prodigal bari

I counted 70 brass in BDB....YIKES!!!!! THIS should be a World Class corps....and would probably be competitive!

Which begs another question..actually several: 1. What happens to the 'non-profit youth organization' tag that DC depends on in order to keep its costs down..especially with the new taxes on business that our government will be leving starting in '11? (It is an assumption that there is a profit motive by these G7 groups by emperical evidence.) How will they make-up for the loss of perks normally allowed for the 'non-profits'? 2. Will schools willingly allow these new groups to use the 'housing du jour' that DC's depended on for so many decades for their now semi-professional groups? 3. Would any student in their right minds pay 2-3K (or parents shell it out) to volunteer to perform in this new endeavour-especially with the potential change in the type of organization? (Do not discount the lure of competition..just look at pre-season NFL attendance vs. competitive season numbers...) 4. How do these groups in the G7 anticipate bein able to maintain sponsorships, draw crowds, and profit in this economic environment...especially with so many questions as to what conditions will be 12 months from now? (My business background tells me this is a BAD time to start-up a brand-new business..) Artistic product aside...is this a wise move in terms of raw business sense???? Have we got another example of the artistic and the egotistic running amuck over business and common sense???? IMHO; I think not. (Not to say that this would not affect DCI corps either...and that there are not any needs to adjust their business/operations model, either...)

This is an example of classlessness. I will just leave it at that....

Hey, have some respect for the dead!!!! (Maynard, that is...RIP, dear frat brother...)

I do not have a problem with them not performing what they do not want to..or not feel ready to...but there has to be at some point a level playing field of expectations insofar as judging is concerned. That is why there are timing standards....without them; you would have a very unlevel playing field of corps trying to get an undue competitive advantage by using increasingly short shows. Everyone has the same time on the calendar to put a show together...make EVERYONE play by the same rules; and let the chips fall where they may. Otherwise, it turns competition into a farce.

Madison? There are a couple of caveats in the listings I am seeing here. 1. Resetting the judging panels (particularly east of the Mississippi) to the full panels will give us a clearer picture of some of the corps. The first major show with all corps will really set the table. 2. Will Madison's show carry water throuought the entire season? I would LOVE to see them in the Top-12, and they are clearly showing some testicular fortitude in their programing; but I am concerned that the content of the show may not wash with current expectations in the activity. 3. Conversely, can Troopers clean the monster that they have taken into their house? If they can, and IF the judges will give them credit for it; then they can go as far as 11th or 10th...or they could be shut out of Semis. I see this as either/or; without any gray area. (I am concerned about the early season holes...late arrrivals aside, I thought they had this problem solved over there!) 4. I truly think the top-5 are a toss-up that this point. I have rarely seen a season where the scoring is this close in the top slots. (BD, Cadets, Crown in particular...) In short...this may be the most competitive season I have seen since 1980...

I think the solution is simple...all corps must have the full minimum timing on the field for the first show; or face timing penalties, as it used to be. I do not understand cutting this much slack on this and opening an unfair competitive advantage early to those who march short shows..and setting the precedent for short early shows. I do not have a problem with corps marching temporary endings; just let the chips fall where they may according to the products' merits. Competitve tactics and pacing the development of the show is fine...and is nothing that hasn't been done before; but the corps need to have a full show of some sort on the field when they perform; and if they want to add or change what they have, then that is fine too! Just get rid of the slack judging rules that allow these short shows to have an advantage, and let the products speak for themselves AT THE TIME IT IS PERFORMED.

PLUS the fact that these panels had different people on them every time....consipiracy?? Don't think so.... Suggest that MisterA drop this little rant of his, kick back and have a beer (if he's legal, that is..)...before he proves out what the 'A' in his signature stands for...

Is the band director at UT Martin still Nola Jones? (She has judged numerous DCI shows, including Nationals..and is a class act.)

In the one pic I saw of the corps on the field you do not notice the short sleeves at all. THIS is the look for Madison!!!! Very clean from top (not sure how the spats will work with modern visual, though..) yet identifiable...and even iconic. It is difficult to get iconic with the organic move in uniforming these days. The need to maximize both physical movement and visual impact in a competitive arena always draws toward uniformity-due-to-necessity. Just take a look at the Sprint Cup cars, for example...the only way to make them aerodynamically equal is to make them exactly alike...and use decals for identification! Same thing is happening here in DC. Call me a dinosaur, but I don't care for the trend...

I agree...it frankly looks like it came off-the-rack from a stock uniform and had the accesories put on. Not iconic at all...and not befitting the corps. I would rather have the jumpsuits of the last three years.

ACTUALLY...the worse one I have heard was the one for the Masters' show that was moved to TN Tech in '06..the performer made many pitch errors, and was READING THE WORDS FROM A NOTE CARD!!!! What was even worse, he was the VOCAL TEACHER at the university!!! (Hopefully, the word 'was' being the key here...)

I wonder if this is what the VFW/AL folks said in 1971 about DCI...

At my present age and physical condition, no. It would KILL me Seriously, if I was a college student right now (and bluntly, in a little better condition than I was in the early 80's) I might consider it, if I had the cash. That is the big consideration..it is much more expensive than it was back then, and though the participants are better cared-for I am not sure I could justify it. However, the activity has changed. A previous poster has stated that in the 70's-80's DC had a wider visibility and a broader base of fans. It is now a niche activity (and IMHO, in danger from the elitists of being destroyed if this G7 idea is brought to fruition. Another subject...) and unless you are interested in the area of the niche that your available corps is cultivating, then you may not have much interest. That is where I would have an issue. It is also VERY physical. I don't think I could do what those performers do now even at 20...it is just a different kind of animal. At my present age...Not interested. I have other things that are way more important than DC (wife, kids, job, my sanity...) that I must attend to first. That is the calling of the adult. If you can fit it into your life without sacrificing the true priorities, then more power to you. I love keeping up with the activity, but I have moved on insofar as my participation as a member (even in all-age). To me, that is for youth...and I am not young anymore. Nor do I desire to be....