Actually, umm....yeah. How many rehearsals did you guys have with corps that didn't have people in the stands??? Not running OSU down, even though I'm a die-hard Canes fan, so cut me some slack.
And as fun as the whole college marching band scene is, others are right...100,000 people don't show up to watch the band. 30,000 do show up to watch finals. And something like 40,000 (is my number anywhere near correct??) pay to watch it until 11pm or later in the movie theatres.
Now, most Bucks (your term) fans wouldn't give a hoot about the Cavaliers. But if I had the chance to march Phantom Regiment one year and finally win the championship that had eluded so many others, would I want that and to share that with 127 (in my day) others over some 'dot?' That makes a really great salute for some old geezer who gave a million dollars to name the OSU football locker urinals after him, or some 20-year old great-grandkid of the old geezer who was too decrepid to go out on the field himself--college football has that stuff all over the place. Ever seen the Taco Bell, Texas Tech "Ring the hell out of that bell" thing?? Hilarious.
A dot? Don't worry, even we Texans have stupid stuff like that that only we get and everybody else gigs us for. Like bells, and standing in perfectly good stadiums, etc. I should only wish that North Texas had an 'i' in it. We just have a stupid cannon that they fire off (right in my ear once--yikes!) when the team scores.
So enjoy your 'i's, Ohio, cause it may be a while before you get a ring for your state! Ow, that kind of has double meaning now, doesn't it?? (Hee-hee, that must be the Cane coming out!)
BTW, pretty sloppy marching from a number of fat boys in TBDBITL. I have a hard time seeing some of those guys hanging with some of the drill I've seen in DCI the last couple years. But a very good band, and a very good tradition from a tradition-laden program and school. Would I take the opportunity to dot the 'i?' Sure, cuz I never got that ring! Aged out in '95, too--how's that for timing!?