Orpheus

"Rude," okay. But how is it "cowardly"?

IMO, 1986 is tops for sure. 1999 is a close second.

Yeah, they do ... but they still look too much like BD. B)

Gosh. Look at you trying to, like, bring the truth into this discussion. Shame on you.

Wow. Congrats, Bluecoats.

Now, see ... those are a little bit *TOO* bland. LOL There's a happy medium somewhere. I got a great "property of" shirt from Spirit, for instance.

Here's the question -- were they fighting for the flag (which is, after all, just a pretty piece of cloth) ... or were they fighting for the freedoms that it represents, such as those outlined in the Bill of Rights? For the record, BTW, there's an American flag flying from my front porch on every holiday and I always observe proper flag etiquette to the best of my knowledge. However, I also realize that this country is about more than that. We shouldn't treat the flag like some sort of bizarre religious icon. Rather, we should love and cherish the liberties that it is supposed to stand for. I would never deface an American flag as a form of protest, for instance, but I firmly believe that it would be unconstitutional and un-American for the government to punish someone who did. What's really ironic, though, is that some of the politicians who are most likely to drape themselves in the red, white, and blue are also the ones who seem to be doing the most to limit certain of our freedoms. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Care to elaborate?

I hardly think that lack of quality members is the Scouts' major issue.

Goo d to hear. :)

I'll tell you what I like, and it annoys me that some corps don't even seem to sell them anymore -- an ordinary t-shirt (in white, grey, or a single solid color) with just the corps name and logo or else a nice basic-looking "tour" shirt. Some of the shirts that some corps sell are so elaborate that they're just ridiculous. Maybe that's what sells, but personally I don't want photos of guys drumming, cute or inspirational sayings, or anything of that nature. I like the plain ol' "property of Spirit drum & bugle corps" with the delta logo that I picked up this summer. Nice and simple.

I'm actually concerned about the corps members. I mean, I have absolutely no idea if the rumor is true (I sure hope it's not) but you know what I mean, right? Dicey situation for the young men in the corps, if something like this were to happen.

So allowing kids the rights guaranteed them by the First Amendment is a horrible crime?

I've never had one favorite corps. There's some I tend to like better than others, but it all depends on how I feel about their show during the year in question. I think the "borg" types who root for one particular corps are in the minority.

If "DCI" hadn't been created (or had flopped early on), then something very similar would have had to have come along very soon thereafter or else drum corps would likely have withered and died. Lord knows that the VFW, American Legion, and CYO weren't really all that interested in devoting a lot of their resources toward the activity by '72. Don't forget that DCA came first, after all, and DCI was sort of following in their footsteps.

No, I think you're right on target. That's not the only factor, of course, but I think it's a big part of it. I mean, the small local "community" corps basically doesn't exist anymore. And largely, it seems that what they used to provide to a community is now provided by the local school bands. I mean, in the old days, there were corps that were (more-or-less) "mom and pop" type operations. That's really just not feasible today, even if you stayed close to home.

This is absolutely the best post I've read on this topic. Bravo. I, for one, agree 100%.

Ummmmmm ... I think Tekneek was being ironic.

Of course, brass was never really their main problem in '02 ... it was mainly about those dismal visual and guard scores, yeah?

Well ... that makes it all better, then.

True, you're going to lose "some" either way, but it's not like every fan over 40 has suddenly vanished. I still see plenty of older fans when I go to shows, and just from purely anecdotal evidence and my own observations, it seems like many of them are happier with the current product than they generally were 5 to 10 years ago.

So there was no way to "right the ship financially" without doing a competitive crash and burn, then?

No, no, no. It was much better back when 90% of the corps wore either a "Cadet" uniform or a satin blouse. P.S. I definitely agree with your comment about "identity." I was disappointed by the new looks that Spirit and Bluecoats chose to go with. Both are nice enough in their own right, but both are a radical departure from what we're used to seeing them in. I do think they both could have done a uniform update without quite such a drastic change.

That's funny, because I've been flamed here on DCP for finding the Cavaliers shows from 2000 to 2003 to be absolutely non-musical and unlistenable. - - I thought they made a big turnaround (for the better) in '04, and I've enjoyed them very much for the past couple years, and really loved 'em in Annapolis on the 16th.

Yes. That's what I've observed, as well. There will always be some people drifting away from the activity. I mean, how many old timers left back in the 70s, I wonder, when DCI really began moving away from its military roots with things like themed shows and whatever it was the Bridgemen were up to? How many hated the grounded percussion, low mark time, asymmetrical drill, and dancing color guards? How many thought Star '93 was a bridge too far? It ain't nothing new. There'll always be some fans who leave the activity behind. But as long as there are also new fans coming up, we should be okay, I think.