year1buick

We could also say that no criticism, no matter how it's worded, won't put off some people, and anything short of blind adoration is considered "whining." The point isn't that we can't see any live shows in full. This is specifically about Finals. Short of buying a ticket, that is the only way to experience it live. (Unless you're actually in it.) Hasn't always been the case. Doesn't mean we'll ever be able to go back to it, but it also doesn't mean we can't have our favorite, either. Give us a break. You've played the "expert" throughout this thread (and others on this subject), throwing out opinions on everything from the value added content of the DVD's, marketing, production costs, truck packages, etc. Someone throws out a disseting argument, and the best you can do is belittle? Doesn't mean we can't have an opinion on it. I still appreciate it and look forward to watching it, every year. When has it not been about that? "The kids" could still watch it on PBS (or any other channel) . I'd wager that, were it live, they'd like it even more. When I was in high school, I watched it live and recorded it to VCR-- and yes, I was still able to watch it "a million times." Answer this simple question for me: logistics and monetary concerns aside, do you actually prefer that it's taped and shown at a later date? That's the crux of what I'm getting at--not that DCI owes us, that we're being ripped off, etc., etc., etc. If it is what it is, then so be it. But I'll be ###### if I just sit by while you lump anyone who says they liked it better live into being nothing but a bunch of "whiners."

Well, they've never had full shows for all 12 corps (that I'm aware of) on the broadcast [edit: oops--didn't catch above posts...], so I think that's fair enough. (Practice till you score higher, if you want more air time.) As to the broadcast venue... I'm still not convinced that having this on ESPN is better than having it on PBS. It's no longer carried live (though that still depended on each station) and it's shown late at night--on a school night, at that. I remember hearing plenty of talk about DCI in my rinky dink, 3A high school band (in a school where no one prior had marched) during summer band. It was hyped about quite a bit on the Friday rehearsal prior to Finals. Even people like myself, who didn't have access to cable TV, could watch it on PBS. Is the argument that ESPN reaches more households than PBS? If so, I doubt it. As to the promotional aspect--Things like promotional DVDs, etc. can still be produced and distributed without ESPN. I can see how someone might catch a preview while watching some other sport and tune in, or see it in a sports bar and take a more serious look--but how often does this really happen? (I'm specifically referring to new viewers.) Don't get me wrong-- I still feel appreciative that I have any alternative to watch it on TV, but my preference remains for showing it live. (Top 5/6, at least)

Yep.

I think my favorite thing about HD on Directv is being able to receive and record local high def channels; nice for shows like Lost and Heroes. Football games in HD are a lot of fun too. That 5.1 surround gives a really live feeling to the broadcast. DCI should look and sound killer when it finally catches up.

So do I. And I missed it as well--I'll have to keep a watch out. (I did manage record The Hunt for Red October last week on HDNET Movies. Looked great.) Thank goodness DCI went with ESPN versus TNT. They get their sports stuff right (for the most part) but it seems like they screw up the aspect ratios on about 3/4 of the television series and movies they run.

Long term use of Prep-H on your lips might have a detrimental effect--it's a vasoconstrictor. (Remember what it's actually intended for... ) You might also try glycerin (it's in drug section of most stores) but, honestly, I would recommend talking to a doctor first. (allergist/dermatologist)

Or made the hornline stuff it into their baldric. (92 Regiment)

Yeah, this has probably had the most persistent lingering effect on me. I catch myself marking off 5 yards all the time--like at the mall parking lot yesterday. (Immediately after aging out, I caught myself standing around in Regiment's pseudo 3rd position all the time.)

Lost by a nose. :P

Wow, really amazing story. I think I read a post last week from someone who thought they saw Hopkins kiss the field-must have been you! Thanks for sharing--hope your recovery goes well. edit: still thinking about this... Your story reminded me of an event from when I worked on the crew of ****** & Friends. We had a little girl come visit the set thru the Make A Wish foundation. She had terminal cancer and was wheelchair bound. Prior to the meet-n-greet, her parents told us that they hadn't seen her smile in over three months and that the visit really meant a lot to them. Well, five minutes later, she was on the set with ******, wheeling around to "Wheels on the Bus" and giggling and laughing like crazy. Needless to say, most of the crew (and, of course, her parents) were in tears. How this relates to drum corps? I can't tell you the number of times I heard rude remarks about working on the show--one person even had the gall to ask, "Don't you just wish they'd just blow him up?" Really. Seeing that little girl in a happy moment reminded us all about the real reasons we do the things we do and what really matters most in life. How knowing for yourself, even if you're the only one who knows or believes, is sometimes all that matters. Despite what so many people say about The Cadets and their show this year, I believe the crux of what they are saying is true, and does mean something. This story reminds me of the real reason I love drum corps so much and why I marched.

Yes. I don't say this out of some sense of selfishness, simply as an honest assessment of how I feel about. I realize that it is what it is... I never said it wasn't working well for DCI--I'm sure it is. As is $3/gallon gas for Exxon. (Just an analogy--I realize DCI is non-profit and a few billion dollars short of that company :) ) Still doesn't make me any crazier about the situation, though. (And when gas cost 39 cents/gallon, pay scales were lower too--sure, a dollar went further, but people were paid fewer dollars.) Are you saying DCI merchandizing is no longer adequate to allow for a live broadcast? (Those prices have increased over the years too, haven't they?) I'm almost getting a vibe that some folks feel that watching it live is only a privilege that should be afforded to those who can actually afford to attend in person and DCI has an obligation to do this in order to force people back into the stands. (e.g. the "blackout" analogy) Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to attend in person (I've marched in it three times and have yet to see it in person, simply as a spectator). Eventually, I'm sure I will. But I refuse to be branded by some (not you) as ungrateful/whining etc. simply because I say I miss getting to see the TV broadcast live, with more shots of the drill.

Would it be feasible for judges to make notes during performances and assign scores at the end? Probably not, but I do see the problem with saying caption scores for an individual corps only have meaning in comparison to the rest, considering actual assignment of the score happens prior to all being seen.

I''ve always been a sucker for their asiago cheese bagle, with plain cream cheese. (Favorite place to study--free wifi)

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but how 'bout Blue Devils or Bluecoats doing Blue Man Group. ("Blue Man Corps")

Saying you would prefer it is hardly moaning. Are you saying you would prefer not to watch it live? Do you actually prefer watching it a month later? That's really the crux of what I was saying--I had more fun watching it live. Are we absolutely positive that the switch to ESPN was necessitated by PBS, as a national organization, dropping DCI? (Honest question there.) I'd been under the impression that each individual station made the decision as to whether they wanted to carry the show and DCI made the switch for their own reasons. Again, this may be a fault of my own, but I don't recall reading any specific quotes from PBS reps (or DCI) stating DCI was dropped due to low donation revenue. (I don't read every artilcle on DCI.org and could very easily have missed it--or forgotten. If they're still there, I'd love to read them.) I found this article where Acheson mentions the difficulty of getting some individual stations to show the event (and that ESPN had expressed interest in owning the event), trying to make it more visible to the stations and offering free tapes to high school bands; this one announced the switchover. I couldn't find a mention of PBS dropping it due to greedy DCI fans, but I may be looking in the wrong places or just missing it altogether. Again, I'm not saying, in any way, that DCI isn't doing a great job of offering some pretty amazing content or opportunities to watch corps throughout the summer. Simply that the big enchilada, the main event, isn't as fun for me as it used to be.

Same here--my old 89 and 90 tapes, recorded from the PBS broadcast, were played nearly to the point of ruin.

I think it's still possible to appreciate the fact that a broadcast is available and yet have an opinion as to how it's done. I personally don't think it's a "waste" but I do think that some of the changes haven't been for the better. I don't see how suggesting changes for presentation style is going to lessen the amount it "changes young peoples’ lives." (Actually, I agree that it can do just that. Watching the live broadcast is what got me interested in the activity.) Most of the dissent I've read has been in regards to style or time of broadcast. You seem to be taking a rather defensive stance to any suggestions for change (understandable with some of the "it'll just suck again" comments) but I don't think it's wrong to offer honest suggestions or opinions on how it might be better.

Agreed. That was a great look for Madison. "If it aint broke, don't fix it."

I remember once, at around 3 am, while at a highway rest stop, this car load of guys pulled up, opened their trunk and pulled out 3 or 4 gas powered RC cars. All very business like. They ran these things like crazy for about 10 minutes, tearing it up along the grassy areas. (Very entertaining for me to watch) Then, they loaded up (without hitting the rest rooms) and went on their way. Very random. Another time, our rest stop's bathrooms were, unfortunately, locked up. (Again, this was very late and part of a long road trip.) Since we still had to take care of business, we all went around to some garbage bins. Halfway thru...ah... the proceedings, we realized that that particular area was already claimed and occupied. Oops. Luckily, the guy didn't get ###### on, but I think it startled us so bad, we nearly ###### ourselves!

I had a pretty crappy experience joining my college marching band as a freshman, after marching my rookie drum corps year with Sky Ryders. Prior to my high school graduation, I arranged to meet him in his office so I could pick up the music (knowing I would arrive just after summer camp began.) Right off the bat, he told me that he didn't care for drum corps and that it fostered bad attitudes and poor work ethics. Huh? I took it with a grain of salt, and thought I would do my best to show him just the opposite. It didn't work. From the moment I showed up, he was on my ### about everything--considering the summer I'd just gone through, it wasn't too big a deal. (I'd survived marching basics with Bill Ziar--bring it on.) Still, it became a drag after a while. More than once, he called me out for doing really stupid stuff that I flat out hadn't done, such as chewing gum in rehearsal. I hadn't been (never had, never would) but, after telling him I hadn't, I wound up with a trip to his office and the threat of being kicked out. (I know this probably sounds like BS and I'm leaving something out or sugar-coating it, but I swear I'm not. I didn't smart off, throw any "looks" or otherwise knowingly disrespect the guy.) I know there were tons of other drum corps people there (Opus, Robert Poulin and so on) and I never heard them mention any ill dealings with him--I dunno, maybe he genuinely didn't like me. Still, I would highly recomend that you do your best to show the best side of drum corps and avoid--at all costs-- behaving as God's gift to the marching arts. (Almost none that I knew ever did...) [On a side note, I did get to "legally" show him up once--and took great pleasure in it. He'd written some drill that involved the trombone section playing 16th notes while marching backward in a front-to-back straight line at a 4:5. The guys marching the set points had a bit of trouble with it, and never hit their spots. In general, it was always a train wreck. One day, the director became fed up, and angrily told everyone to forget guiding, just hit their spot--no matter what. *insert evil grin from me* Sure enough, I ended up a full 5 yards from the nearest player, dead square on my spot. He immediately jumped my case and asked me what the hell I was doing. "Didn't I tell you to hit your spot?" "I did." I then gave the coordinates. It definitely caught him off guard and he immediately told us to pull out our drill and change it to ending five yards closer in. It was a small victory, but one I cherished.]

You know, I didn't even think about the Cook Group leaving. I can see how that would have a major impact. However, I thought each individual station decided whether they would carry the live feed. (And, compared to other PBS programing, didn't it get pretty good ratings?) I've given in to the fact that it's probably never going back to that, but I still hold out a glimmer of hope that maybe one day... You're right about the fact that a face can tell a "story," so to speak, more than wide shots of drill--I think it should still be there. But, maybe in a slightly lower ratio than what's been shown the last few years.

I personally think the show has been way over-produced lately. While I don't want wide shots only, Blair (IMO) relies too heavily on close-ups, particularly of the guard. And I still wish the broadcast of Finals was live--yes, I know both 1/4's and semi's are, but they don't decide the winner and, for me, that's the exciting part. Many of us aren't fortunate enough to be able to travel to Finals. The live broadcast allowed the folks at home to be "in" on it as much as those sitting in the stands, but now we have to rely on one or two lines per minute from a BD web blog. Not nearly as much fun. (This isn't an "everything was better in the old days" rant. I certainly don't miss having to rely on out-dated issues of Drum Corps World or a 900 number for scores, etc. But this is one area that I think has changed for the worse.)

:) Sounds like me in Physics. (not pretty) Actually, O-Chem has given me a run for the money too...

Yeah, it seems like the "perfect storm" of miscommunication. I'm pretty sure all parties involved would like a do-over. DCI-- keep better watch on the field, make sure the judges keep in touch with each other. Hopkins--check the field before the corps lines up, don't freak out if something goes wrong, and if you still end up losing it, don't do it within eyesight of the crowd and/or cameras. (He's already said as much, himself.) Time to adjust and move on, in my opinion.

I thought it was supposed to have been more a case of the left hand not talking to the right hand. From what I read (somewhere in the quagmire of postings re this issue) that one official gave the okay to hold off and reline (to which their director then pulled them aside to make room) and another official (not realizing this had taken place) gave them the penalty. The line of communication then went even more FUBAR when Hopkins realized a penalty was still given and blew an O-ring (for all the world and cameras to see, unfortunately). It appears that, ultimately, cooler heads prevailed, a group huddle among the officials was called, and the decision was reversed. Or that's the gist of what I read somewhere...