Mad75

Academy widening the spread tonight in Rome, NY over the Scouts...

Well, as of tonight it officially looks like it's going to be a dog fight for 12th between Madison and Boston...Dang, nobody saw this coming mid June!

I believe the answer is definitely "YES" to change, but not merely for the sake of change. For starters, I tend to look at everything through a Business 101 filter, and I have a number of questions and concerns from an organizational standpoint that defines every other aspect of Madison's presumptive success...One always starts with the fruit...And the returns are not looking so good, and that requires accountability...Accountability requires maturity without emotionalism...It's called healthy leadership!

Nevertheless, fighting for 12th is not going to help Madison's recruitment efforts...efforts that they've been working hard at improving upon for a number of years now! Can't spin it any other way...we just ran out of lipstick to put on that pig...This is a huge OUCH moment for the Scouts, and all of the hype!

Are you surprised?

I realize we have one more night of the Eastern Classic in Allentown, but Scouts being 1.4 behind Academy tonight more than likely leaves the Men firmly in 12th...Depending though on Boston, we could be on the outside looking in come Saturday night in Indie...Wow!

It's as simple as this...Most everyone nowadays are playing and designing their programs to the "sheets". Therefore, this is why so many of the top 12 don't give a rip about entertainment and many in the stands don't know what it's like to get their faces blown off. For those that might still remember, there was an annual award given out by Disney during the DCI Finals award presentation for the corps that was the most entertaining...To my recollection, Madison was the primary recipient of that award for the years in which the trophy was awarded. Furthermore, if memory serves me (I was told this while serving on the Board Of Directors), there were many complaints and grumbling from a number of top 12 corps that didn't like the fact of Madison being continually being rewarded for being ENTERTAINING!...I certainly may not be clear on all of the facts...But,then the award went away, go figure.

The only "true" way of knowing where any corps stands within "today's" judging system of grouping, or slotting if you will (I know, nobody likes that term, but it's reality), is that you have to have everyone performing at the same show, with the same panel. People get all excited on night "A" via a several point jump, and then when their favorite corps drops by 3 points on night "B", it's cataclysmic! I want to see the Scouts salvage all they can out of this program this summer...But, now we have to wait and see if reality has set in...with at least all of the top 13-14 present.

HUGE miss is an understatement, and for me to say so apparently makes me a pariah (can't put on the big boy pants and not toe the party line). There are so many similar moments (out takes) from the 99' show, that if you compare the two, this years rendition is truly a caricature. But, that's where the similarities end. That 99' show was a classic Madison success. It flowed from end to end, it made sense and went somewhere with a dynamic, exclamation point ending. The 99' show is referred to as one of Madison's finest programs. This years program comes across to me as very confusing and cut and paste. Most of the time I have no idea what I'm supposed to be focusing on. I can only hope that they figure things out next year. In the mean time, I certainly desire for them to tighten up the loose ends and do the best with what's been given the men. If I know one thing, the Men of Madison are working their tail ends off...I just wish they would have been given more to work with...their devotion deserves it!

My understanding is that the judges went back to a "partial" panel last night in Nashville, and some have commented that the scores were therefore artificially high across the board...Is that true? It will be interesting to see what happens going into Atlanta if indeed the scoring drops a bit for everyone.

Could the Scouts use better across the board talent, no doubt, but I have to disagree in your analysis. One thing the leadership has worked hard at over the past few years is the talent issue. From what I've been told repeatedly is that the talent level over the past several years has consistently gotten better. Therefore, if true, where do we armchair quarterback next?...If you haven't heard though, the latest curve ball tossed out by Madison's leadership is that the corps would be more competitive if it had more money to work with...Unfortunately though, let's not kid ourselves, placement at the end of the season has a direct correlation to attracting talent. Let's hope that their talent search efforts wont be adversely affected.

No window jumping here...As in Dragnet, "just reporting the facts sir". Realistically though, you should know that this is a different game today...everyone's tweaking and cleaning like chickens with their heads cut off with only a couple weeks left. It's so incredibly difficult to leap frog on the home stretch with so little time remaining. At this point, I would say that it will be next to impossible for Scouts to rise higher than 11th, and they may have an equal chance of dropping below 12th.

Scouts have been operating on a shoestring for many years...During a good portion of that time period they were consistently in the top 6. I'm not suggesting the Association couldn't use a lot more money...But they ended up in 8th last year with what I understand to be a very similar economic picture. Are you suggesting as are some currently doing within the Scouts organization that their downturn this year is tied to their economics? If so, than you're simply yelling, SQUIRREL!

As of this evening, Scouts are effectively in 12th place, but nah, you're right, what's to worry.

Any scores from Little Rock...I don't see them listed anywhere.

You haven't missed a thing this year...The more things change, the more they stay the same! Scouts had made real advancement last summer into 8th...Now they're right back to seemingly fighting for a spot in the night show at Indie...Go figure!

Everyone has a better product than last year. When you look at the entire field, it's easy to see why this is a 12th-10th production. And, it has nothing to do with the financial status of the corps! It was a huge risk to revisit JCSS no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it (Judas). The 99' show was a classic, no holds barred, Madison Monster!...This version is quite, mehhh, very confusing, with one goosebumps moment. Facts are facts and the leadership has taken the upward momentum of last year and back stepped 3-4 places. Furthermore, folks shouldn't waste their time hoping and praying for leap frog momentum with comments like, "be positive, there's still time"...Then, you simply don't understand this activity today. You have to come out of the gates with dynamite and a well structured plan/product for upward momentum. Catch-up doesn't work in today's game. I just hope the Men of Madison are having an enjoyable summer.

Funny...Your question reminds me of a famous statement made by former NFL coach, Jom Mora when in his post game comments he was asked about the possibility of his team making the playoffs..."Playoffs??...Don't talk about Playoffs!!...How about us just winning a game!! In other words, "What in the feakin name of Pete have you been smoking??!!...Top 7??...Top7!!!!!!!!...How about the boys even making the night show in Indie!!!...Let's worry about that!!...TOP 7...Sheeeeesh!

This is why I've stated that I believe the 2016 rendition has become in many ways a caricature of the 99' show...The 99' show did a fabulous job of interpreting the music/visuals to the story line.

So, what I hear you saying is that in order for Madison to once again become a top 6 corps, they need to separate themselves from their core values...Do I have that about right?

It may have been started by one alumnus who posts continually on the alumni FB page, but the idea seems to have been adopted now by many within the same venue...and it's some of those very same that have gotten caught up within that hype that are now voicing their disappointment wondering why their dreams of "resurgence" haven't been fulfilled. Therefore, I've went as far as to suggest to some of these same individuals that they seem to continually set themselves up for disenchantment. Yes, keep it positive, but live within the world of reality...Otherwise, one tends to air their dirty laundry in delicate places that then requires those in leadership to chime in and talk about such things as the corps finances as compared to the upper echelon. Me...maybe I've played to much of the role of Capt. Obvious and could temper my remarks as well. A tip of the hat though to you Cop, for you are always the voice of reason...MYNWA Sir!

THIS...

In today's shortened, two month long season, "change" and re-writes are a daily constant for all drum corps. Therefore, everyone is traveling on the same trajectory without the ability to make any real impact to move ahead of the corps in front of them. Nowadays, if you don't come out with an incredibly strong program right out of the gate, it seems like you're immediately in a dog fight to make it into the night show in Indie. And, I would agree with you regarding the Fleur de lis...Thematically, it doesn't belong with this years production. Furthermore, I'm feeling that the 2016 version off JCSS has become a caricature of the 99' show. Watch that 99' show, and it's a "complete" masterpiece!...This year, all we hear is Resurgence, Resurgence!, and their focal point to supposedly hang their hat is the 39 lash diagonal front which ends up being anticlimactic because they've got a ton of show left at that point that ends up going nowhere! I would even argue that musically the 99' show had far more impact at the "front" as compared to this years version utilizing the "diagonal". It's funny that at about this time every year we're all hoping that the Scouts will pull a monster rabbit out of their magic hat...and before the season even begins, we hear nothing but over the top hype...Resurgence!

The "resurgence"??...Um, only .4 ahead of Crossmen, and already 3 points behind Phantom...Scouts are probably currently 12th-10th...maybe 9th. The "resurgence"?