The Tsar

Spirit?

Obviously, you start with your championship corps... BD Cadets Cavaliers SCV PR Madison Then toss in a few contenders... Bluecoats have beaten all the Midwest corps, so that takes care of PR, Cavies, and Madison. They have beaten SCV recently, took down BD last year or the year before, and took down Cadets, so they are one of them. Crown has not beaten Cavaliers yet...nor BD, if I recall. Blue Knights have beaten Regiment, SCV, Madison, and possibly Cavaliers in 1997, but I don't think they have ever beaten Cadets or BD. Crossmen have knocked off everyone else.

Crossmen have beaten everyone. They beat Cadets and BD in 1991, beat PR and SCV in 1992, and beat Cavaliers in 1997. I am guessing they are the surprise.

Indiana...let it go.

I can see why Regiment sometimes gets bashers and people who think Phans have chips on their shoulders and attitudes to boot. Why can't we just congratulate Crown on a good show and accept it? They have a very good show this year, and they are performing it (at this moment) at a higher level than Regiment is. Phans, please stop making excuses and taking subtle snide shots at Crown. They are a great corps, and there is nothing wrong with just saying "you know what? Crown had the better show tonight." Regiment may or may not come out ahead at Finals, but those of you who are insisting that they WILL are going to look quite foolish if Crown hangs on to beat them in Bloomington. Dang....just give *#&$^@(^& credit where credit is due. Sheesh. P.S. Congrats Crown. I really enjoy your show this year. I wish you lots of luck against every corps but one, but I can appreciate what you've done this year.

I dislike the idea of saying "why?" I think that would be EXTREMELY cheesy. I think I heard it the first thing I would think of is Nancy Kerrigan screaming "why why why" over and over again after she got Gillollied. I think Spartacus yelling "nooo" in agonized tones is just fine. In fact, I think it works very well. I think that IS the realistic emotion. But I do like the idea of having him turned to the audience until the last second, then he turns and sees it happen and is powerless to stop it. I think I also agree with metal on metal....maybe it is time to resurrect the old metal drumsticks from the 1993 show. But I think the power of the "goosestep" section is that it only happens that one time in the show. I am not sure using it again would have a good effect.

And there goes your attempt to be the "voice of maturity and reason." Hope it was worth it (but frankly, that was a terrible "jab" worthy of my 4-year old sister).

Well, yes....the line in the song would certainly be correct, alas: 4th place finishes PR....8 BD....6 SCV, Madison, and Cadets are tied at 4 apiece. Sigh. I mean.... Yay! We win at something!

People often think this because SCV won prelims...but I checked. BD finished second both years.

I do remember one thing about 1991 BD. I was a lead baritone, and the lead baris were in charge of unloading and loading the equipment truck at shows. We would basically unload the truck, then as the corps did marching warmups and such, the lead baris would get dressed and then meet up with the corps for music warmups. At Preview of Champions in Madison, the lead baris were on the way through the parking lot to meet up with the rest of the corps as the Blue Devils were warming up. We passed right by them, stiff and regimental, right as the sopranos got to the 16th note run in the closer....HOLY HELLLLLL! We were so astounded by the cleanliness of the run that we literally stopped in our tracks and listened for a bit before joining our Regiment mates. That was a SMOKING soprano line.

Dang, you are right. For some reason, i thought i recalled a 5th place finish for them that year. Gotta go fix that.

Fess up. You thought it was Phantom Regiment, didn't you? Well, you'd be wrong. Regiment doesn't even crack the top two... 2nd place finishes *Not taking into account years where a tie for first occurred. 27th Lancers (1) Blue Stars (1) Star of Indiana (1) Troopers (1) Madison Scouts (2) Cavaliers (4) PR (5) BD (6) Cadets (6) SCV (7)

Actually, most of the article (up through 1998) was already written and in my database. All I had to do was edit and add the last ten years.

It would appear that Carolina Crown is making a strong push for the top five They would be a new face there, and they would be quite welcome. But before we get overly excited, let's take a look at the last few "new" faces in the top five and revisit an old article I wrote for DCW ten years ago. ------------------------------ Needless to say, breaking into the Top 5 at the DCI World Championships has been a very difficult thing to do for most corps in the last twenty years. There have been certain corps that seemed to dominate the top 5, leaving very little room for other emerging corps. However, once in a while, these "little corps that could" do break into the top 5, unseating old favourites, and infusing the activity with a much-needed kick in the tuckus. 2008 might be such a year, as Carolina Crown is making steady improvements and has now knocked off three Top Five "regulars" (PR, SCV, and Cadets). But what does making the top five mean in overall terms? Not much, alas. The following is an analysis of the corps that have been in the top 5 in the DCI era, what they did following their top 5 placement, and what they are doing nowadays. Enjoy... The very first DCI Finals is a distant memory, and unfortunately, many of the younger generation of corps kids don't really know much about that era at all, or indeed, even care about it. This is a shame, as it is easy to repeat mistakes if we do not profit from the knowledge of the past. That first DCI Finals, held in Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1972, produced the following top 5: 1. Anaheim Kingsmen 2. Blue Stars 3. Santa Clara Vanguard 4. 27th Lancers 5. Argonne Rebels These were, if you will, the "charter members" of the DCI Top Five. So what became of them the following year? Well, the Santa Clara Vanguard went on to win its first of 6 DCI titles. The Blue Stars dropped to third place, and surprisingly, the world-champion Anaheim Kingsmen dropped to 6th place, while the 27th Lancers tumbled to 7th. Alas, the Argonne Rebels never made the Top Five again, dropping to 11th in 1973 and dropping out of Finals for good in 1974. The Argonne Rebels lasted until around the 1983 season, when they disappeared from the DCI map. This of course cleared a path for new members to DCI's Top Five in 1973: The Troopers (2nd), the Madison Scouts (4th), and the Kilties (5th) joined SCV (1st) and the Blue Stars (3rd) atop the DCI elite. However, the Blue Stars suffered a difficult 1974 season, dropping from 3rd to 12th, and the Kilties slipped a notch from 5th to 6th. The 1974 title once again went to the Santa Clara Vanguard, while Madison inched to 2nd in a show of what was to come. Troopers held on stubbornly, placing fifth, while the Kingsmen made a return to Top Five status, placing 3rd. However, this would be the Kingsmen’s last stop in the Top Five, and they eventually dropped out of Finals and went inactive after the 1986 season. However, the Top Five had a new face in the Muchachos, a corps that had placed 8th the previous year. The Muchachos’ luck did not sustain them through the 1975 season, as they (and the Kingsmen) dropped out of Finals the next year, the Muchachos because they were disqualified for marching an over-age member. Had they not been disqualified, the Muchachos would likely have been a Top Five corps. Indeed, some pundits claim that Muchachos had even won Semifinals and would have won the whole enchilada! We will never know, as the recap sheets were torn up shortly afterwards. They would cease to exist sometime after the 1977 season. The Madison Scouts became the first non-California corps to win the DCI title, and SCV showed its amazing consistency by placing 2nd. The 27th Lancers returned to Top Five status with a 4th place showing, and the Blue Stars returned as well, placing 5th. But the real story here was the amazing climb of the Concord Blue Devils, who took 3rd and would stay in the top 3 of DCI for the next 12 years, winning 6 titles in the process. Sadly, the Blue Stars dropped out of the Top Five into 9th in 1976, and have not yet returned, though 2008 seems promising. Although popular rumour contends that the Blue Stars went inactive in the early 1980s, this is not the case. The name “Blue Stars” was not used, but the “Blue Star Cadets” used the same instruments, wore the same uniforms, and followed the same traditions. In 1986 the group dropped “cadets” from their title and became the Blue Stars once more, eventually going on to win the 1989 and 1993 Division III titles. They have since returned to Division I status (yes, I am still using Division I instead of "World Class"). The Blue Devils won their first title in 1976. Madison came in 2nd, Santa Clara (who lasted 8 years in the top 3 before dropping out in 1980) placed 3rd, and a corps by the name of Phantom Regiment wowed the judges with the classics, placing 4th. Good ol' 27th Lancers held on to the anchor spot at #5. In 1977, the DCI Finals headed out west (Denver), the Blue Devils took title #2, and the Phantom Regiment climbed into 2nd place, with Santa Clara Vanguard securely in the third spot. These same 3 corps would remain the top 3 corps in DCI for the next three years. 27th Lancers stayed in 5th place, and a wacky and extroverted corps by the name of the Bridgemen landed in the 4th slot, although they were later disqualified for marching an over-age member. 1978 saw the title awarded to the Vanguard, while Phantom lay heartbroken in 2nd place -a mere tenth of a point behind, the result of a one-tenth penalty, thus averting DCI’s first title tie (for another 19 years anyhow). The Blue Devils dropped to third, while Madison rejoined the Elite Five in 4th, followed by the irrepressible Bridgemen. 1979 was title #3 for the Blue Devils, heartbreak #3 for the Phantom Regiment in 2nd, and another top 3 finish for the Santa Clara Vanguard. In 4th place was a surprising southern corps with a knack for big sounds by the name of Spirit of Atlanta. Bringing up the anchor spot was the 27th Lancers. The 1980s got started with a bang, as the Top Five were shaken up. Santa Clara, a Top Five fixture since DCI’s inception, faltered in 1980 and fell into 7th place. The Blue Devils took title #4, and 27th Lancers missed the title by less than half a point. The Bridgemen re-entered the top 5 in 3rd place, and Spirit of Atlanta remained in 4th, while the Phantom Regiment dropped to 5th place after 3 near misses with the title. This would be the last time the Bridgemen placed in the Top Five, dropping to sixth in 1981, 8th in 1982, 11th in 1983, and failing to make Finals in 1984 before folding in 1986. Spirit of Atlanta never made the Top Five again, although they remained in Finals for many years afterwards. Although they folded briefly in 1995, they have since returned and are making strides in the activity, returning to the Finals in 2003. In 1981, the Santa Clara Vanguard became the comeback corps of the year by racing from 7th to 1st and their 4th title. In 10 years of DCI competition, Western corps had won 9 titles at that point! Blue Devils took 2nd, Madison took 3rd after a 2-year absence from the Top Five, and the 27th Lancers made their last appearance in this elite group of corps. Phantom Regiment remained rooted in 5th place. 1982 was the year of the Blue Devil, as they raced through the season without a blemish on their record. SCV came in 2nd, and a new corps hit the Top Five, the Garfield Cadets, who placed third. Phantom Regiment and Madison rounded out the Top Five. 1983 saw the Garfield Cadets' first title, and it also saw something that had never happened before in the DCI era: All 5 corps from the previous year’s Top Five remained this year’s Top Five: 1. Garfield, 2. SCV, 3. Blue Devils, 4. Phantom Regiment, 5 Madison Scouts. Incredibly enough, the placements of the 1983 and 1984 seasons were mirror images, with the top five corps remaining in their exact same positions, giving Garfield their second straight title. In 1985, the Phantom Regiment dropped to 8th, clearing the way for their cross-state rivals, the Cavaliers, who placed 5th. 1985 was also memorable for another reason: The Garfield Cadets won their 3rd straight title, a feat never done before (and technically not done since, because the first of the Cavaliers' three-peat came as a tie). In 1986 another new face joined the top 5: Suncoast Sound. Suncoast had almost made the Top Five in 1983, placing 5th in the Semifinals before succumbing to the Madison machine at Finals. Unfortunately, Suncoast never made the Top Five again, and would fold within 10 years after moving out of Division I. In 1987 Phantom regained their Top Five status after a drop to 10th place the year before, ousting Suncoast Sound. 1987 also marked the first time the Blue Devils placed out of the top three since 1974, an astounding 12-year streak. The Garfield cadets won their 4th title, besting 2nd place Santa Clara by a mere tenth of a point. In 1988 Madison won their 2nd title, jumping from 6th place the year before. This unseated the Phantom Regiment, sending them to 6th in the place of the Scouts. Blue Devils ended a previously undefeated season by placing third, and Santa Clara placed 2nd for the 4th year in a row. Garfield and Cavaliers rounded out the top five. In 1989, the Santa Clara Vanguard won their 5th title, while the Phantom Regiment reclaimed their Top Five status from the Madison Scouts (who dropped to 7th). Cavaliers placed 3rd, while Blue Devils and Cadets filled out the rest of the Top Five. The woes of recent champions continued, as the previous year’s champion dropped out of the top three for the 5th year in a row, this time with Santa Clara dropping to 6th. There was another new face in the Top Five of 1990, as the Star of Indiana muscled its way into 3rd place, ousting the Santa Clara Vanguard out of the Top Five. The Cadets of Bergen County won title #5, and the Cavaliers placed 2nd, their highest placement at the DCI Finals. Phantom and Blue Devils, locked into a tie for 4th, rounded out the 1990 edition of the Top Five. In 1991, the Star of Indiana took advantage of their newfound power, and raced to the championship. This was also the first time that the top three were all Midwestern corps. Santa Clara made a return to the top 5, which effectively kicked out the Cadets, whom had been top 5 fixtures since 1982! In 1992 Phantom took a hard tumble, slipping to 8th place, and making room for the Madison Scouts, who took 5th. This was also the year that the Cavaliers took home their first title. Star of Indiana, who won Quarterfinals, found themselves relegated to third while the Cadets moved into second place. The Blue Devils placed 4th. Phantom made a strong resurgence in 1993, powering their way to 3rd, and displacing the Madison Scouts, while Cadets won their 5th title. The Star of Indiana suffered the biggest of heartbreaks by the smallest of margins: one tenth, second place. Blue Devils and Cavaliers placed 4th and 5th respectively. In 1994, the Star of Indiana dropped out of DCI, changing the dynamics of the top five and allowing the Santa Clara Vanguard to move up into the Top Five for the first time since 1991. Blue Devils finally recaptured their winning ways, and won their 7th title, the first since 1986, while Cadets placed 2nd and Phantom placed 3rd. The Cavaliers and Vanguard rounded out the Top Five. In 1995 Santa Clara Vanguard slipped a notch, which allowed Madison to re-enter the Top Five after a three-year hiatus. Cavaliers won their 2nd title this year, while Cadets placed 2nd for the second year in a row. In 1996, the year of the infamous tie for first between Phantom Regiment and the Blue Devils, Santa Clara turned the tables on Madison, replacing them in the Top Five at 5th while Madison dropped to 6th. Cavaliers came in 4th, while Cadets placed third. In 1997 the Cavaliers suffered an uncharacteristic 7th place, the first time out of the Top Five for them since the 1984 season, an impressive streak of 12 years. This low placement left room for Madison to sneak into fifth place, while Regiment took 4th, Vanguard took 3rd, and Cadets took home yet another 2nd place plaque as the Devils won #9. In 1998 a new face appeared on the scene, the Glassmen, while Phantom Regiment and Madison Scouts both fall out of the Top Five...the first time both corps have been out of the Top Five together since 1986. Cadets win their 7th title, while SCV places 2nd and Blue Devils take 3rd. The Cavaliers returned to the Top Five, placing 4th. 1999 brought us a second tied championship, this time between the Blue Devils and the Santa Clara Vanguard. The Cavaliers placed 3rd, Cadets 4th, and the Glassmen continued in the top five, despite a strong push from the home-town Madison Scouts. It should be noted that the top four corps remained the same between 1999 and 2002: BD, SCV, Cadets, and Cavaliers, leading to the moniker "The Big Four," which was not challenged until recently with the upsurge of the Phantom Regiment, the Bluecoats, and Crown. 2000 brought us yet ANOTHER tie, this time between Cadets and Cavaliers. Blue Devils remained consistent, staying in the top three, the Vanguard came in 4th, and a new face graced the top five: The Boston Crusaders, fending off the feisty Blue Knights by three tenths of a point. This was the first time in many years that two separate corps broke into the top five in a three year span. 2001 saw the Crusaders drop out of the top five, which allowed the Glassmen to reclaim that spot. Cavaliers won title #4, Blue Devils placed second, followed by Cadets and Vanguard. This was the last time Glassmen were a top five corps. 2002 brought the Cavaliers another title, while the Blue Devils remained bridesmaids, and Cadets remained in third, while SCV stayed in 4th. The Boston Crusaders AND the Phantom Regiment both returned to top five status via a tie. This was to be the last time the Crusaders were a top five corps. 2003 brought the end of the Cavaliers dynasty, and brought the Devils title #11. Cadets, Regiment, and Vanguard rounded out the top five. 2004 brought yet another title for the Cavaliers, with the Blue Devils taking another bridesmaid trophy. The Vanguard, Cadets, and Regiment rounded out the top five. 2005 saw a new corps in the mix: The Canton Bluecoats. Cadets won title #9, Cavaliers placed second, and Phantom Regiment finally climbed back into the top three, unseating the Blue Devils and sending them to 4th place. The Vanguard machine came to a bit of a halt, dropping out of the top five and clearing the way for the Bluecoats, who powered up to 4th place (Edit: Changed placement of Devils, they were 4th, not 5th that year) 2006 brought us yet another Green Machine title, another Regiment bridesmaid finish, the Godfather-like return of the Blue Devils into the top three, and the Bluecoats showed staying power by remaining in the top five a second year, narrowly defeating the Cadets and sending them to their lowest finish (5th) since 1991's 6th place show and barely fending off SCV, who was on the outside looking in one more year. 2007 took the championships out west for the first time since the Denver years, and fittingly, the Devils cemented title #12. SCV made its return to the top five, ousting the Bluecoats, and Cadets, Cavaliers, and Regiment continued their top five membership. 2008 is completely up for grabs at the moment, though it does appear that we may see another new face in the top five. It breaks down like this: Argonne Rebels (1) Kilties (1) Muchachos (1) Suncoast Sound (1) Anaheim Kingsmen (2, 1 title) Bluecoats (2) Boston Crusaders (2) Spirit of Atlanta (2) Troopers (2) Glassmen (3) Blue Stars (3) Bridgemen (3) Star of Indiana (4, 1 title) 27th Lancers (7) Madison Scouts (14, 2 titles) Cavaliers (22, 7 titles) Phantom Regiment (24, 1 title) Garfield Cadets (25, 9 titles) Santa Clara Vanguard (29, 6 titles) Blue Devils (33, 12 titles) So what can we learn from this? Not much we didn’t know already. For most of the last decade, the Top Five has been made up of some combination of the following corps: Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, Cadets, Vanguard, and Blue Devils. For the first 4 years of the 1990s they were joined by the talented Star of Indiana. In the 1990s, only two new corps broke in: The Star of Indiana and the Glassmen. In the 2000s they were joined by the Boston Crusaders and the Bluecoats. The Blue Devils have been amazingly consistent with 33 top five showings out of 35 championships so far. They have not dropped below 5th place since 1974. While the Vanguard has been up and down lately, they too have been consistent, and are the only corps to make every single DCI Finals Top 12 competition since the inception of DCI in 1972. One thing that sticks out at me viewing the list is Phantom Regiment's high number of top five appearances with its low number of DCI Titles. Of the above corps, 8 are no longer competing in DCI, although at least one (Kilties) is competing in DCA, I believe. One thing is for sure: No matter the judging system, no matter the era, no matter the innovations, no one has been as adept at keeping up with the times as the Blue Devils. This is likely to go on for quite some time, and is a testament to the hard work and creativity of their staff and designers. It's up to the new faces to show over the next few years if they are ready for the limelight, or whether they will be a flash in the pan, as so many have done before. Looking a little further ahead, the corps with the potential to be new members of DCI's elite club would appear to be, most imminent, the Carolina Crown, followed by the Blue Knights. Everyone else within striking distance has already been there.

I honestly don't see that one translating well to the field. Maybe the second movement.....maybe. I am not sure I'd want to see that on the field...such a nice piece, and it today's environment, it would get chopped to Hades and back.

Is this a safe statement to make? Does having a great guard (or at least great guard staging and/or performance) guarantee better overall visual scores? Obviously, it should help visual scores having a great guard with great staging... ...but does it overshadow what the brass and percussion are doing visually, in your opinion? Checking the recaps from San Antonio, it seems that overall visual scores sort of fell in line with wherever that corps was ranked in color guard. Discuss...

I've been complaining about this for years. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I posted a list of visual judges and asked how many of them came from a color guard background, and no one wanted to discuss it. Here it is again: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...t&p=2298448

Don't they speak Afrikaner there? I am sure there is English (I think I remember that they have 7-8 official languages), but I think Afrikaner is the major language....could be totally wrong.

Hey, Crown fans and members... As a Regiment alumnus, I'd just like to congratulate you guys tonight on your victory. I am sure that instead of snarky responses, my fellow Regiment fans meant to post notes of congratulations, but...well, it's late at night, and sometimes those guys forget or get too wrapped up in competitive spirit. Nevertheless...I for one really enjoyed your show, and think it could contend for a top three spot this year. As I mentioned in my review earlier this season, you guys are definitely on the right track, and I wish you luck...even though I wish Regiment a tad more luck. I am sure you understand. Congrats.

I get that you love Regiment. Really, I do. (I think we all do). But give credit where credit is due. Crown had a better performance than Regiment tonight. They didn't get third just because they went last. That being said...I think Regiment has a good show that just needs to "gel" a little more. And I won't deny it...a part of me wonders what Regiment could be doing these days if they had kept Leon May (Crown's drill designer). Still, Regiment's show has plenty of room to grow into a top three, or even top two show. But tonight, I give major props to Crown.

My predictions, after watching online... 1. Blue Devils (too strong) 2. Cavaliers (some music performance issues in the opener, drill great as always) 3. Cadets (narration can't hide the fact that they march and play very well) 4. Regiment (it's not there yet, but oooooooh the potential!) 5. Crown (just keep swimming, just keep swimming) 6. SCV (I dig the show, but it is far from clean right now) 7. Bluecoats (I must break you) 8. Blue Knights (Amazing Grrrrrrace!) 9. Boston Crusaders (Conquest!!!) 10. Blue Stars (it's coming along) 11. Glassmen (It's in the basement of the Alamodome!) 12. Crossmen (no smart quip here)

Bwahahaha! The spelling (or would it be context?) police strike again!

I had a girl in marching band who was 4'11". Great flute player. But she had to jazz run 6-to-5 because her little legs wouldn't march it normally. So....there at least is one instance in which it would be required. Isn't blasting blanket statements apart fun? Actually, we're both drill designers, so...one designer to another....can you point out to me the exact portions in the show in which someone is jazz running a 6-to-5? Since it is staring you in the face? I only saw it on the high-cam, so I am kinda interested in seeing what it is that has so many people in arms. (Regiment has furry drill?)

I wonder if your love for Cavaliers does that? (I'm not joking....I know that when i marched, I couldn't get into ANY Cavaliers show. It took me many years to "get over myself" and be able to enjoy Cavaliers 1992, for example). I thought Regiment was solid tonight...not spectacular. Which is fine, because this is still a work in progress. A few quick points: 1. The whole "ooh, they jazz run just for the heck of it and it doesn't fit" crowd is getting old. It almost feels like this has become the new "anti Phantom" issue du jour, and people are jumping on the bandwagon (no pun intended). Marching with the velocity that they are marching, and the step size that they are marching, it is easier to jazz run than it is to march. While I don't want to see too much of it, I think it fits what they are doing. This "issue" started last year with the "flock" section, and I can't for the life of me understand why... ...they were trying to give them impression of a flock of birds. Some members had to jazz run at 4-to-5 and bigger to get to their spots. The visual team was probably faced with two choices: A- Have some people jazz run and some people march normally, or B- Have everyone look the same. You know darned well that if they had decided to have two sets of marching style, people would have been ALL OVER THEM for that (including judges, and rightly so). I think they went with the more consistent look for a reason, and I also think it was the right choice. Honesty, I think that PR shot themselves in the foot for so long in the visual department that there is a sub-group of people that just want to find something, anything to criticise them about when it comes to their drill/marching. Is it the best drill design Regiment has ever had? No. Is it pretty good, especially for a young, first-year designer? Heck yes. But by all means, keep complaining about their "faux jazz runs" if you wish. Then i can complain about certain corps' "faux horn books." 2. I like the changes, but I am kind of hoping they don't put in the leg wedge at the end of the show again. I would like to see it not overused. Instead, I hope there is some sort of wicked hahd (that's the Boston pronunciation, mind you) that leaves us shaking our head in wonder. 3. The "salute to Spartacus" by the "Romans" is a nice and subtle touch. 4. Drumline is tasty. 5. Brass was a tad rough tonight, hopefully they can clean up a few of those loose edges. 6. The horn book is phenomenal. 7. White is unforgiving. All in all, maybe 4th place tonight...I will hope for higher. But tonight ain't Finals Night, so there is plenty of time still to clean up. SUTA!

Why talk when you can play and march like that? Wow. I don't like the overall show, but that hornline, drumline, and drill book deserve kudos.