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1975, What a Year


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Aside from the unexpected (Muchachos, Kingsmen not making finals for various reasons), in looking back at the championships, there has never been a semi to final switching of places that we saw that year. In total, 7 of the 12 corps switched place from Friday to Saturday. The possibility of uncertainty makes the Saturday show that much more exciting and something that I wish existed today. Instead, we pretty much know who is going to be where by, dare I say, mid July? (Unfortunately)

Was it performance? Was it judging? I would almost guess that for both Friday and Saturday in August 1975, it was possible that the scores reflected the performances those days as opposed to what had happened during the rest of the season.

Yes, I know the debate still rages between Madison and Vanguard. Certainly either corps could have won that night. But that is not what this post is all about.

If you were there, what is your opinion as to why there was so much movement?

 

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As good as the '75 corps were, they were still susceptible to individual variances from performance to performance.

This "great unknown" made following drum corps extremely exciting decades ago.

The instructional/rehearsal techniques and talents of staff and performers have made things pretty consistent these days.

The drum corps of today doesn't leave much room for those surprises.

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Everything Brian said.... and I also wonder how much the "blind draw/mixed draw" prelims formats back then contributed to those score swings. 

You'd have, say, a top five corps on the field at one particular time during a prelims show.... then their main competitors might be on several hours later, or earlier, and so forth.  Had to make it tough for judges to manage their numbers.

A given corps could crank out a great prelims performance... Troopers in 1979 come to mind.... and come from off the pace to either make it into finals or make a serious run. Then at finals, that given corps might simply run out of gas, do a so-so performance, and drop down. On the flip side, a corps might do a flat prelims performance, manage to make finals, then turn it on at night and move up.

I worked DCA's title show starting in 1983... and it was the "prelims and finals in one day" format through 1988. Honestly, I don't recall any finalist corps doing two great performances in one day during those years. 

Edited by Fran Haring
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Back then, obviously, we didn't have instant access to scores...ALL scores. Usually we waited till Drum Corps News or Drum Corps World put them out. Although judges talked it probably didn't occur as fast as today. Today you can text or call and back then it was a long distance call that cost money. Today a judge can look up scores from the previous show, raise the number up a bit and stay in the ball park. Placing today usually stays consistent. Each year in DCI and DCA you can tell who will win the championship.

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5 hours ago, KeithHall said:

Back then, obviously, we didn't have instant access to scores...ALL scores. Usually we waited till Drum Corps News or Drum Corps World put them out. Although judges talked it probably didn't occur as fast as today. Today you can text or call and back then it was a long distance call that cost money. Today a judge can look up scores from the previous show, raise the number up a bit and stay in the ball park. Placing today usually stays consistent. Each year in DCI and DCA you can tell who will win the championship.

I disagree with this. I guess there is a bit more predictability today, but it also happened "back in the day" . Who didn't know that SCV was going to win in 73 or that BD was going to win in 76? And who would have picked Phantom to win in o8 or BD to come from 4th in quarterfinals to win in 15? 

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23 hours ago, Northern Thunder said:

As good as the '75 corps were, they were still susceptible to individual variances from performance to performance.

This "great unknown" made following drum corps extremely exciting decades ago.

The instructional/rehearsal techniques and talents of staff and performers have made things pretty consistent these days.

The drum corps of today doesn't leave much room for those surprises.

"Ancient History":

1964, VFW Finals:  Almost out of nowhere Racine Kilties upset EVERYONES (Beating ALL the "faves", which included the Chicago Cavaliers and Royal Airs, Boston Crusaders St Kevins Emerald Knights, and Blessed Sacrament) applecarts and marched away with the VFW National Championship.  

If this wasn't an instance of the "Great unknown", I don't know what is.  

I very much doubt something like this will ever be seen in DCI.

Elphaba    :flower:

Edited by elphaba01
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8 hours ago, DAvery said:

Who didn't know that SCV was going to win in 73 or that BD was going to win in 76?

I hear that!!!  Talk about stone locks those two years.

BD in particular in '76. Saw 'em at DCI Finals in Philly... 30 seconds into their show, the contest was over.  LOL.

Edited by Fran Haring
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On 4/11/2017 at 0:37 PM, DAvery said:

I disagree with this. I guess there is a bit more predictability today, but it also happened "back in the day" . Who didn't know that SCV was going to win in 73 or that BD was going to win in 76? And who would have picked Phantom to win in o8 or BD to come from 4th in quarterfinals to win in 15? 

Who did not know that SCV would win in 1972, or that Madison would win in 1974?

For every champ BITD that you "knew" would win, there is another you were just as sure about that lost.

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I think Madison won in 75 and Anaheim won in 1972.

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