dosthecoltsbari

Our local winterguard and percussion circuits once held their championships at the Sports Pavillion, which is adjacent to Williams Arena. I think Williams Arena itself would be out due to the fact that the basketball court is elevated.

Yes, we would all love to blame amps and electronics for the rainouts. I don't know about Naperville, but Omaha and Minneapolis were both canceled more due to lightning and a tornado threat than just rain. That is something that SHOULD cancel a show, electronics or not. I have also seen shows canceled or changed to a standstill due to wet field conditions. Part of that is probably due to the evolution of the visual part of the activity (faster, tighter drill) than equipment changes. I do agree that in our litigation-happy society, there is the real possibility that one lawsuit and a corps is done. I would have loved for last night's show to go on, but I didn't want anyone hurt.

I think it might be a question of who can become "elite" and stay there. Crown probably has an invite to that club now. There seems to be a lot of tough competition for the #12 slot in any gven year, so anyone in that lower tier cannot become a consistent finalist without somehow moving up the ranks. I don't see anyone on a real rise. The Colts have been stagnant in 13-14 for how long? The Troopers don't seem to be on the verge of a meteoric rise either.

I think the bigger concern was lightning. All of the rain delays were accompanied by lightning. (Except for the one after Pio, however the sky looked a little menacing.)

My first season (2002) we had no rainouts. In fact, I don't remember much rain at all on tour that year. My second season (2003) we were rained out in Virginia. It ended up being a standstill. At the BOA show in Normal we ended up doing a standstill in a nearby fieldhouse. Either quarters or semis had a fairly significant rain delay as well. In 2004, we were rained out at our home show. Phantom was leaving the field and the sky just burst open. We didn't get to do our encore or our ageout ceremony. Luckily, they let us do the ageout ceremony at the Ankeny show. We were rained out the following day in Minnesota and our performance at semis was delayed due to rain. In 2005 I was attending the Sioux Falls, SD show only to have it rained out. I guess it happens. The upper Midwest has had a rough summer in terms of weather this year. Not much one can do about it. I traveled 1800 miles to see the show tonight in Minneapolis. Pretty disappointed, but what can you do?

I got over the shower anxiety quickly. However, I was never able to poop in the open. I would scout the school to find a commode with a door. I never failed, but once I am pretty sure I frightened a random old woman with my "post-nine-hour-bus-ride-music."

With the exception of the creepy Solo gas station across the street from the Citrus Bowl and seeing Shaq's Hummer at our rehearsal site, I do not have fond memories of Florida. The Citrus Bowl is a complete dump and the housing was a fiasco at best. Also, the fire ants that crawled inside my shako and bit my scalp during my performance at DCI Orlando in 2004 left a lot to be desired. I am also originally from Minnesota, so I am glad Minneapolis "stole" this regional. It gives me an excuse to visit the family. I live in Las Vegas now and it was great to have finals out my way in 2007 and I feel for the Florida crowd who feels a little left out. We NEVER have shows in Nevada. I am holding out hope for 2014 at Qualcomm Stadium, it is only 6 hours from Vegas. Or maybe DCI will fall in love with Minnesota and decide TCF Bank Stadium is the place and I will be forced to visit the family in 2014.

'03 BD didn't do much for me. My favorite show from '03 was SCV, with PR a close second.

I aged out in Denver in '04 and enjoyed a beer on finals night from the stadium concession stand. If I remember right it cost me an arm, a leg, and my first born child. I am almost certain they had beer in Pasadena last year, but I may be wrong. (Please don't beat me if I am.)

If lots of corps want to hold auditions in Texas, let them. Even if two corps hold auditions 100 miles apart in Texas, people will still go to both auditions. In a rather small area in the Midwest (about a 225 mile radius) you will find Colts, Blue Stars, the Madison Scouts, the Phantom Regiment, and the Cavaliers. None of these corps have issues attracting people to auditions. I don't see any potential problems in Texas with multiple corps holding auditions.

Even though I would love to have another season to march junior corps. 21 is a good cut-off. I aged out in 2004, the summer before my senior year of college. Now that I have graduated I have a full time job and could never see myself going back, no matter how much fun it may be. 21/22 is a good cut off because it is the age that often marks the transition from the college years to the career years.