mcjordansc

So based on the Houston and Dallas show's score average: Blue Stars 83.95 Phantom 83.8 Boston 83.75 Blue Stars will be seeded 7th, Phantom 8th and Boston 9th.

Phantom 84.55 Blue Stars 84.65 Boston 84.75

I just watched the Blue Stars VOD from last night and boy, do they have room to grow their score. Their show is great and still somewhat dirty. After Saturday's show they do not compete again until Thursday night. I understand some of the top dogs will be in to work the show next week. I cannot wait to see what they look like in Atlanta. My guess is a great deal cleaner and showing some bigger impact points. I would not bet that the Blue Stars cannot keep their current position and maybe even climb another notch this year.

The Blue Stars have everything in place to keep climbing. Obviously, they are getting to a level where it is harder and harder to continue to move up, but if the maintain their staff, add to the staff where it makes sense and they will continue to get better. They do have a talented administrative group. As long as they can continue to meet the financial challenges presented all world class corps, there is no reason they cannot be a championship challenger in a few years,

Blue Stars have four straight days without shows after Saturday. I am looking forward to how good they might be next week in Atlanta.

Top 11 pretty much locked in now (the corps, not the placements). Hard to see any of last year's top 11 falling out of this years top 11.

Four years ago on July 18 Blue Stars scored a 74.3.... ......in division II. Can we say ascendant?

Wow. Great job Blue Stars. It is close enough that we may see some corps trading places during the next few days, but beating Phantom for the first time since 1975 is a hell of accomplishment for a corps that was DII just four years ago.

I think you are right that the 12th spot is where the fight will be. The top 11 seem pretty locked in with only their finishing order in question. There could be five or six corps battling for 12th place. There could be as many as ten corps fighting for the top six. I would not be surprised if a corps like the Blue Stars finishes as high as sixth or lower than the eighth place they were in last year. There is really no debate that they are a better drum corps in 2009 than 2008, but the corps around them all seem better as well. Hell, last year's champion could end up 7th place or lower. That is remarkable.

All corps at the top now run the risk of falling out of the top five any year (except maybe the Blue Devils). Phantom fans can be upset with their design team, but the quality of the top eight to ten corps is superior to what is has ever been in the past. You have Crown rising to elite status in the past three years. SCV is coming back (wasn't it their fans wringing hands in a thread like this last year?) to the top, Bluecoats will make another run for the top five, Blue Stars are ascendant and seem intent at making a run for top five as early as next year. We are not even talking about corps like Boston, Blue Knights or others that are looking to step up the ranks. About the only guarantee anymore are the Blue Devils and the Cavaliers. I understand Phantom fans being concerned about the 2009 Regiment, especially coming off a championship. But, truthfully, Phantom has NOT year in, year out challenged for the title. In the last ten years, the have an average placing of 4.5 and if you take out last year, the previous ten years the average placement was 5.2. So Phantom has been a solid top five challenger. When you are not consistently in the hunt for a championship (like BD or Cavaliers), a down year means sixth place or lower. Plus, with the higher quality drum corps out there these days, a slight slip in show design or performance can mean losing five to six placements from one year to the next. Phantom is still great and will climb back up. They could still surprise and be top five this year. But to be consistently great (which really only two corps have been this decade) Phantom needs to better at pushing the envelope, challenging the members and surprising the audience. They are not doing that this year.

One vote changes nothing in DCI.

That did not sound weak.

I have really enjoyed each of the last four corps, but see Cavaliers on top in August.

BD still has the best soloists.

That was a great show. The Cavaliers will be incredible come Indianapolis.

The dead guy is breathing.

Blue Stars have never been closer than 3.1 from the Cavaliers.

Maybe the topic should be who has the most room to grow between now and August. At the top, I like the Cavaliers chances. I will say again I find their the most interesting of the title contenders. As a someone who grew up on 70s drum corps, I hope Santa Clara finishes strong as well. A little lower down, I like where the Blue Stars sit. I was in Columbia and was not surprised that Boston beat them this weekend. Boston, to me, is performing their show better than the Blue Stars right now. I think the Blue Stars has the potential for more points in August than Boston's. It is all about cleaning (by the way, I really enjoyed Boston). My guess is Blue Knights are in a similar position as the Blue Stars with a show that has room to greatly improve. I have not seen enough corps in the 11-17 range to give a well though out opinion on who will finish fast, but I will offer one anyway. Last year, Madison was in bad shape in early July. This year, they are behind, but ahead of 2008. I would be willing to bet the Scouts are the corps closing fast come the first week of August. I will also say that it looks to be a heck of a fight for what I believe is the final Saturday night spot. I think the top 11 are almost set. I am assuming the top 11 from last year are all in the top 11 in 2009 (different places, but there). There are potentially six or seven corps fighting for the last spot. Realistically, it will probably come down to two or three by the time semi-finals rolls around. With all being said, this is turning out to be a great year. I think at least nine of last years top 11 corps are improved this year. Corps fighting for the 12th spot, like Madison, Colts, Troopers are better. If I have not mentioned your corps as one that has improved, take no offense. I am sure everyone is better, I just not have taken the time to watch them on-line or in person.

Pretty much the same judges as last night, so there is no reason for the Blue Stars or Boston to see their score drop.

They have been 2.9 and 3.1 behind the Blue Stars the last two shows. The last time they went against Boston they were 1.7 back. I do not know if being within three points of Blue Stars and Boston would be much of a change for the Glassmen.

One head to head. Blue Stars 70.40, Boston 70.10.

The Blue Stars have chopped a 6.5 point gap to the Regiment in their first show to 2.35 tonight. That is impressive. Not sure they can actually pass them, but it is nice seeing the Stars playing in the same neighborhood as last year's champion.

The Blue Stars did not exactly squeak into finals last year, so I don't think there will be any hesitancy to place them in the top six or tenth if that is where they deserve to be. The spread between the Blue Stars and corps that were top three in 2008 tell me the judges will not keep the Stars down "just because".

I have only seen them on Fan Network, but I cannot agree that Bluecoats show is way more demanding or designed better. I know it is your opinion, so that is fine. I will say if there is less than one point separating the two corps in San Antonio, I like the Blue Stars position based on their ability to tweak up to the end and to peak finals week. Last year they rose another ten points from their San Antonio score. That was easily the largest jump by a corps in the last three weeks.

They are in about the same spot they were last year at this time except Spirit was beating them last year. The show is better this year, but it looks as if it will take another second half surge to make finals.