dive off the 495 Twin Bridges - in order to avoid the inevitable ... After seeing the pictures on Facebook - I saw only ONE person from the Great White North at the meeting, and that was the DCA official from here.. Guess I'll have to consider the opportunity to go to finals this summer - since there are no DCI shows in Minne this summer - NONE !!! Pat BIG TIME OOOPS , YALL - it looks like the DCI Blue Star show in Rochester, will be returning, as will Mankato's Thunder of Drums - but no Open class show and the show they moved to Menominee has moved to Lacrosse.

I know they were setting up a "home" at Inver Hills CC - with some kind of connection to the Arts programs there. Haven't heard much other than MBI Winterguard is at one facility in the northern suburbs, and the winter drum is at yet another facility - Totino-Grace HS in Fridley...

Wish I had better news from my end, Fran. Last snippits I hear is MBI is going to do Soundsport again this summer. I was hoping they'd look into Winds for the winter, both as a marketing tool and to get something to restart interest in the hornline.. Can't speak for Chops, Govies, or the Mad Plaid.. I've been 'thrown to the curb' like a number of us - I CAN tell you that a new color guard is forming locally - featuring some old MBI alumni and past junior corps alums on staff and they have been doing fundraising, soooooo.... Here's hoping ! Pat

Jeffe - the only shows I remember All-Age being judged on DII/III sheets MIGHT have been the year that DCI "ran" the circuit. Prior to and afterward, All-age were judged on the SAME sheets as the big boys - until DCM was dissolved.That's how it took "DCA conversion table " to guesstimate the spread between our DCI/ DCM scores and the prevailing DCA values..

I could see scores being a bit higher in some cases.. BITD when MBI and the other Midwest all-age corps competed in DCM - ON THE D-1 SHEETS - the All-agers could count on being between 8-to 15 points back of the DCI caliber corps up to the DCM Championships weekend - As Brass got bigger, that's what made competing with the 'hotshots' more fun..I can attest to that route providing the competitive jumpstart to MBI's rise to DCA's upper echelon in the mid 80's and beyond..I can recall us giving a brief scare to some of the other D-1 groups in scores at DeKalb more than once - I still remember the stunned reaction when MBI beat the Troopers at a DCM show in St. Peter on the 4th of July..You shoulda heard Jim Jones rake his kids over the coals for losing to "a senior corps" - he hated us from then till his passing. Pat

Hey Jimbo ! The DCA -Central corps used to be in a number of the local DCI shows - partly due to co-sponsorship or co-ownership. Now that only the Govies is a legit field corps, it makes it tough to justify putting the other units into those shows.. Pat

We thought so too, my friend! It's part of our "9-11" history (that most of us geezers take pride in) - much like CV's old motto..."We finish 9th so YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!"

You know as well as I do, Fran - the "crap shoot" has been a point of regular debate here in Minne.. We've been luckier than others - but we're not immune.. We've had more than one trip out East that has been victim to Mother Nature - I think most of my family here look at it as part of the experience - or RE-paying our dues to the circuit.. I've always looked at it as 'Character Building' as a group - and in those days - it just made us tougher - (in addition to that well-known Midwest masochism we were known for)

77, 78 and 79 as well, my jeffe! BTW - we made finals in '89 - even had best soloist that year.. Pat

you're just PO'd because MBI came out and YOU had already bought tickets for Allentown... Time to call the WAAAAAAAAAAAAMbulance, Jeff! Pat

Hey y'all - not too long ago DCA had the Minnesota Weekend - it started with a Saturday/Sunday combo - then it went to Friday/Saturday with MBI and Govies and the rest of DCA Central..I can guarantee you that Patrick's saw a bunch of new patrons in those years...Isuspect that until MBI gets a full corps back on the field - you won't see that anytime soon..I know from chats with the judges that I drove from St. Paul to St. Peter and back - that weekend was in demand for assignments.. Pat

And you liked THAT over Bonnie & Clyde??? - dude - you needed to see how hard it was to build that car - and to get Roger to learn how to shoot straight. Personally - MBI's '13 show should have won! Guess I'm a bit biased.. Pat

If I could be there, I would...My only way out would to bus it with the "Gang of Green" - and I be too old to do the 20+ hour bus ride, especially with the Green Bus ...Take both an MBI and Cru shirts - two of my faves.. Pat

Not the last WHAT, Jeffe? Pat