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And we just knew that it had to be, as it seems only fitting...... : An American ( Meb Keflezighi, from NYC running club, and former runner from UCLA college team ) becomes the first American to win the Men's Boston Marathon since 1983... I'm watching the winner cry right now as they play Nation's National Anthmn.... he's one of 10 children. Upset victory winner today in the Boston Marathon.,,,.just said in a post run interview a few moments ago :... "the crowd's enthusiasm and spirit down the strech carried me... I did this for Boston,.. God Bless this City's people, and God Bless the USA ". Cool. Boston Strong.... Nation Strong.

I don't care what they do as long as it is entertaining and gives the performers an experience of a lifetime. It took me a long time to accept the things that are happening now and since i have a performer in it I am glad I no longer pick it apart as much as i used to. I enjoy the shows much much more now.

Fran - you're leaving out one of the holy places of the activity - Randall's Island. I was there one night in 1983 (might have been 84 - sue me - it's 30 years ago) when Bucky's pinto was stolen WHILE he was using it to shine light on the horn arc - ended up dumped over on the West Side of 125th. Randall's Island. Not Aruba or St Marten, but a hot spot of drum corps travel nonetheless.

Growing up in NJ, it was a privilege to be able to visit those tropical islands. Staten and Long. Luckily, I never had the pleasure of visiting Rikers. LOL.

No to (further) derail the thread, but anyone who thinks "all corps are equal" is crazy delusional. Some corps have better members than others, some have better staff & designers, etc.

like most.

Is that not the point of the story in the first place? All animals were equal, but then some animals thought they were more equal than others...I agree with you.

Very true. it has taken you a long time to get there.

So long as they are having the experience of their lifetime, and its still enjoyable, there's no need to talk about it.

Not trying to hijack a thread -- but on this first anniversary, I hardly think it wrong, OR on a more apt thread, than to say with all thoughts and sincerity... BOSTON STRONG !!!!

35:16-37:30 : )

Don't know why Bridgemen changed things. I DO know I saw the Yankee Rebels at Jersey City in the Dream do: "Requiem For an Era", and the crowd went BoZo Crazy for the show. I said to my self. "Wonder how that is going to go over at American Legion Nationals in ATLANTA, GEORGIA". So their I was at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA. "in 1969 Charlie Kammer presented the corps with a complete program of North/South Civil War tunes. This was to be the Yankee Rebels’ theme. The corps would attempt to perform a battle on the contest field with two armies playing North-South music." And I Quote. " The crowd applauded for over ten minutes at the conclusion of that memorable show. The Yankee Rebels won not only the show but also the hearts of the drum corps world. " They did not change a thing from the Dream in Jersey City, NJ!!!!!

Perhaps this thread should be titled, "What corps performance would you like to be responsible for getting yourself flamed?"

So glad for Tim! Can't say enough about him as a teacher and motivator. Learned more from him is 2 seasons than most of my college education class, etc.

Here's my brain on this thread: I'm a fan of (your favorite corps name). So I would say the dirtiest corps was (name of a corps other than your favorite corps).

Phantom Regiment 2008?

Sure. here goes : George Orwell ( 1903- 1950 ) was Brit and a believer, and until his death, in Democratic Socialism. He volunteered to fight in battle in Spain against the Fascists there in the the mid 1930's. He was shot in battle in the throat, almost died, probably should have died, but had a miraculous recovery in a hospital .He had toyed with his belief in Communism and armed struggles to achieve socialist aims early in his 20's, but he increasingly horrified by what he saw as inevitable abuses that power hungary people enact upon others once they emerge into positions of rule and authority where they make the rules for others to live by under the guise of equality for all. For example, Orwell saw the Russian Revolution of 1917 as a needed " People's Revolution " in that country as the Aristocracy rule there was so ignoring of the people, many who were dying from starvation, disease, with apparent unconcern for social justice and basic attention to peoples needs. But he saw how Stalin's Communism after the revolution was even worse for the people there as Stalin murderd his opposiition and set in motion a totalitarian control of the country based upon a culture of fear, intimidation, and autocratic rule that resulted in the horrific orchestrated deaths of millions of Russians under Stalin's years of heinous rule. Freedoms gave way to order, and the perpetuation of the leaders at the top to run things as they may under what he called a " Cult of Personality ". He feared that totalitarianism, with its supression of basic freedoms such as speech, press, religion, assembly, protests, etc would lead to people's acceptance of their plight in life, forced upon them by the self chosen few. So he created an alegory novel in which farm animals tried to organize themselves on a farm. He had them come together and to set up rules for themselves to live under... called commandments. There were 7 of these Commandments.... but as you will see in a moment, Orwell cleverly and deftly showed how these 7 Commandments began to change under the heavy hand of the autocratic , dictatorial, small group of animals that emerged. For example, here are the Farm Animals orginal Commandments.. and then the changes... and how these changes afforded the few to control the others, and how they abused their own commandments . The words in parentheses are the words the animals that took over totalitarian control over their fellow animals added to the Commandments to later justify their autocratic control. 1) Whoever goes upon 2 legs is an enemy 2) Whoever goes on 4 legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3 ) No animal shall wear clothes 4) no animal shall sleep in a bed. ( without sheets ) 5 ) No animal shall drink alcohol ( to excess ) 6) No animal shall kill another animal ( without cause ) 7). All animals are equal. ( but some animals are more equal than others ) Anyway, thats a very quick run through of it all... and it by no means does it justice to it at all, as there is SO much more to Orwell's novel, particularly the relationship of the Farm animals and the Humans in their midst, and the "rationale" the animals used justify their abuse upon the other animals, and how the commandments were routinely set l aside whenever the animals running things decided on their own whims to do so.... things Orwell saw, in his view, to be something that all Communists once in control, almost without exception did re. power and control over the people, under the guise of " social justice " and " equality " and so forth.. Orwell in his life came to the conclusion that ultimately Communism was an impractical theory that would fail in practice. But his heart was always with the underclass, and their plight, and throughout his entire life, that remained. He wrote the book in 1945.. he died only 4 years later, at the young age of 46( of tuberculosis.) His book ( he wrote others ) was banned in Communist Countries until pretty much the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 80's. I won't reveal how the ending of Orwell, book " Animal Farm " ends in the story he tells... that might be best left up to Boston to tell with their music and visuals in this season's show than I can tell with mere words now.. They'll most likely do better justice to it anyway.

Not sure why there's such a mystery about the uniform. The pants and stripe will change...the rest will be the same. Crown has been fielding uniforms with built-in adaptability since 2007. First the jackets/windows, then the shirt/vests, and now the black coat/colored pants/stripe. The pants/stripe colors this year will coordinate with the program but it will be same uniform as last season. I love Crown's innovation in uniform design.

One can find dirt in every championship show. Some moments here and there which are just a bit off, even some blatant errors, but in all they are overwhelmed by the parts which are brilliantly executed. Same as it ever was. I think some folks might be looking at this as a chance to get some more cheap shots in at shows they either just didn't like or felt should not have won for whatever reason. Understandable. But those championship banners do fly forever.

just a note to wish all the 'Whoers' a Happy Easter, or as we say in the old country buon Pasqua.......glad to still be around after thw stroke in November and congestive heart failure 3 weeks ago....still playin' and teachin' but not driving yet 'cause some visual problem which requires me to be carted around on my fat arse many thanx to all who have contacted me or sent cards or dead birds......I ain't dead yet ($1 to Mr. Ware)....however, I saw Bucky at the end of the tunnel Coors lights in hand, waving me to join him which I refused then Truman stopped in and reminded me: 'if He brings you to it; He will bring you thru it' (true dat) Guido

A Laser Cats show would be awesome. "Some will use the cats for good. Others for evil."