Newseditor44

Winner! Best Post of the Day!

You know, as these kids played the final few notes last night last night, I was very sad at the thought that this show would never be performed again. I'm getting a few tears just thinking about it. Special shows only come along everyonce in a while. This was one of those shows. I had the choice last week to either go to San Diego or Clovis to see drum corps in August, and I am so glad I went to San Diego. I got the chance to fall in love with a corps that hadn't really been one of my favorites. The music, storytelling, exceptional guard, the show design, everything was there. But most importantly, I had the chance to talk with a few of the kids after the show, and you could tell how proud each of them was to be a part of that show. What the kids need to know is that is was us, the audience, that was proud of them. They will forever be a art of drum corps lore. Not becuase they won a title, but becuase they won the hearts of every single person they performed for. Truly a special group of kids! If you didn't see this show live, you really missed something special. Now to the members, please come back next year!!! Make magic for us again!

And to think we competed against each other in 1988.... sheesh we practically think alike in our old age brother! I'll have to go with Tin on this one, 4th -7th ARE the class of the field in 2007!!! Those four shows made the night for me, and my wife, and the folks sitting around us. I was up on my feet well before Crown stuck their final set... my only wish is that we were in a better venue for drum corps. That is the only thing that kept this from being a perfect evening! I became a huge Carolina Crown and Bluecoats fan this weekend! I would have to say this was one of the most entertaining years in DCI history... Now lets see if we can get the board to make overall GE a ###### chunk of the judging!!!

Dear God, please, say this thread didn't start the day after finals... Can we rest ofr a bit, the kids aint' even home yet!

I've been to quite a few Championships... and have never been entertained as much by the 7th through 4th place corps as much as I was last night. I was on my feet more than i was sitting down. Hats off to all of you folks, thanks for entertaining us! STANDING O!!!!

I thought it was cool to watch Spirit warm up right outside the souvie trailers. When they played Georgia... GOOSE BUMPS!!!

Aside from the built in bias for BD and SCV... Crown WAS the fan favorite last night. They had the first standing o before the show was finished (If I remember correctly they had a few). But one thing is certain, those kids nailed their show!!! They were the first corps of the night to come out with passion and determination. I certainly thought they had SCV beat, and possible Phantom. Phantom, SCV, Crown and Bluecoats... MY GOD MAN!!!! Four great shows! All of those kids have nothing to be ashamed of, it was an honor to be entertained by you!!!

I was told tonight by someone in the know that tonight's finals audience was the largest single event crowd in DCI History. They expect the number to be in the high 30's, probably a little over 40k. Highest number to date is in the mid 20's. Dear DCI, When attendance sucks in Indiana, feel free to give us a ring again...

Ok, I'll give ya that one.... lol

For all of the crap theyhave had to put with this season... The Cadets, hands down! Crown a close 2nd

I can. Guess that blew your theory to hell

As long as we are talking about rights... Let's all agree on this... you have the right to do anything you like. You have the right to eat, sleep, breath, kick a puppy, sing a tune, march with the Cadets, take out a 35mm pistol and shoot someone until they’re dead... you can do anything you like. These are your rights. However, some of the above mentioned rights are over zealous, rude, abusive, and most importantly, can intrude upon the rights of others. Last time I checked, the young men and women of the Cadets earned the right to be on that field and perform there show in the World Championship Quarterfinals, just as the their counterparts in the Blue Devils, Vanguard, Cavaliers, Troopers, Colts, Blue Knights, and many other corps did. They earned the right to perform under the same conditions that the other corps performed under... without being heckled, without being booed, without being made fun of. Regardless of how good or bad their shows were. They earned the right to perform on a field that was marked correctly so that there was no opportunity for injury (however small that opportunity might have been). Since he is charged with the safety and well being of the members of the corps, Hoppy has the right, as a corps director, to ##### a situation, deem it unsafe, and respectfully request a level playing field. You, as a fan, have the right to not like it, the right to boo, the right to hate the director, the right to make fun of the kid doing the narration at the end of the show. Live it up! But just because you have the right to do something, doesn’t mean you have to act like a Jack@s$ and follow through with it. You have the right to disrespect someone, despite the fact that they have worked their rear-ends off to perform at the highest level possible to try and entertain you. But just because you have that right, doesn’t mean you should use it. Oh by the way, you have the right to be tasteless and act like and idiot as well... and quite a few of you exercised that right last night. Classless and sad….

I left the stands following the Cadets show. As I was walking to my car, I saw the kids and staff having picture taken. I had the opportunity to talk breifly with a few of the corps members who told me that while it ultimatly didn't matter, they did feel like they were being booed, and it did shake up a few of the corps members. I apologize for the spelling errors and typos, I am sending this from a Blackberry

Please don't get the impression that I am defending the naration, becuase I am not. I cant stand it. But worse then the naration was the crowd reaction. Spontaneos reaction or not, it was still rude and there was no excuse for it. And to be honest, some of it was not all that spontaneous.

The Rose Bowl is probably the worst DCI Championships venue I have ever been too. You are so far away from the field, and the sound gets washed away before it hits the stands. We should have been in San Diego

No, that wasn't my point at all, go back and reread. To sum up: What happed tonight was disgracful and embarassing. Regardless f who you were booing, there is no place for that in this activity, period. And I never said the performers can't tell the difference, and if i did, then I am sorry, let me make my point. Booing Hoppy IS the same as booing his kids, especially when they are out on the field. While I am sure that most of them are intelligent, well-read kids (being as that I am 20 years older than most of them, I will call them kids, because to me they are!), saying that this won't affect them in some way shape or form is #########. I saw the kids after the show, I talked wth a few of the staff members, the kids were shaken up in the tunnel. Now, argue with me that this didn't affect them. becuase regardless whether you or anyone else thinks that it shouldn't have.. the fact of the matter is, it did. Additionally, MnM is right. For an activity that is based in education, what type of education are we giving the kids? It's ok to act like a complete moron at the expense of someone else? Guys, you can hate Hoppy, that's cool. He's an adult, he knows what he is getting himself into, and he lists his email address for everyone to see. hate him, that's cool. But these kids are there to perform for YOU. Give them the respect they deserve. s

Agreed... maybe more to the point that I should have made.

Why does this matter? They're kids, period. Its a youth activity. They work their butts off all year for the chance to preform for us, amd we threw it back in their faces tonight... simply becuase a lot of people don't like the director. Thats a crock of #### So that gives the fans the right to disrespect the kids (opps, did I say kids, I am sorry) young adults... They are nt looking to win a popularty contest, they are trying to perform. nd needless to say, they are doing something that none of us has ever had the balls to do... something different! For that alone they should get nothing less than a standing ovation, not booed off the field. I would imagine that if you wer in a corps that got booed off the field, you would take it a bit personally. And you know what, I hope they do take it personally, becuase maybe that's the extra push they need to push their performance to the next level, and wow us al that much more! Then you weren't sitting anwhere near my section. Trust me, it was happening You know what, Hoppy hasn't F'd up the activity anymore than the fans that booed tonight have.

Respectfully he's not a journalist. I have spent the past 15 years as a professional journalist, and Dennis is not in that catafory. He is a host. A co-host if you will, and I should preface this by saying that I was Dennis' producer for the DCI broadcast for several years up until 2004/ That said.. I don't always agree with Dennis, but I understand his point. I did not see the broadcast, I was in the stands. My point is this... The kids had no clue who was getting booed. You cn sit here and try to justify it by saying that you were booing Hoppy, but the kids were the ones on the field when the boo's came. They tok the brint of it, and we ALL owe them a huge apology. And then there is the heckeling...

Hopkins or the kids... BIG F'ING DEAL!!!! ITS THE SAME THING. Are you actually going to tell me that any of those kids knows the difference???? All they know is that they were getting booed, and yes, they were a bit shaken up. No one in this activity should get booed, PERIOD! If you don't like it, go for a walk. But these kids and these staff's work all summer long to perform for you. If you can't show them the smallest bit of respect, then get the hell out. And I am beyond frustrated... I am mad as hell!

Mark, I am going to disagree with you... the field sucks, its in bad shape. Hop saw something he didn't like, and i am positive it was a safety issue. Talking to some of the cadets staff, that's what i was told, and I believe them. The kids were pretty shaken up after getting booed off the field.

He's right... everyone needs to get over it. What happend tonight was embarassing to the activity, and I am talking about the crap the fans gave to the kids. Everyone in the stands should be humiliated! Its time we all got over it! This is getting ridiclous and pathetic... and were taking it out on the kids for christs sake!

I had a long drive home to think about what I wanted to say. It was much worse while I sat in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl, fuming over what I had just seen and heard. And now, I’m just sad; for the kids, for the activity, and for the morons in the stands. This night has affected me in so many ways that it’s difficult to comprehend. I am so angry, so enraged, that I could just scream… yet after seeing all the fighting on this message board and other places for the past seven or eight years, this doesn't surprise me anymore. After tonight, I am embarrassed and ashamed to be a drum corps fan. I feel like I need to apologize to every member of the Cadets for what they endured this evening. And in case you weren't there, here is what they got for their performance: -They were booed off the field by nearly every fan in the Rose Bowl -They were heckled by many people in the stands -They were laughed at by a good portion of the fans during the heckling All of these things make me sick to my stomach! All of you who took part in this make me sick to my stomach. If I know you and have called you a friend, and you took part in any of the above mentioned acts of idiocy, I'm not sure I ever want to have anything to do with you ever again... THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BOO ANY OF THESE KIDS, PERIOD! THERE IS NO REASON TO HECKLE ANY OF THESE KIDS, PERIOD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, REGARDLESS OF YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS OF THE DIRECTOR OR THE CORPS! THIS SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED! IF YU TOOK PART IN THIS TONIGHT, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF AND NEVER BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND ANOTHER DRUM CORPS EVENT... EVER. You were disrespectful, hurtful, and quite honestly, you make pond scum look beautiful. ########, each and every one of you, and I have no problems telling that to each of your faces. You make me sick. As a drum corps alumni, and most importantly, a parent, I just can't understand why people would do this. If you don't like electronics, great, more power too you. Go get a dog and a soda, and come back for the Dev's. But keep your ### SHUT if you don't have anything positive to add. Southern California has waIted 35 years to host a Championship, and before we even get to finals night, we have already killed any chance of the Championships coming back for at least another 35. We shouldn’t be allowed to ever host this great event again… ever! To all the performers, I want to apologize for what you had to endure tonight. You came back and kicked some butt, and for that you will always make me proud. To all of the fans that participated in the negativity, take it somewhere else. We don't need you, and don't want you. And for the record, I can't stand mic's, voice or electronics. But after tonight, I love this show! Go Cadets!

Gary. a 4.5 you WILL feel. Its big enoug to rattle your nerves and get some excited. Its a good sized quake, but nothing that is going to hurt anyone. But yes, if you are within about 20 miles, you will feel it.

There was a earthquake? 4.5??? That ain't no earthquake, its a hiccup