passionatedc

The problem with this reasoning is...A RULE IS A RULE! EXAMPLE: If Academy placed 10th in quarter finals BUT DIDN'T SHOW UP to semi finals...should they be allowed to compete in finals anyway? ANSWER...NO! I don't give a rats rectal cavity who Academy has beat. If they don't show up to enough regionals to get a good slot in quarters...then they shouldn't get one.

YES THEY SHOULD! If they don't show up, they don't deserve special treatment....LIKE THEY GOT IN SAN ANTONIO! Don't get me started....AGAIN!

I would also add to this that Spirit pulled quite the spread on Blue Stars last night. Almost two points. Pulling ahead that far after a year of neck and neck is usually a SIGN of a corps pulling away. Especially this time of year.

I'm a little surprised...no...VERY surprised that people are STILL hyping Academy. Am I the only one who has noticed that their scores have been dropping almost non stop since San Antonio?

I'm sorry, I can't take it anymore. Say what you want about Spirit or Blue Stars but....MADISON? SOUND? I've seen them twice this year and I'm sorry but their tone quality is offensive! You need to get your ears cleaned of the wax!

Well geee....I guess you just have to clarify everything you say around here. No! I have not seen the show............LIVE. YES!!!!! I did see their show via cyber cast. Do I have a right to an opinion NOW? Holy crap!!!

No it shouldn't. If anything it should validate the POSIBILITY that there is some favoritism going on behind the scenes. I didn't see or hear the show but word on the street is that some things were very shady about them scoring as high as they did. Especially whoopin on the Colts and Glassmen. I'm not sure I'm sold on the idea that Academy is getting what they really deserve. Just my opinion and I'm entitled to it so if you don't like it...tuff! I think Academy is getting candy thrown at them and it just aint right.

Ok. :) I had the pleasure of seeing their performance at the DCA Alumni Spectacular. My response: I cried. :) They were great! A sureal moment to say the very least. I disagree. Actually, I'm pretty sure they are still playing Georgia. Stand stills, encores etc. And every time I've seen them in recent yeards they make my ears bleed. So again, I disagree. Now I agree. But the corps and it's orginization is still active. So nobody should right them off as defunct. [quopte]Velvet Knights are gone. WHOA!!!! I'm not going to agree with this no matter how you try and rationalize it. Matter of opinionated interpretation. If you are going to take that approach, every corps is a new corps for each new season. It may not be the same people but the reality is, they are the Southern California Velvet Knights and though one technicality ("youth arts orginizatuion" instead instead of "inc" at the end of their legal name), everything about them is of the same nature. Granted, they are not at their glory day's level yet but they are still the same corps in just a new outfit. We agree. I didn't see the Cadets or Madison references you mentioned but those are kinda weak. The Cadets were not in the context of the discussion. I brought them up as a reference for how a corps sometimes changes location and name...i.e. Holy Name Cadets...Garfield Cadets....Cadets of Bergen County...all new names with new location but still THE SAME CORPS! I then make the case that Spirit's situation is no different than Cadet's. Different location, different name (or partial name)....but still the same corps.

"Widen their spread over Spirit"? What "spread"? You do know Spirit just beat Blue Stars by almost a full point a few nights ago, right? Head to head. To me, this looks more like Spirit coming from behind which WOULD give them an edge. Blue Stars start by beating them by over two points then Spirit makes a jump and beats them by almost a full point. That generally doesn't happen unless the come from behind corps is making a true move. Time will tell. I think it will be close so I'll reserve any real prediction. Instead, I'll shorten my ramblings by simply asking YOU ALL the question... ...which corps is starting to pass people and gain on others? The answer to that question is the corps that has a "competitive edge".

Contrary, the DCA Alumni Spectacular is a competition. FAN JUDGED? Yes! But still a competition and the Bridgemen were last year's champions. And even if this wasn't the case, they are still fielding a corps and doing a full show with drill so I think putting their name on the list is in bad taste. I don't care what they mean. This list is about "defunct" corps...not corps that are in different divisions. So even if you are right, they are at the very least off topic. I'm sorry but this stuff really offends me. These corps are not dead regardless of whether you like their current name, location, style or division and they deserve to be listed among corps that are in the books as "active". Any addition of their names on a thread like this is disrespectful to the corps and hundreds of people who work year after year trying to keep these corps alive. Nothing you say will rationalize any of this for me. It's just plain disrespectful.

So you have "Bridgemen" on your list...funny...I could have sworn that there was a corps at the DCA Alumni Spectacular as well as several North Eastern shows both DCI and DCA called the Bridgemen from Bayonne NJ. That's funny. I could have swore that there was a corps from Canada called "Dutch Boy" competing in Division III competition. Also funny. I could have swore that there was this corps right on the heals of last years Division III defending champions called the Velvet Knights. You = WRONG! And by wrong I mean "rude and disrespectful" to the current Spirit Drum & Bugle Corps. Just like "The Cadets" (which was yesterday's "Cadets of Bergen County" as well as yesterday's "Garfield Cadets" as well as yesterday's "Holy Name Cadets"), I am certain that the taday's "Spirit From JSU" is the same corps as yesterday's Spirit of Atlanta. In fact, I have friends who march that corps who tell me that when a kid ages out from that corps, they enter the "Spirit Of Atlanta Alumni Association". And last I saw, the delta is still showing on every item of that corps including their new uniforms. And YOU are BEYOND rude and disrespectful. As if this corps hasn't been kicked enough already. Here we have 135 kids out their working their hardest just to keep the corps alive and you write them off as dead. Knock it off! So, may I say to those of you I am responding to as well as anyone else who names a corps on this thread that still exists! STOP IT! You are being rude and disrespectfull to the people who put their heart and souls into these great drum corps.

I don't think anyone argues that they are "a finalist contender". It's the people saying they have a finalist spot "secured" on a year where it is the closest rat race probably EVER from about 9th-15th that I think are going just a little overboard. Lets be honest here, if you are sitting between 9th-12 right now (which as of today is Boston, Colts, Glassmen and Spirit), there is no promise that you will be in finals. And likewise, if you are sitting between 13th and 15th right now (which as of today is Blue Stars, Crossmen, Pacific Crest...and then definitely add The Academy in there as a wild card) you still have a chance of getting into finals. I have no doubt that The Academy can make finals this year. I just don't think it's a promise.

Either your sources are wrong or the DCI website is a liar. The DCI website says... Lineup for the afternoon event is determined by the results of DCI Southeastern Championship in Atlanta, GA. The lineup for the evening event will be finalized after the results from the afternoon performance with the top 4 scoring corps advancing to the evening events in the first four slots. Source link... http://www.dci.org/schedule/detail.cfm?eve...d7-fbbf09fdc45a The Academy is not performing in Atlnanta. So issue settled - they go on first in San Antonio. Case closed.

<**> That's a real shame. Watching other corps was always quite a learning experience when I marched. Not to mention enjoyable. It would have been a very boring season if I didn't get a chance to enjoy watching other corps perform. I mean...I love drum corps and want to watch and enjoy any chance I get. I'm really sorry to hear that. You are missing out. Some staffs just take things a little too seriously I guess. <**>

Uh...Boston and BK have been neck and neck all year. Colts have also not been to far away. Same with Glassmen. Even Spirit gave everyone a scare with a sudden jump a few nights ago. So I hardly find any evidence of a lock on 8th place. TOP 7 is where the lock has been. 8th place on the other hand has been quite a race.

Wait, why did I bother wasting my time even responding to you? Your signature says... "2000-2004 Playing trumpet in high school marching band"? Obviously you are just young. *pats kid on the head*

How would you know? Did you see them all back to back....LAST NIGHT? If not, you have no leg to stand on with this statement. You know? Corps do clean up...and some more than others at times. Why don't you save your un-educated opinions for when they are educated...in other words...speak when you have seen them all back to back. Ok?

Oh! Yeah, that's quite different. So why did the poster I respond to not tell the whole truth and make it out to sound like they had been "holding a full blown rehearsal"?

WHAT?! How is that again? Who's butt did they kiss to make that happen? I don't think thats fair at all and if that really is true, I'll give it 2 days before some of the other D1 directors get wind of it and complain to DCI! WOW! That is very shady! Well shoot! Maybe they can kiss someone's butt all the way to finals then... if that is their game. Holy shmokes!

Fine. Deny the fact that their competitors will have the advantage of listening to judges comments both on tape and in critique night after night and be able to give the judges exactly what they are asking for come Pasadena time. Meanwhile, The Academy is left to guess. Sorry but if I were still marching, I would not want to be in those shoes. Blazing against who? Exactly. Mandarins and PC. When that's all the judges have to compare them to, of course their numbers are going to be up. No offense to Mandarins and PC but I hardly call beating a couple of corps who are fighting just to have a spot in semifinals "coming out with guns blazing". Think about it. Of course not. But again, they are not getting the feedback from the judges that the other corps are getting and that will without doubt put them at a dis advantage in my opinion. When I think of how good we are hearing corps like Boston, Colts, Glassmen and now even Spirit and Crossmen are, my realistic mind tells me that Academy is at a serious dis advantage. I'm not saying it's impossible. But thinking realistically, I can't see how The Academy is going to have such a solid shot at finals on one of the most competitive seasons on record. That just does not line up with logical thinking to me. Could they do it? Sure, if they come out there with a top 6 level package and performance maybe. I really believe thats what it would take for a half season corps coming into D1 for the first time just to slip into the 12 spot on a year where it's a dog fight just to get into finals. That's what I think it would take. If they came out looking and sounding like Crown, they might have a chance. If they come out looking and sounding Colts or Glassmen, they don't have a snowballs chance. Last thing I will say. Even though they are not "picking their nose", I can imagine them not getting "burned out" rehearsing day after day with no performance opportunities. If I were those kids, I'd be getting sick of it right about now. And if thats the case, they could lose momentum really quickly. Sorry, I don't mean to be so doom and gloom. I just don't see how it's possible on a year like this one. Unless they were to get a "near hometown advantage". Hmmm...maybe? Kind of a long shot...but I'd consider it as a remote possibility.

What you two are not taking into consideration is that this is exactly what happens to other corps who don't go on a full DCI tour. Look at score histories from Mandarins and Pacific Crest in previous years. Sometimes their Quarterfinals or Semifinals (even they even make it) are only 4-5 points higher than their last west coast score. Part of the problem for The Academy is that they don't get the benefit of competing night after night with the corps they are trying to beat. I don't even think they see their competitors until San Antonio and then after that...not sure they see much of their competitors again until championship week. Meanwhile, Crossmen, Blue Stars, Colts, Spirit, Glassmen, and Boston (that's alot of really good corps by the way) are all competing against each other on a weekly basis and pushing their scores (as well as each other's scores) every night. The Academy then becomes sort of a wild card and at that point, not sure if the judges would have the guts to put them ahead of enough of those corps to get them into finals. I predict semis. About 14th or 15th. Finals will come when they can make a full DCI tour happen.

I would love to see this show win DCI this year. Not only because it is winning material but also because it is crowd pleasing, jazzy and very entertaining. BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Perhaps, but I just think it's way too close of a race at this point to be so certain. Especially as early as it is in the season. With the scores so tight between these corps, I'm really expecting some shifts and shake ups to take place. I doubt it will stay one way all season. In fact, the safest thing I feel can be predicted is that I'll bet good money that between Colts, Glassmen, Blue Stars and Spirit...all will beat each of the others at least once during the course of the season.

I just saw that Boston made a jump to a 76. Ok, maybe they are safe now? Sigh! There is just no way to predict this season.

That's true. But that was prior to their radical jump to a 73. Spirit had a 68 or 69 that night and the rest of the corps were in the 72-73 range. Something obviously changed since then because Spirit jumped to a 73 while everyone else stayed put. Again, nobody is safe though. Between 9 and 13 almost anything can happen at this point.