2018 Prediction Thread

[brassdude6171]

Here's my Top 10 as of December 1st. 

 

1. Bluecoats (Canton, Ohio)
- Kinda get the feeling something truly groundbreaking is going on in Canton this year. Also think an emphasis is being put on being visually beautiful as well as putting forth a breathtaking sound. Shot in the dark, that's all.

2. Blue Devils (Concord, CA)
- Really wanna put Santa Clara here, but it's highly doubtful the Devils fall past second any time soon. It's gonna be hard to top last year, though. That ending stopped hearts.

3. Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, CA)
- Very tight medal group, once again. The Gaines Effect is felt even moreso this season, and another great show is presented, but it's not enough.

4. Boston Crusaders (Boston, MA)
- Up and up and up. As they said in the promo video, "2017 was just the beginning." Buy into the hype.

5. Carolina Crown (Fort Mill, SC)
- They may be running out of stellar ideas in Fort Mill. That much was evident last year. That brass staff is incredible, but they're not incredible enough to solve possible repeat of poor design along with a poor percussion program that may be declining even more.

6. Blue Knights (Denver, CO)
- Thought last year's show was criminally underrated and underscored. Really believe in Bocook going all in on this hornline as well as an incredibly designed program coming before us.

7. The Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL)
- Wasn't as big a fan of 'Men Are From Mars' as it seems like most were. Not sure Kevin and his staff can fix a lot of the problems that plagued this hornline last year. Hoping for a great program, as always, but not expecting one.

8. The Cadets (Allentown, PA)
- These are dark times in Allentown. The end of the Hopkins Era could (and should) be over soon.

9. Phantom Regiment (Rockford, IL)
- Huge fan of last year's program, especially those gorgeous uniforms. Hoping that stellar brass staff can come in and propel the Regiment forward, but it might take one more year of the downfall of Cadets before that happens.

10. Crossmen (San Antonio, TX)
- That Texas homegrown talent is starting to really show for Crossmen; they're headed in the right direction. Really impressed with their recent precision.

[Hook'emCavies]

Cavies in the top 3

[Cadevilina Crown]

1. BD. Placing them here by default because they are BD, but it will be hard for their 2018 show to top Metamorph. Also, with Jim Wunderlich gone, I'm not sure how the percussion program will respond. But all these are relatively minor concerns.

2. Bluecoats. 2017 was fun, but may have stretched the envelope a little too far. I believe they have the potential to fix what didn't work and keep up what does work. It will be a bit like Crown 2015.

3. The Cavaliers. Design-wise, I didn't like MAFM either, but that show would be nothing without the mature membership they had to pull it off. They already have a great design team, a great percussion and a great color guard - now they are getting a great brass caption head that has worked with some of Japan's best marching bands. I think the time is now right for them to return to the medal stand.

4. SCV. Design and percussion will be strong again, but they also lost 50+ ageouts. I'm not sure if they'll be able to retain the talent level of 2017, which is why I've put them here.

5. Boston Crusaders. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll continue to climb up the rankings, but I think the corps above them are too strong for BAC to overtake them... yet.

6. Carolina Crown. I will always love Crown's brass, but I think their time near the top is done. I think talent levels will suffer across the board after last year's poor design choices.

7. Blue Knights. BK did not fix the one big issue I was hoping they would (colorguard), but their musicality will keep them near the Top 6.

8. Phantom Regiment. They had some big staff shakeups this offseason, so it may take them some time to adjust, but I think they'll be on their way back up the rankings after a few years of slipping.

9. The Cadets. Their last two shows have looked and felt NOTHING liked the Cadets I've always loved. Until Hopkins leaves forever, they'll be slipping down the rankings.

10. Blue Stars. I think the design will be better and the colorguard and brass will be strong once again, but they have a new brass arranger to get used to and a young percussion section. We'll see, but for now I don't see the Cadets slipping to the double digits.

11. Crossmen. They tend to have their best shows in even years, but then again so do the Blue Stars. No doubt the talent levels in Texas will keep them in.

12. Mandarins. Yes, I believe their membership and design team will be strong enough to push them into their first Finals.

13. Madison Scouts. Only reason I'm putting them here is because I'm not sure the talent levels will be ready for another Finals appearance. They also have a number of new design team members/caption heads this year that will take some getting used to.

14. Colts

15. Troopers

16. (insert Open Class Champion here)

17. Academy

18. Spirit

I don't really watch the rest closely enough to know how they'll place.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Cadevilina Crown

[Den8uml]

As long as BAC finishes ahead of The Cadets, I'm fine with the predictions! ;-) 

[Ghost]

20 minutes ago, Den8uml said:

As long as BAC finishes ahead of The Cadets, I'm fine with the predictions! ;-) 

Oh, oh, now you've done it.

[Jim Schehr]

1 hour ago, Cadevilina Crown said:

1. BD. Placing them here by default because they are BD, but it will be hard for their 2018 show to top Metamorph. Also, with Jim Wunderlich gone, I'm not sure how the percussion program will respond. But all these are relatively minor concerns.

2. Bluecoats. 2017 was fun, but may have stretched the envelope a little too far. I believe they have the potential to fix what didn't work and keep up what does work. It will be a bit like Crown 2015.

3. The Cavaliers. Design-wise, I didn't like MAFM either, but that show would be nothing without the mature membership they had to pull it off. They already have a great design team, a great percussion and a great color guard - now they are getting a great brass caption head that has worked with some of Japan's best marching bands. I think the time is now right for them to return to the medal stand.

4. SCV. Design and percussion will be strong again, but they also lost 50+ ageouts. I'm not sure if they'll be able to retain the talent level of 2017, which is why I've put them here.

5. Boston Crusaders. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll continue to climb up the rankings, but I think the corps above them are too strong for BAC to overtake them... yet.

6. Carolina Crown. I will always love Crown's brass, but I think their time near the top is done. I think talent levels will suffer across the board after last year's poor design choices.

7. Blue Knights. BK did not fix the one big issue I was hoping they would (colorguard), but their musicality will keep them near the Top 6.

8. Phantom Regiment. They had some big staff shakeups this offseason, so it may take them some time to adjust, but I think they'll be on their way back up the rankings after a few years of slipping.

9. The Cadets. Their last two shows have looked and felt NOTHING liked the Cadets I've always loved. Until Hopkins leaves forever, they'll be slipping down the rankings,

10. Blue Stars. I think the design will be better and the colorguard and brass will be strong once again, but they have a new brass arranger to get used to and a young percussion section. We'll see, but for now I don't see the Cadets slipping to the double digits.

11. Crossmen. They tend to have their best shows in even years, but then again so do the Blue Stars. No doubt the talent levels in Texas will keep them in.

12. Mandarins. Yes, I believe their membership and design team will be strong enough to push them into their first Finals.

Looks about right with respect to each tier. Cadets could be either a 3rd or 4th tier corps. Boston could be in that 1st tier, definitely a wild card.

[Jim Schehr]

50 minutes ago, Den8uml said:

As long as BAC finishes ahead of The Cadets, I'm fine with the predictions! ;-) 

No longer a concern for BAC. 

[ThePlanets]

I am going to post a range next to my predictions. Predictions are kind of a crapshoot but I would be surprised if I am off too much on the ranges. Also as a disclaimer I know nothing about guard.

1. SCV- their momentum is on the upswing and 2018 will bring one of the most amazing, clean, and precise SCV shows of all time. Range 1-5

2. BD- their chances of not medaling are about as good as the Cleveland Browns chances of making the playoffs. 2017 brought a whole new direction and flavor of BD and their risk paid off and they still won. They haven't gotten 3rd since 2006. I thought it was anyone's game in 2015 and they could be as low as 5th but since then their competition from Crown is cooling, Cadets have dropped off, and Boston and the Cavies are heating up but not quite gold medal contenders yet. Range 1-3

3. Bluecoats- Bluecoats shows are fun, passionate, and interesting. They have a great program going. I don't think they will fade after falling to 5th. Jagged line was the crowd favorite anyway. Range 1-5

4. Boston Crusaders- the hype is real and they are touring with tough competition all season next year. One of the most historic corps is finally building a dynasty. Range 3-8

5. The Cavaliers- this a tough one. They are building and getting way better. Men are from Mars design was not as good as Propaganda but they had a more talented group. They will draw even more talent in 2018 and have great percussion and guard. Range 3-7

6. Carolina Crown- Much like the Cadets couldn't rally after an unpopular show design in 2014... Crown will have trouble in 2018. The thing about Crown is their brass has been consistently top notch since 2008 regardless of their show designs being all over the place. I think they are more likely to fall but they are my dark horse for 2018. Range 1-8

7. Blue Knights- I love BK. It seems like they just can't crack being the top of tier 2. Their claims about being more ###### could mean anything from the best BK show ever to one of the worst. I think they will be pretty consistent. Range 4-10.

8. The Blue Stars- I was VERY impressed by their hornline last year and I think great things are ahead for them. The 17 show reminded me of an old phantom show. Range 6-13.

9. Phaaaaantom Regiment- 2017 was a weird year for Phantom and while I think overall changes will be positive this group is still rebuilding. Range 5-11

10. The Cadets- 10th is a worst case scenario but they will start out of the gate talking about the next season and while this group of MMs will look and sound fantastic- the show design just won't showcase them and be a mess. Range 4-11

11. Madison Scouts- they are back and big and getting better. Another fun show design puts this group on 11th. Range 8-14

12. The Mandarins- they gain momentum after their 2017 production, come up with another genius design and find themselves in finals for the first time. Range 10-16

13. Crossmen- I have really enjoyed the crossmen shows the past few years...they have had great soloists and percussion features but I think they could be a lot stronger. Range 9-14

14. The Academy- another great show and performance but just not enough to make finals again. Range 10-16.

15. The Troopers- Improved show design and performance from last year. Range 13-17

16. The Colts. Range 14-18

17. BOLD prediction- Music City. Their first year in world class proves to be a great one. I thought they were pretty underrated last year. The tribe was a great show and performance. Range 15-22

18. Oregon Crusaders- they recruit better and have beautiful lush brass and a creative show design. Range 15-22

19. SOA- their placement is somewhat dependent on their show style. I would love to see them do better because I love SOA but I met a few promising MMs that wanted to march elsewhere in 2018. Range 16-23

20. Genesis- they do slightly better this year than last and keep generating more interest. Range 17-22

21. Pacific Crest- range 18-23

22. Jersey Surf- they make the 25 seed in semifinals and bring back the fun show theme. Yay! Range 19-24

23. Seattle Cascades- range 19-24

24. Pioneer- they make a lot of gains on seeding when compared to OC corps and have a much better year than 2017. Range 22-24

 

 

 

 

[PopcornEater1963]

16 hours ago, Cadevilina Crown said:

1. BD. Placing them here by default because they are BD, but it will be hard for their 2018 show to top Metamorph. Also, with Jim Wunderlich gone, I'm not sure how the percussion program will respond. But all these are relatively minor concerns.

2. Bluecoats. 2017 was fun, but may have stretched the envelope a little too far. I believe they have the potential to fix what didn't work and keep up what does work. It will be a bit like Crown 2015.

3. The Cavaliers. Design-wise, I didn't like MAFM either, but that show would be nothing without the mature membership they had to pull it off. They already have a great design team, a great percussion and a great color guard - now they are getting a great brass caption head that has worked with some of Japan's best marching bands. I think the time is now right for them to return to the medal stand.

4. SCV. Design and percussion will be strong again, but they also lost 50+ ageouts. I'm not sure if they'll be able to retain the talent level of 2017, which is why I've put them here.

5. Boston Crusaders. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll continue to climb up the rankings, but I think the corps above them are too strong for BAC to overtake them... yet.

6. Carolina Crown. I will always love Crown's brass, but I think their time near the top is done. I think talent levels will suffer across the board after last year's poor design choices.

7. Blue Knights. BK did not fix the one big issue I was hoping they would (colorguard), but their musicality will keep them near the Top 6.

8. Phantom Regiment. They had some big staff shakeups this offseason, so it may take them some time to adjust, but I think they'll be on their way back up the rankings after a few years of slipping.

9. The Cadets. Their last two shows have looked and felt NOTHING liked the Cadets I've always loved. Until Hopkins leaves forever, they'll be slipping down the rankings.

10. Blue Stars. I think the design will be better and the colorguard and brass will be strong once again, but they have a new brass arranger to get used to and a young percussion section. We'll see, but for now I don't see the Cadets slipping to the double digits.

11. Crossmen. They tend to have their best shows in even years, but then again so do the Blue Stars. No doubt the talent levels in Texas will keep them in.

12. Mandarins. Yes, I believe their membership and design team will be strong enough to push them into their first Finals.

13. Madison Scouts. Only reason I'm putting them here is because I'm not sure the talent levels will be ready for another Finals appearance. They also have a number of new design team members/caption heads this year that will take some getting used to.

14. Colts

15. Troopers

16. (insert Open Class Champion here)

17. Academy

18. Spirit

I don't really watch the rest closely enough to know how they'll place.

I'd sign up for this right here and now!  :-) 

[palmettomello]

1. SCV: momentum is there and they are hungry for another championship. I will admit, when I heard last year's show announcement, I was a little let down. From the description, I didn't think that it would have the potential to place in the top 3. Boy was I wrong. Another well designed program and I see the title going back to the 'other' west coast corps. 

2. BD: because it is BD.

3. Crown: Yes, their show wasn't that popular last year with fans. Nonetheless, they draw huge talent every year in all captions. Design team has had a year to mesh and think of something magnificent to put on the field. Can't remember, but I believe a large number of vets are returning. Don't see them falling out of the top 4. 

4/5 Bluecoats: Wanting to get back to the top. Some nice additions to staff to try and pull them up the ranks. Give it a little more time. Tilt and Downside up are possibly some of the best use of props in the marching arts, IMO. Last year's catwalk was a great idea but didn't quite have the sparkle.

4/5 Boston: Always loved them, glad they are now placing back in the top 6. Give it a few more years and possibly in medal contention? Could honestly see them topping coats with that design team and guard that is on FIYAH. 

6. Cavaliers: I think coats and crusaders will have a more polished product in the end to beat them. Could also see them 4th again. 

<4/5/6 is a toss up to show design, I think they all pull similar talent.>

7. Cadets: really miss seeing them in the top echelon. I enjoyed MASS but I know others didn't at all. Programming needs to be stronger. Visually, they need to be more concise and explicit in what they are trying to portray. Another building year for them but they will be back I'm sure. 

8. Phantom: picking up some nice Brass staff. Hope to see a fresh show design from them. A little bored with what they have put on the field as of late. 2006 to 2011 (sans 2009) are some of the best products PR has ever fielded. Give me something new to drool over! Even something like 2010 that isn't found in the classical repertoire (controversial with alumni I know but one of my PR favorites).  

9. Blue Stars: Pending what they put together. Past couple of years, I think they try to include too much into a program and it gets a little cluttered. Known for guard changing costumes and difficult work, let the design breathe and speak for itself.

10. BK: lost some strong staff. Personally, not a huge fan of their style they have developed. I enjoyed the dark and ominous productions of the mid to late 2000's more. But I can always enjoy an entertaining BK show. 

11. Xmen: pulling that strong TX talent and putting together fan friendly shows. 

12.  Madison: what will they wear next?