thecadet20012001

I don't ever want to hear Steve Kalhoun's name again. Brass Judge finals night. That still makes me upset. That was the worse I ever seen a hornline get disced and not just cause I marched it. Thanks Bones

Thank you man. That means alot. Alot of people durring the season gave us hell about that show. We changed almost 1/2 the drill durring the month of June and July to try to get the design right. We were such a mess in June like 5th place mess. Even Jeff Mitchell when saw us at end of July was like wow this is the best adjustments I've ever seen a corps make in a season. We worked really hard to make that show right and if would have started out with not having to change everything the whole summer might have won. Thanks again

Totally agree with you on 04 BD. Phantom should have won just from princible like when SCV won in 99. I mean you watch the video you can tell BD is so much cleaner both muscially and visuall, but scv had the show just like phantomo and was clean enough and like phantom had not won in ten years. Phantom should have won. Cavies 03, Should have won this year and not in 04. Just from movement alone. Dci can't get anything right. CBC 2001 had probably the best hornline Cadets ever had to that point in their history. IN fact GINO said was best hornline he ever taught which is saying alot. He told that to the 05 corps. Only thing about Cadets is should have been 2nd by themeselves and not tied BD. BD was really visually clean, but those dynasty trumpets and trying to play loud without GINO was still in the fix me stages. Their hornline was not in the same ball park with Cadets. Neither was the drumline.

I even have to agree with you. I thought that was the best BD hornline they had since 99. They finally figured out how to sound good and play loud without GINO. When I saw the show on dvd i was shocked they did not win. As much as I was this year that Cadets did not win. BD might have been hosed in 04 but Cadets were hosed in 07. Sucks because a year or two down the road BD will probably have a show worth winning more than 07, but then Cadets or Cavies will end up with the Crown to make up for this year.

I'm really glad someone brought this topic up. Last night I watched my 90's championship series and reminised on all the great hornlines and shows from the 90's from every corps. I have to say that nothing since the milinium as far as BD goes even comes close to what they sounded like in the mid 90's. I watched 96,97 watched 98 cadets followed by 99 BD. It is amazing how much better their honrline sounded than my beloved Cadets then. 99 BD in my opinion was one of the most talented hornlines I've ever heard nad probably had the best quality of sound too. 97 is right there with it. That 99 corps had almost all age outs who had marched in 96 and 97. I don't think 2003 or 2007 are even close to those shows. In fact I think there is other years where BD was better muscially and design but di dnot win because they could not march well before Todd Ryan came along like 1993 BD or 1992. WOW check out those hornlines!!! My order is this. 1999 1997 1996 1994 1993. honarable mention to 1992.

overated: Blue Devils, just seems the same every year. Underated: Carolina Crown

I am not auditioning because I aged out in 2001, but more so here to give some advice to some kids. Words of advice.... If your goal is to march a certain corps, but you doubt how good you are so you audition for a weaker corps first get experience don't do it. What do you have to loose? If you want to be a Cadet, Cavi, or Blue Devil try out. You never know you might be better than you think you are. Too many talented kids try out for glassmen or colts, Boston with the intention of going somewhere else in a year and then they never do. They march there for 3 or 4 years. I'm not saying you can't have a great experience there, but why did there goal change. It almost happened to me. Let me tell you there is nothing better than marching a drum corps competing for the top spot every night. Here are some general tips 1. HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE AND MAKE ALOT OF FRIENDS AS THIS SHOWS GOOD CHARACTER ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET TO GO TO TWO CAMPS AS THIS SHOWS YOUR LIKEABLE AND HELPS THE POLITICAL SIDE OF THINGS. 2. LOOK REALLY CONFIDENT ESPECIALLY IF YOUR NOT THE STRONGEST PLAYER. LOOK GOOD IN THE ARC, STAND TALL AND WHEN MARK TIMEING DO IT WITH ALOT OF ENERGY. REMEMBER WHEN YOUR IN THE ARC THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEY CAN SEE HOW YOU LOOK. HELL IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE CRAZY EXCERSISES OR PARTS LIKE AT BD OR CADETS WHICH THEY BOTH HAVE JUST AIR AND FALVE IT AS BEST YOU CAN AND LOOK LIKE YOUR PLAYING BALLS OUT. LOOKING CONFIDENT IS SO IMPORTANT. 3. IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN MARCH BUT CANT PLAY THAT WELL MAKE SURE YOU SHOW THEM THAT AND IF THERE IS A VISUAL INSTRUCTOR THERE TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT TO. ALOT OF KIDS MAKE TOP DRUM CORPS THAT ARE NOT THE BEST MUSICIANS, BUT THEY ARE GREAT ATHLETES AND SOMETIMES JUST AN AVERAGE PLAYER. A GREAT MARCHER WILL GET THE SPOT OVER SOMEONE WHO PLAYS BETTER BUT CAN'T MARCH. PICK AN AUDITION SCORE THAT IS VERY DEMANDING WITH ALOT OF TECHNICALITY. REMEMBER ITS AUG NOW YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 MONTHS TO MASTER IT. HECK GET ONE OR TWO PRIVATE LESSONS AT YOUR SCHOOL TO HELP YOU OUT. ANY AVERAGE HORN PLAYER CAN MEMORIZE A HARD PIECE WITH 4 MONTHS TO DO IT. YOU CAN TOO. THIS WILL DEFF HELP YOU GET A HORN SPOT EVEN IF YOU DID SUCK IN THE SECTIONALS WITH THE OTHER HORNS. 4. IF YOUR A GREAT MUSICIAN MUSIC MAJOR ECT AND NOT MUCH OF A MARCHER OR OVERWEIGHT YOU NEED TO PRACTICE MARK TIMING AND STAND UP WHEN PRACTICING LEEDING UP UNTIL YOUR AUDITON. ALSO GET A MARCHING BARITONE OR TUBA IF YOUR LOW BRASS AND PRACTICE HOLDING IT UP FOR 10 MINUTES AT A TIME WHILE PLAYING AND HOLD IT UP NOT LOOK LIKE AN ANT EATER. LOL. MAKE SURE YOUR FEET ARE IN TIME AND NOT OUT OF STEP WHEN YOUR PLAYING. YOU NEED TO PRACTICE THIS AS THE FAT GIRLS AND GUYS ALWAYS GET LOOKED AT AND WONDERED BY THE STAFF IF THEY CAN MARCH AND HANDLE THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ESPECIALLY IN A SHOW LIKE CADETS OR CAVIES. STAND UP AND MARCK TIME IN YOUR AUDITION ALSO TO SHOW THEM YOUR GOOD AT MOVING YOUR FEET BUT REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE THIS BEFORE THE WEEKEND CAMP. 5. IF YOU THINK YOUR ON THE EDGE OF MAKING IT COME THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. GO THE EXTRA MILE PRACTICE ON YOUR BREAKS AND LET THE STAFF HEAR AND SEE YOU DO IT ALONG WITH THE VETS. THEY WILL APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ETHIC ESPECIALLY AT CADETS. I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS THE GUY PRACTICING. LOL I REMEMBER HAVING AN HOUR LUNCH AND I WAS SO MAD BECAUSE I SUCKED SO BAD IN THE SECTIONAL WITH CHAD PENCE SO I ATE IN LIKE FIVE MINUTES AND PRACTICED FOR 55. THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES LADIES AND GENTS. 6. IF YOU YOU ARE A GREAT ATHLETE AND A GREAT MUSICIAN ON TOP OF HAVING ANY CORPS EXPERIENCE. REMEMBER NOT TO BE COCKY. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN A ROOKIE WHO THINGS HE IS GOD'S GIFT TO THE CORPS. YOU WILL PROBABLY GET A SPOT IF YOU HAVE THE ATHLETICS, MUSICIAN SHIP AND EXPERIENCE FROM ANY TOP DRUM CORPS. SIDE NOTE: I WAS THE ATHLETE. HECK I THINK THE ONLY REASON I MADE CADETS IN 01 WAS BECAUSE THE WEEKEND I AUDITIONED I MARCHED CIRCLE DRILL BETTER THAN SOME IF NOT MOST OF THE VETS THERE. AT GLASSMEN THAT IS ALL WE DID SO THE ONLY THING I HAD TO GET USED TO WAS THE RIGHT FOOT LEED. I HAD THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE AND I LOOKED MORE LIKE A BODYBUILDER/RUNNER THAN A MUSICIAN AND I WAS BECAUSE I AM NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT THAT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE WEAKEST BARITONE PLAYER IN THE 18 WE HAD THAT SUMMER AND I DID PLAY EVERY NOTE AND WAS NOT CRACKING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I ATTRIBUTE IT MORE TO THE AMOUNT OF TALENT WE HAD THAT SUMMER AS GINO HAS EVEN SAID IN THE PAST THAT IT WAS THE BEST HORNLINE HE EVER TAUGHT. I MADE THAT HORNLINE BECAUSE I FOLLOWED WHAT I WROTE UP TOP BEING AN AVERAGE DRUM CORPS PLAYER, BUT A GREAT MARCHER AND IT WORKED FOR ME IT CAN ALSO WORK FOR YOU TO HELP YOUR DREAM COME TRUE.

I hate when people say they marched or even act like they did when they went to like one or two camps. My best friend was an awesome snare drummer and is in a rock band that tours the country now and he tried out for Glassmen snare line in 2001 and made it all the way to the 3rd camp and was asked to come back and never did. He said he did not want to march, but his Girlfriend told me he cried watching the snare line in 2001 with regret. I marched 4 years glassmen 98,99,00 and with the cadets of 01, yet if were together and run into someone who marched he plays it off like he did march drum corps especially if it is a chick. It bothers the hell out of me. I mean I did not become a Cadet until April 27th 2001 which is later than most and did not move in until June 5th with only 10 days left of spring training and I felt like i was not a complete member like I was with Glassmen because in those years I was at every camp from NOvember to spring traning to Finals night. I marched every show with Cadets and played every note, but it still did not feel complete. I feel unless you do at least all at the minimum all four weeks of spring training barring you have to leave durring the week for HS graduation or school, but you at least do the Weekends you have not marched a full season at least 100%. I feel like in Cadets 01 I marched a 95% season that year. I missed 5% of the grueling punishment that cadets went through those first two weeks, therefore I missed 5% of being part of that corps. Camps do not count at all. I dont care if you go to everyone. If you don't at least do a week of spring training you have not even marched a % of a drum corps. With saying that if you jump on tour with anything less than 2 weeks in the season you should not tell people you marched, but tell them you filled a hole and helped the corps out the last two weeks. It really does not count sorry. We had a guy every year at glassmen that would come in with two weeks left to fill that lone contra or bari hole or sop hole cause someone got hurt and the next year at camps he would act like some savy veteran even though he probably only marched like 4 shows cause it took him a week to get in the drill anyway and he never played a note. Just does not count guys Thats my take

I WANTED TO WRITE THIS TO APOLOGIZE FOR OFFENDING ANYONE ON HERE IN THE PAST. THAT WAS NOT MY WISH WHATESOEVER. I LOVE THIS ACTIVITY AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT THINK I DID NOT MARCH I DID. I MARCHED 4YEARS 3 WITH GLASSMEN 98,99,00 AND THE 2001 CADETS. I DO HAVE A HABIT OF RIPPING BLUE DEVILS AND FOR BD MEMBERS AND ALUMNI I AM SORRY. I'M NOT SORRY TO BD FANS ONLY THE ONES WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OR ALUMNI BECAUSE JUST BANDWAGON FANS ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT RIP EVERYONE ELSE AND UNLESS THEY ARE PARENTS THEY ARE HUGE BANDWAGON BAND KIDS. BD IS A GREAT DRUM CORPS ALONG WITH CADETS AND MANY OTHERS. I STAND BY WHEN I SAY THAT THE HORNLINES FROM THE 90'S WERE MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE'S THEY HAVE NOW. HECK I WOULD HAVE MARCHED BD BACK IN 94,96,97 EVEN 98 THEIR HORLINE DID NOT PLAY ALOT OF NOTES, BUT THEY SOUNDED BEAUTIFUL. I'M SORRY FOR DISRESPECTING ANYONE AND FROM NOW ON I WON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT BD BECAUSE IT IS JUST GOING TO END BAD. I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS THE WORSE PLACE TO HAVE AN OPINION UNLIKE ANY OTHER FORUM BECAUSE IF YOU OFFEND ONE PERSON YOUR CONSIDERED A BAD APPLE. THAT IS WHAT FORUMS ARE ABOUT, BUT IF I'M GOING TO PLAY IN THIS KITCHEN I'LL HAVE TO KEEP MY FOOD LESS SPICY.

I don't think it is that it is Cali fans are rude or ignorant it is just a little different out there when it comes to marching band. East Coast is said to have the most tuft drum corps fans and they do because East Coast fans don't cheer unless you do something. They sit there with there hands crossed and i'm not talking about at finals. i'm talking about some of the small shows like Bristol RI or in Rome NY and New Jersey and Boston. Cali fans have not seen as much drum corps as East coast or midwest fans. I have another comparison. My cousin marched iN the U OF M marching band and he told me that the USC marching band acted really arogant and almost like they were going to play football against the U OF M band. They acted like it was a battle. I told him thats how BD acts in Drum corps and I think thats how just alot of West Coast marching band Drum corps fans are. Its just a different culture and it might suck but some might think its cool. I mean midwest fans cheer knowmatter what, but its almost to bando like. East Coast fans don't say nothing until you do something for them and West Coast fans BOO like its a sporting event if you suck. As far as respecting the Marine corps. Hello were in California like the most liberal state. I wonder sometimes if they even celabrate the 4th of JUly there. It was home Show for BD and SCV that was obvious because if that show is not in Cali and on the East coast or even midwest Cadets win by a point and not to say that is right either. i'm out

(personal attack removed-bawk) I guess I'll start from the top. Blue Devils: Best ever. I hope you mean best in like 4 years. This is not even among there best. In fact I don't even think it is in there top 12 meaning it was not even among one of their championship performances. Your telling me it ranks with 99,97,94,or even 93 which had a sick hornline but could not march. WOW if I was a BD alum I would be offended by your statements. Glassmen: Are you kidding me? I really hope you just through thee name there. DID you even compare it to any year like 98 or 99? 99 Was the cleanest glassmen ever marched ever. People used to come watch their basic block before shows. Even 2000 and 2001 were light years better than this year, but holding 2007 gmen it in the same breath as 99 and 98 is an embarassment on your part. Phantom and SCV also have had way better shows and this one should not be held in the same breath with their others. um phantom 89,93,96. SCV all there shows from the 70's and 87,88,89 and 99. This years shows from both these corps not even in same breath as those years for them. Obvious your a Cadet hater, but this was probably the Best Cadet show along with performance not to win a championship ever along with Cadets 92. Not the best show though they have ever done but up there but might have been the best performance night in and night out. You need to know your history before you make such assumptions bro. The only one I'll give you credit for is Carolina Crown and the Colts. I actually think Might be the best two shows they ever had.

I would did march cadets and would again any show whether 6th or 1st becaue of the values taught there. Cadets are still the hardest working corps in the activity with long rehearsals starting crack of dawn and ensembles going on those same days sometimes to almost 11 oclock. When there is problems with the show you wake up even earlier to fix it and rehearse even longer with less breaks and probably even hotter days because it is usually in June. That is just like Life when something goes wrong you work twice as hard to correct it. The Uniform is by far the best in DCI. The complexity and speed of the drill every year is something to behold and all the notes and 16 note runs the hornline has every year with GINO and guys like Larry Markewic teaching the hornline along with guys like SULI and all the meetings with Hopkins and how he relates everything we do there do life after we leave. People out there who say Hop just cares about winning and not the kids there full of it because every meeting we have or did have there he talked about how we could relate that show rehearsal or what we did that day or did'nt do to later in our lives down the road. Cadets both competitively and educational wise is the definition of what a drum corps should be. I marched somewhere else so I do have something to compare it to. I wish I did not because I would have done all four years there instead of just the one. The best part about Cadets is if your 15 years old you can have a blast just as much as if your a 21 year old. Other corps I've heard depending on your age it is more fun. The younger seem to enjoy the bottom 6 corps more because of there is more youth and less pressure where as the older kids love blue devils cavies because of that pressure, but the young kids are kind of left out because it is overwhelming how many age outs are in those corps and the older clicks that form, however Cadets whether 15 or 21 they stick together and everyone enjoys the pressure and lives for it because after all its an East Coast drum corps baby. East Cost Drum Corps are tough and are balls to the wall in everything they do all the time. Even the div II one's look at the spartans. Once again thank you Richard Roach, Christen Jewel, Brad Toth, Zach Ruffert and Mike Terry aka FETUS for making the 2001 summer the best summer I've ever had. I"m out

I heard and read a post and I won't say from where or who to respect this persons privacy, but this person is on Cadets Staff and well respected througought the Drum Corps community. From what I know of him he has never had bad things to say about BD and has always held their hornline in high regard along with their corps. He wrote in a Blog how Blue Devils Alumni were going to the Cadets warmup sight semi and finals night heckling yelling things right in front of them while they are trying to warm up. He also went on to write about the things that happened on retreat from some members of the corps and BD fans. The one thing I thought was interesting was how he explained how BD is so caught up with winning that they think that unless they win the season is a complete waste and the alumni, parents and members go to extremes outside of what they do on the field do make sure it happens. At Cadets and alot of other drum corps not winning does not mean your season was a waste. In fact sometimes you learn alot more when you don't. Those are the principles that drum corps teaches. It just discuss me how stupid and un classy BD alumni and fans act right along with the members sometimes and sad most of the time because of some of the values that the BD drum corps has. You guys should take some notes from the corps to the south of you SCV who is the definition of class in DCI. BD blew it DCI will never be in Cali again. So much for your home show. I'm not saying every BD person is like this, however when I marched the things described in this BLOG sounded so familier especially the stuff in retreat. Sorry for any BD alum or member that chooses not to act like an idiot. This is not directed at you.

I believe the show like Star of 93will get credit 4 or 5 years down the road when everyone is trying to do what Cadets did this year. Hey though its like Karma 93 Star was way better than Cadets 93 especially finals night and look what happened. 93 Cadets was great, but inovation wise and pushing the envelope not even close to Star and Star was cleanier too. Gee sound familier from the other night? Like 93 knowone will really talk about BD's show ten years from now they will be talking and drum corps kids will be listening to Cadets 07 saying how sweet they were and how everyone was booing them just like we talked about star of 93 when I marched. When you think of 93 you think of Star of Indiana. You don't think about Cadets and sorry BD fans that is your fate also. People will remember Cadets show more than they will remember yours or your championship. what goes around comes around I guess.

First let me get one thing straight. My comments are my opinion and I don't even review what I write after I write it. I post it and let it go because its what I'm thinking. I marched four years of drum corps the whole way. 3 years with glassmen 98,99,00 and then my age out year with Cadets in 2001. You can ask anyone I marched with in 98,99, and 2000 I was going to march BD. I loved them for their care free don't give a #### attitude. I was sick of the military type attitude that glassmen had adopted from cadets and I could not waite to be part of such a cocky in your face we don't practice alot drum corps. I went home I listened and watched to alot of drum corps after 2000 glassmen and was a visual tech at the plymouth Canton marching band and really started to understand what being great and acting great was all about. I almost did not even march my age out year of 2001. I had planned on teaching plymouth the whole summer and just not marching as I was becoming more of a teacher anyway, but then in February I decided I wanted to march somwhere that marched hard drill with great Visual GE as Plymouth had the marching band I was teaching so I was going to go to Cavaliers unfortanetely their hornline was full, then i wanted to go to scv and they were full. I did not choose BD because Gino had left their and their hornline along with attitude was the only reason I wanted to march there and since my attitude had changed and Gino was gone I had no reason to march there along with Joe Falvey marching there also. I drove out to New Jersey in March and made the corps and then I moved in late like two weeks into spring training with only two weeks left before our first show in JUNE and it was the best summer of my life and I learned what working hard long hours and a very difficult drill and high demand show is about and that is why I loved marching Cadets and would not have got the same thing from Blue Devils. As far as being an athlete. I work out 6 days a week and i'm 5ft 8 190 lbs with 12% bodyfat and I bench press 325 lbs and run two miles a day. I could do a blue devil show in my sleep. What drum corps people need to realize is everyone will always think were band dorks if were not aloud to bash other corps sometimes. Its like high competitive sport its only with instruments. To me it does not bother me Cadets got booed because sport teams get booed all the time and they work their ##### off all week to play on sunday. I just hate how everyone picks on one corps. I could thing of many years people should have booed blue devils for their same old show every year routine. Athletes get booed all the time and they work way harder than alot of drum corps. I did both I know. High school hockey, Football and track and college hockey and bodybuilding and personal training. If you suck you get booed thats just the way it is but too many people boo one corps because they don't like the director which is lame because Hopkins is way more active with his corps than almost every other who just sits back and watches things happen. David Gibbs and Hopkins are friends and they are both behind the inovation for DCI of aplification and the Bflat horns I can go on and on. Hopkins just sticks his nose out and Gibbs stays in the background but dont kid yourself David Gibbs is just as much behind it as George and they are both great directors. I don't like BD because they don't play as hard of a show as I think they can. I don't like Cavies because they way they march technique. I don't like SCV and phantom because they play crasp alot. Yes there is things I don't like about Cadets like how sometimes they over push the envelope with inovation sometimes costing them points and a championship. There is also things I love about every drum corps, just like every pro football team or hockey team. I'm sorry if I hurt any BD members. That was not my intention and you guys do have a great drum corps with a ton of great talent and great organization. When I was at cadets 01 we had a barbeque with BD in Cali and I felt honored because I knew I was with the two best drum corps in the country. You guys can deny it but its true Blue Devils don't march that hard of drill compared to cavies or cadets and their music yet alot of notes sometimes does not have the timing issues that most cadet and cavi shows have. Example Star of Indiana. They marched with the same technique BD has, but their drill even in today's standards would have been hard as hell especiall in 93 and your telling me they marched it where it did not look hard. It looked hard and was hard and they looked even better than BD so don't give that excuse please. Again i'm sorry but sometimes admitting your corps does'nt throw it all out their enough is not a bad thing it is a reality just like I wish when Cadets had the talent they did this year they might scale back a little bit of the voice stuff and not try to push the envelope so far Thanks

You probably could not make it through a cadet show because you would be too tired at the end because your so used to marching basic blocks the whole show and bopping. You deff could not handle the rehearsal time. Why do you think Gino left. Sad to say the hornline there has not sounded as good since he did. Last great sounding devil line in my opinion that was far better than anyone else was 99 brother. Gino ran that hornline from 94 through 99 and those were hands down far away the best hornlines I've ever heard in DCI. I'm a cadet fan but even 95 cadets should not have tied BD for brass. Blue devils were half a point better than everyone in horns then. Not so much lately guy.

I have to say this. It should be the opposite. It should look really hard and be easy. IF it is hard and does not look hard than it makes no sense to march hard drill. I know people that marched both cadets and devils and they said getting through a devil show was like one lap around the track compared to 8 laps around which like a cadet one. He also said when it came to making changes in drill Blue devils would freak out and were really bad at changing charts in the summer while cadets change about 20 or 30 pages sometimes whole features of drill charts in the middle of July. What I mean by CLass with BD is not how good they sound or how clean they march. They are super clean and march really well and sound great. Its the goofy stuff they do on retreat like act like idiots and then smoke in their uniforms and look homeless with their facial hair and hair cuts. Act more cocky and full of themeselves than any other corps out there. Thats what I mean by class.

No they probably could not play as good. I have been saying this for like ten years. They have a ton of talent and they almost waiste it every year on easy drill and simple score designs designed by Wayne Downey to be really dynamic and loud with a couple of trumpet 16 note run features throuought the show. Last time Blue Devils played a really hard show with good drill was 1997 and even then it was not as hard as Cadets or Cavies. Wake up people this has been happening along time and The Blue Devils get away with it every year because they are a great marketing tool for dci. All the band kids want to be a Blue Devil the california sun, the surfer look, and the care free attitude. Heck I wanted to be a Blue Devil until I realized what drum corps was all about. I loved to march and wanted to March the hardest drill possible and play alot of notes and be in a drum corps with alot of class. That narrowed it down to Cavies, SCV and Cadets. I choose Cadets because they were from New York area and people said it is like marching the Wall Street of drum corps. Blue Devils play it safe every year to be really clean and if they don't win after awhile Wayne and the bunch ##### until they do but what a waiste of the best talent every year. Imagine with all the talent they did have if they actually played harder music and ran around more. After all they have the best drill cleaner in the country in Todd Ryan and they march 8 to 5 rotating blocks with follow the leader drill the whole show. What a shame. Some of the Top BOA bands in finals every year march harder and play harder shows than BD. Its like having a pro football team with Peyton Manning as Qb and three Jerry Rice's and Bill Belichick as your head coach and instead of airing the ball out and taking risk with great talent the team runs the ball down the middle 90% of the time. It would be a waiste!!! just as Wayne Downey and Jay Murphy you waiste talent and Todd Ryan every year.

We should have made a sight like this before finals. I just ask where were all you non cadet alumni before finals saying how hard Cadets show was and how great their hornline was? God knows Blue Devils Show was even half as hard as Cadets, but everyone waits to after the fact to say anthing. What a disspointment and getting 2nd place at dci is the worse than 3rd because in 2001 for me it hurt and stung worse than when I was at Glassmen in 98,99 and got 5th.

WHY WOULD'NT YOU WANT BD TO PLAY HARDER SHOWS? ITS LAME THEY DON'T. ITS LIKE A PRO FOOTBALL TEAM WITH AN ALL STAR QB AND 3 JERRY RICE'S AND ALL THEY DO IS RUN THE BALL. WOULD THAT MAKE SENSE?

I could not have said everything better myself. In fact I had to actually check to see if I did write this. The truth is BLUE DEVILS NEVER REALLY HAVE A HARD SHOW. THEY DO A TON OF PARK AND BLOW AND FOLLOW THE LEADER DRILL REALL REALLY CLEAN IN FACT SUPER CLEAN LIKE PEFECT AND THEY HAVE A TRUMPET FEATURE WITH SOME 16 NOTE LICKS AND THEN PLAY mf AND MOVE IT UP TO FFFF A COUPLE OF BIG HITS IN THE SHOW. THEY WIN BECAUSE DCI USES THEM AS A MARKETING TOOL AND THE JUDGES KNOW IT. BAND KIDS LOVE BD. THE UNIFORMS, THE SURFER LOOK AND THE CALIFORNIA ATTITUDE. GINO CIPRIANI LEFT BD FOR CADETS BECAUSE HE EVEN GOT SICK OF THE SAME BORRING SHOW EVERY YEAR WITH ZERO INOVATION AND LITTLE DEMAND. UR RIGHT I'M NOT A FAN OF NARRATION, BUT STILL CAN LOOK PAST IT BUT I KNOW THE MARJORITY EVEN GOOD DRUM CORPS FANS WILL HATE IT IF CADETS WIN BECAUSE OF IT. ITS A SHAME BLUE DEVILS WITH ALL THAT TALENT AND WAYNE DOWNEY AND THE BEST DRILL CLEANER IN THE COUNTRY WON'T EVER DO ANYTHING AS HARD AS CAVIES AND CADETS. I'M NOT A BD FAN BUT IF THEY DID THEY WOULD WIN EVERY YEAR HANDS DOWN. THATS MY TAKE

Guys Cadets were 1/2 a tenth 1/2 a tench from BD last night. Might as well have been a tie. when the score is that close i rather be on the bottom end of it. I would not have wanted Cadets to win by 1/2 a tenth going into finals. YOu guys have been right semi corps always wins finals but when was the last time they were that tight? Its gonna happen some time. As far as BD having a traditional show, ok great but guess what I love the Blue Devils for their talent, the way they move with such grace and their colorguard, but they are the least inovative corps in dci. Last time I thought they had a really inovative show was 1997 casablanca. Their shows both score wise and drill wise don't even come close to the demands that Cadets and Cavaliers do which is ironic considering they have more talent than both those corps. They almost do the same thing every year but give them credit they do it really really frickin great. Look for Cadets to win by 2 or 3 tenths tonight. THIS I BELIEVE!!!

Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AKA BORAT You make a funny very gooda

I think judging like this just as in figure skating and anything where a group of people determine the outcome based on really opinions is all corrupted and fixed to a certain degree. I think one day the only way to make it fair is come up with some sort of computer system that judges the shows all except for general effect where a person should be aloud to judge. A good GE judge basis his or her opinion on the design, energy, enthusiasm, and even a little crowd response at least looking to see how much the crowd is really captivated. I hope i don't jinx cadets, but i think cadets are gonna take it tonight only because we have not seen a 1st 2nd flip from simis to finals in a while the most we have seen is usually a tie. I think its gonna happen so sorry for all those who hate the voice. It more about performance.

Mark petrash slotted us in semi-finals and i thought that score made sense, but Kalhoun roasted us finals placing us like 3rd which is rediculous. ur right 2000 cadets sounded terrible finals night we all thought so and Gino and we knew that 2001's hornline was the best cadets hornline since 1990 and thats what hurt the most.