Newseditor44

Sorry guys, I still don't buy it (respectfully). If the goal of the corps is to win, then in my opinion, they are selling themelves short. Winning is great, but it isnt everything. In my opinion, the politics of 2000-2002 have really hurt the corps, and now we are seeing the results. It troubles me to know that the most important thing to any orginization is winning. I think it sends the wrong message to the kids, the fans, perspective members, and it skews the vision of the orginization. To get something you have to be willing to give up something. If the Scouts management is willing to obtain a championship at the cost of alienating themsleves from the fans in the stands, then I hope they understand the consequences (i.e. lost revenues in souviniers, ticket sales for shows, etc.). Just becuase you are the Madison Scouts, The Cadets, The Vanguard, The Blue Devils, or whomever you are, doens't mean people HAVE to like you. Its up to you to create a product that people enjoy and want to see over and over again.

Be careful what you wish for. That sounds like a "screw the fans" mentality if I ever heard one...

For those of you that haven't seen them yet, here is a qucik peek at the Freelancers drumline from this past season:

if you guys would like, I can rehost the the Alumni website... it would beat the #### out of the corps site for the time being...

What he said!

Actually, becuase he can have a conversation without telling someon to "shut up" (which is pretty pathetic, its a freaking message board...). First off, I have no axe to grind at all. If i did, I would be off starting a petiton somewhere, becuase God knows we don't have enough of those. Change happens, and yes, it can be a hard pill to swallow. But, there are some things in drum corps that shoudn't change, and one of them is entertainment value. Something that DCI (at least this year), is trying to get away from. And part of the reason is the judging system, but that's a conversation for a another day. As I have stated before, Madison changing genres is NOT a bad thing at all. But what I miss is the entertainment value that used to be a part of their shows. Its no longer there, and thus, i just don't view the corps the same way that I used to, and frankly, I am getting the same impression from many, many others. Your frutration seems to stem from the fact that there are many other people that share my opinion, and it sounds as if it might be really pi$$ing you off. You think we should just sit on our hands and deal with it. I am not going to start a riot, and if that is the direction any corps wants to go, thats' great, good luck. But I will not sit her and not express my feelings on the subject just becuase it might offend someone. I repsect your opinion, all I ask is that you respect mine.

I seem to remember the Play Ball thing was a Mike Grogan add the day of Semi's. That semis show I will never foeget. That was our finals night. I have never felt that kind of intesity in my life. We were getting into finals and were not going to leave any room for doubt. I seem to remember hearing one of the drum judges tapes back at the housing site and hearing him say somethign to the effect of "Good God that's a drum corps!". Other things that stick out from 89: -cemetary hypes -Getting screwed at Allentown and closing the flaps. -horline wamring up at Allentown, playing the ballad and having the fireflies light up -Richie making the hornline loud somewhere in Ohio, and blowing the staff away with the power we never thought we had -finding that unique bumper sticker for the back of another corps bus (the corps and bumper sticker shall remain nameless) -"The back of the bus hates the front of the bus, and the front of the bus hates the back of the bus... but everybody hates Bill (our Drum Major)! -Charlies big hat (business hat on!) -getting stuck on the brdge on the way to Concord, and getting to the show just iun time to put on your uniforms and play -being yelled at by the old lady next door to the high school for being too #### loud... and laughing at the fact that she didn't know she was really paying us a huge compliment -Having Suncoast Sound hype us while we were playing ET at Finals retreat (thanks Suncoast!) -Tuna -Montreal free night (whatour parents don't know what hurt them.... 18 years later)

Hey Will - we need a Suns alumni site!

OH MY GAWD!!!! IT's LANCE DELGADO FROM 21 JUMP STREET!!! Hey Lance, good to see you around. Hope things are well for you!

Oh NO!! The Vanguard Yell... CADET STYLE! Now Hop has really done it! LOL

This my friends, is a true Madison Scout! A class act! Bravo!

It can be a little disconcerning when you look at the corps tax returns from the past several years...

Michael, while I don't disagree with you on this point (loud and brash is bad) there were corps that could entertain and still be VERY competitive. Case in point, the 1988 Madison Scouts. The show was entertaining, extremely difficult to execute, artistic, beautifully designed, and they were still able to blow our faces off with their sheer power! it was everything drum corps fans expected. We didn't have to sit and think about what the show was trying to "say". There were no eccentric body poses. We didn't need a program to tell us that Alice was climbing out of the door to find the rabbit hole. I didn't need a three hour discusion group to decipher what the preformers were feeling. it was music and drill, plain and simple and it was entertaining. Somewhere we crossed the line and added a bit too much, dont ya think? So that begs the questions, why do we need drum corps shows with no melody? Why do we need drum corps shows that challenge the audience to make a connection with the performers? And lastly, does it not say something that we have to have this converation? If there are people out there that aren't "getting it", then are we being too arrogant by saying "if you don't get it, then we don't need you becuase there is someone else that will"? Sounds like an epic case of shooting ourselves in the foot, if you ask me. Submitted respectfully :)

Hey Pat, didn't you march next to Lance Delgado from 21 Jump Street? (inside joke, had to be there!) As for bringing the corps back, I do not believe there have been any attempts to bring the corps back. The corps ran into serious financial problems with the IRS, and from what I have been told, was never able to rebound. The powers that be have been very happy with the winter drumline. Uncle Don still runs the show, and various alumni help out from time to time. I see the Zimny's every now and then, Niether looks like they have aged in 20 years. I have not seen a Freelancer Jacket in years. I tried putting together a Freelancer Alumni website, but it got very lukewarm repsonse, so I let it go. It seems that when the corps broke up for the last time, the heart and soul of the corps broke up as well. I think 1994 was the final chapter.

Pat, is that you??? It doesnt look hopeful for a full corps comeback, in the near future or ever for that point. The corps is still in a world of financial hurt, and can barely keep the winter drumline in tact. All of the equipment and vehicles have been sold off (years ago). And the BINGO game isnt making nearly enough money. In fact, I was very surpirsed to learn that there are still some board members making a nice chunk of change off of the BINGO despite there being no marching unit. Needless to say, I would say 1994 was thelast we will ever see of the Freelancers in DCI.

:D

Jeff, reading all of these love letters is getting me in trouble. My wife is now asking why I can't be more like you... Thanks! We may all disagree on various things, but we all love this activity, just remember that!

I am sure you have just made Madison Alumni everywhere proud with your educated response. Madison does, and always has, given its members a quality experience, you will get no argument from me there. They have aklways been one of my favorite corps, but not the past couple of years. Their shows lack the audience apeal that I believe has been the corps trademark through the years. There is a way that you can contend and perform at a Championship calibur. But I would much rather watch a Madison corps that places 12th that gets me on my feet 12 times in a show, than watch a Madison corps that has me longing for the hotdog line halfway through the opener. Loud, entertaining, fun, and flat out good is what I expect from not only Madison, but every corps. After all, it's my $15 admission ticket, and I am not going to throw down my hard earned money for 3 hours shows that cannot entertain. As for your second point, Madison has a long way to go before it contends for a title again becuase its not going to happen this year. Not a slam, just fact.

I think he gets it rather well actually. From a fans perspective (not a FMM), the "new" Madison Vanguard-Scouts simply aren't hitting home with many of the fans (if you were on the chat last night while watching the live stream, you would have noticed that most of us shared the same view). It's not about the style or genere of music, but the fact that Madison has always been known as an exciting corps that entertained the audiance. There is nothing entertaining about this show. What Madison has lost, in my opinion, is the ability to generate electricity in the stands and connect with the fans. This has been going on for the past several years now. They are trying to hard to win, and not hard enough to entertain. What the crative staff doesn't get is that you can do both. Now they have to figure out how. Again, just my opinion.

You're kidding, right? This show has 7-9 written all over it.

You mean the "Madison Vanguard" What happend to the Scouts? Why does everyone feel the need to reinvent themsleves?

Heck, I am lucky to be online right now as it is!

By the way, I am not saying that I condoning illegal activity, just starting a lively discussion. This whole technology thing has me baffled and gets me really confused, which is one reason my wife won't let me touch the computer. For those at DCI, not trying to condone illegal activity. This is new territory for everyone...

I know I know, but as a fast pass member, I want to be able to see the show, but if I cant be there to sit in front of my computer live, I want to know if there are other options, rather than just seeing two to three minutes. I feel somewhat jipped. It's not like I am stealing it, I jst want to get what I paid for. If there was a way that DCI could get around this, I wish they would. But I am sure saving the entire file would be too big to save. Maybe they can choip it down per corps?

Just out of cuiosity, is there a way to record it to your computer?