Vandal

<**> You need to march a more demanding show then... BTW, I hope you're the bad apple and not the norm. Way to represent. - Mark

As I've stated before, I thought Hoppy did the right thing looking out for his corps. However, IMO he handled things a poorly (bowing, chasing down Acheson). However difficult it would have been, he should have quietly addressed the situation until he was out of the public eye. It would have been a great lesson for the kids and place him, his corps, and DCI in a better light. That being said, I wish Hoppy would of taken some culpability in the way things turned out with the crowd and perhaps offered some sort of apology. You can rarely go wrong being a bigger person. We're on page 76 of this thread. Obviously there is some feelings and opinions being spewed here that are not at all warm and fuzzy. BTW, even if the grass condition was perfect, lack of visibility could hurt somebody... especially if they are running toward eachother without truly knowing where they are on the field. Imagine running straight at somebody runnng at you while your eyes are closed. Scary. Anyway, I hope those kids come out with some fire, have the time of their lives and that we never have to discuss another situation like this. From "The Big Lebowski" - Walter: You have got to buck up, man. You cannot drag this negative energy into the tournament.

They're really a salute to Star of Indiana.

Okay, fact: Running around full-stride, at 220 bpm changing direction every three counts is hard. Playing while running at 220 bpm and changing direction every three counts is harder. Also, if you've never done it, with any corps or marching band, one would probably have an opinion anyway. Just as you hate my sentiment (or opinion) I hate people trashing any corps when they make assumptions about the level of difficulty as they sit on their ### and enjoy (or not) what's being put on the field for their enjoyment. Unless it's just paint, of course. Fact: Everytime I finished a show and changed my uniform, I rung out the sweat from my T-shirt - Not because what I just did was easy. Now I apologize that I assisted in hi-jacking this thread and hope we return to The Great Rose Bowl-Hash Apocolypse of '07. - Mark

It's also easy to think that way if you've never done it. BTW, (off topic) are you going to join Paterno's boys in cleaning the stadium this year? :P

That's how I enterpretted the bow to the crowd... perhaps it meant something else. Either way it was unprofessional.

As a Cavalier FMM, I can't tell you how important the field markings are. Especially if you are using the dot system. In the dot system, the field is a gird (8 steps between the lines, X number of steps from the sideline to the hash) Even the top of the yard line numbers are used (the top of college field numbers are 14 steps from the sidleline). Every mark on the field becomes a reference used to being more precise to your dot. You have to have those markings to be as accurate as possible to hit your dot - sometimes down to a quarter step (about five inches) sometimes even to an eighth of a step (about three inches). Now imagine an unlined field. The marcher has no reference to where their dots relate to the field. Not having markings is like telling a carpenter to use their thumb to measure inches instead of a tape measure. I can't speak to how Cadets or any other corps utilizes the field markings, but to Cavies, it is THE most important element to knowing where you are on the field. In '94 there was a show in the midwest where we marched with no lights from the back side of the field. We had lights from the front. So, from the front the field looked fine and we could see the lines when we marched backfield (facing the back), but while facing forward we were essentially blind. That year our tempos sometimes reached 220 bpm and we had large wooden poles the guard carried around the field as a prop. Let me tell you it was freakin' scary to be out there and admittedly, our performance showed it. Now, I don't blame Mr. Hopkins for looking out for his corps. But I wish he would have made the call before his team was put on the field. He likely embarrassed his kids and caused a lot of discomfort for them, the audience, and the managemnet of DCI. And no matter how justified he was he should have NEVER grandstanded the way he did. Bowing to the crowd? Really? :( We ALWAYS had a staff member check out the field conditions before we made it to the tunnel, and the staff ALWAYS made us aware of any potential field problems. All that being said, I'm pretty darn proud of my corps for winning vis. last night given what was obviously sub-par conditions. Kudos to Hoppy for looking out for his corps, but shame on him for being so smug about it. - Mark Cavaliers FMM 94 & 95 (edited for typo)

When I marched with you, I asked the Phantom guard girl I was seeing why she didn't hang out with any of the Phantom guys in her corps. Her response, "There's no real men in Phantom." ^0^ Seriously. - Mark

I want Brandt Crocker caller ID: "On the Phone..... from Casper, Wyoming.... YOUR MOM!"

Here's a little visual you can do at your office. Take a post it and draw a triangle on the left side with the bottom of the triangle one-half inch in length and the top of the triangle all the way up to the top of the post it. Now, fold the post it in half and draw another triangle with the base being one half inch and the top hitting the fold. Do the triangles look the same? This example shows why two people with varying heights look different marching the same step size with straight legs. The angle between the legs is different. Now, the cavaliers are not much different. There are diffences in look in any marching ensemble unless you all have the same inseam and foot size. I was a 6' 8" Cavavalier Euph. and a 6'7" Trooper. (I grew an inch between summers). I can honestly say I fit the ensemble much better using the Cavalier style. Because we all used the same technique which, IMO, places more emphasis on the look the knees and feet verses the angle of the legs when comparing individuals to each other. Now as far as everybody having the same technique and level of perfection, well, I'll leave that up to your agenda... err... opinion. - Mark

Joking aside... I think what you may have been going for is 'Simplicity of concept,' not simplicity of production. There is a difference. Cavaliers took a concept, a relevant one, and took it to new levels that all fans could indentify, then integrated it fully into the production and story. Faust was more of a story. Two different approaches and two different shows, but two great results. - Vandal

Cutlass, I couldn't agree more. To Paul (the author of the original drivel from hops blog): Your intellectual elitism is worse than any fan's reaction to Cadet's show. I for one (an imbecile) got the Cadet's show... I just thought beyond the performance aspects it was unispiring. Oh, and I didn't have to look around to see how others responded when the show ended... I already knew I'd sit on my hands. Now as for as your attack on the Cavies and Blue Devils - You must be the imbicile to only come away with 'zigg zaggs circles and loops.' The Cavies show was designed to be a stuggle of human vs. machine. If you follow the show, you can see that the machines (which are human) are struggling to become more human and experience human emotion. Kind of like us in our modern society (Wake-up, Work, go home... Wake up, work, go home). Apparently you're too intellectual to grasp that though. All you saw was zig zags and loops just like the five-year-old sitting next to me in Atlanta. You make the Cadet fans more elite than they already appeared. Congrats. I guess if people don't get it, it should win in your mind. Let's have a contest to see who can make the most complex non-sensical show.

"Can we get some staff watching the Contras... DEFCON 5 for the CONTRAS!" "My dead grandmother can move more air than you... sopranos."

To a prennial top five corps, "Well, we might make disk three." Learning drill "Are you two steps inside the forty-five or outside the forty-five? In, out. In, out... sex ed." :sshh:

Is there any special significance behind them? Other than an indicator of the year one marched?

How do you walk? :P

Now, wouldn't it be cool if we had that question about every amped segment? Man, I'm asking for it now. :sshh:

They will be at: Facility: C.H. Collins Athletic Complex Address: 1500 Long Road Denton, TX 76207 on the 20th. You can also check here http://www.cavaliers.org/cgi-bin/cal.pl for practive sites. As far as I know all the Cavalier rehearsals are open.

Thanks Stef, I couldn't have answered it better. The 'mentally challenged' comment was what I was referring to as immature. I actually agree with you on some aspects of the uniform design. I have a friend that calls the Cavie uniform 'posture in a box'. The long black bibs with a short skit and top heavy white elements definately draw the eye upward and away from possible posture imperfections - but good for them and Cesario for designing the uni that way. Adam, I invite you to come out and see the Cavies rehearse sometime. It may not change your mind about the difficulty of the show, but I think you'll see that the members are far from 'mentally challenged', and the instruction and level of musicianship is top notch.

I admit I usually just lurk here... but your inane and immature comments have my blood boiling a little. I would argue that the minimalist approach (I'm not convinced that the shows you mention are minimalist... <**> ) usually mean a lot of exposure. I'd be interested to see what your thoughts are on the orignial minimalist show, Star '93, are. Was that simplistic in your mind as well? Personally, I usually think the Cavies have one of the most balanced and well blended musical ensembles on the field year to year. It may not be the most challenging book in terms of notes and licks, but to get the blend, and timing correct with the individual marching demands that the Cavies are famous for takes a lot of talent and maturity from the musicians on the field.