BRASSO

True.. but if they don't beat the Phillies now, their fans will want to hit 'em below the belt.

Teams that played the Yankees in the playoffs this year ran the bases like rabbits let out a box. They ran very, very fast. But they ran very, very wrong.

Well, only if your definition of a " Division Championship win " means " a World Series Championship win ". Otherwise, winning" a Division Championship" for Yankees fans is akin to Blue Devils fans hearing the Blue Devils finished first at the DCI Regionals or first at the DCI Semi Finals. Nice and all, but no cigar. It don't mean a thing, if you don't get the ring and some ching aling aling. You know what I mean ?

I think we can safely conclude that trooping the stands after a performance was decidely out with this Corps then, right ?

We've kidded a bit on this thread, because there is " small " and then there is..... well..... " stupid small ". I'd be remiss however if I did not give credit to those " small Corps " that really worked hard at putting out a good product on the field, and in many cases ( some cited above ) they succeeded in doing quite well in competition despite being outmanned. Many also provided a good level of entertainment for us as well. I think most of us here can think of lots of small Corps in the past ( as well as even some today ) that fit into this category.

I was going to ask about what their uniforms were like,... then I thought better and thought......hmmn, nah.

I think from reading this thread from above, that this Corps name was " The Braintree Braves " from Braintree, Ma. That Director must have been some piece of work to put these kids through THAT. From reading this, would it be an accurate portrayal to say that this Corps, to use a bad cliche, had " too many Chiefs but not enough Indians " ? Jeez, at least some kid here could say later pump up his drum corps experience by saying ( correctly ) that he..." marched drum Corps, played different instruments and was a soloist with both those instuments while in Drum Corps ". ( haha !) But still in all...... good grief.

I can almost hear already the report coming out of Madison's first camp : " 76 Trombones led the Big Parade, with one hundred and ten Cornets close at hand. They were followed by rows and rows of the finest Virtuosos, the cream of every famous band, etc............ " Courtesy report for DCP provided by Prof. Harold Hill from the Iowa Music Academy.

The source for the report that the Madison Scouts were going out next year with 20 tubas and between 85 and 100 Brass came from the Congressional Budget Office. However, they said these were only preliminary numbers and that they eventually could go up once their office got more specifics from the Scouts.

Drum Corps have played music that was drawn from musical inspiration sources that were much more exotic and obscure musical sources than from those from that of Michael Copeland of the Irish Woodwinds International. Heck, if you can find him on " google ", it's probably already reached too much of the Pop scene and would be ruled out by some Drum Corps arrangers. You've heard of Michael Copeland's Irish Woodwinds International, right ? And what would you have against Copeland from the alternative indie genre, anyway ? Musical tributes to Pro Wrestlers could work. We've had Pro Boxing musical tributes with " Rocky ". We could have " a Musical Tribute to Pro Wrestling's Own Lou Albano " Music inspired by Cyndi Lauper.... " Girls Just Wanna Have Fun " ( I know, I know, it won't be appropriate for some Corps, but some Corps could conceivably go to the mat for it )

I think it's a given that at least one Corps from the state of Illinois finishes in the top 5. Like you said, it's been 34 years and counting that a Corps from Illinois was NOT represented in the top 5 come Finals Night placement.

For INT, my inspiration would not come from Copland ( nor Copeland ).....but I would consider D. Copperfield

The Feds say the Swine Flu vaccine might be just what the doctor ordered to ward off any possible encounters with low flying oinkers. Incidentally, has it been confirmed that Madison intends to field 86 Brass this year ? Or is this the word out of Rumor Central ?

In my opinion, INT has pretty cool invisible drums as well.

I'm trying to think of the last time a DCI World Class Championship Finals did not find an Illinois Corps in the top 5. But I'm drawing a complete blank. I'm sure it's happened in the past, but it's beyond my memory range at present.

If you're looking for something " official", it was reported this evening on MSNBC from their crack reporters research that the story in their opinion was false. MSNBC is thus able to bring the Madison cymbal line rumor to a" crashing " end. But as for the Madison rumor of going out next season with " a 20 man tuba section ", MSNBC said they were also working on verifying this rumor as well. Their initial inclination however is to believe that it falls into the " when pigs fly " possibility level since having "a 20 man tuba section" would naturally constitute an unbalanced line unless the brass line had between 80-120 brass in total. But who knows, maybe Madison is going to have 100 in the brass line. Then again, what a " rumor " THAT would be to wet our Madison rumor appetites further here in the off season!

It not only what " we think", but here's an important announcement that was reported today : " The Nobel Prize Committee for Drum Corps, meeting this week in Oslo, Norway, has bestowed the Madison Scouts with the prestigious honor of Drum Corps International Champion for 2010 " Chris Kommick, Executive Director of the Scouts, upon hearing of the award was quoted as saying that " we are surprised and humbled to have won this prestigious award, and we intend to live up to the expectations of the Nobel Committee as we move beyond 2010 " So there you have it !

All I know is that the wheels on the bus go ' round and 'round. Just like this thread does. ( although some might argue the wheels have come off ) I think the OP needs to spend some more time in English Class. Or when he gets out, he just might wind up cleaning the floors of busses... front and back.... for a living.

i once saw a cymal dude reeding a book while on the bus while ontour cracked meup, so helpme !!

Students do not need more INT

Well said, fifer. The days when all the Corps got 75-99% of their marching members from the community that is listed on the sides of their busses have been gone for decades. Some of us apparently assumed that everyone understood by now that a Corps location no longer represents where the majority of marching members are from. We've learned from threads like these that some people are still under the mistaken impression that the location name on the side of the Corps busses is where the members live. When in reality, just as you said, what defines a Corps is the intangibles, not the address on their drivers license or where they bed down to go to sleep each night. And that where a Corps calls " home " today in Drum Corps is more a function of where they principally raise their funds to enable them to run their Corps..... thus, THATS their Corps " home " in today's modern Drum Corps.

And to take this to a further level of absurdity, are the "New York Giants "REALLY from New York, if they don't play their home games in" New York" ? Most of their players as well as many of their fans live in New Jersey ( The New York Giants home games are played in New Jersey and many of their fans are from the Jersey 'burbs, and from Southern, CT.) Are the " Detroit Pistons " really from " Detroit " ? Since when ? There are MANY other examples like this too. And we have an even better question...... Who cares ?

Yes...... because without the continuence of the pipeline of financial support coming from around Concord, Ca. they'd need to replace that money from around Moscow. And if they couldn't, they'd be done. The Corps would freeze to death right there in Moscow..... figuratively, and literally. If you want to know where a Corps is " from ", these days......... simply follow the money. With money, comes the naming rights. Without a lot members, you are stuck with perhaps a small Corps. But without proper fundraising from generous local benefactors,... you literally would have NO Corps. You'd be Finis.

Corps no longer call their " home " where they get the majority of their members. "Home " in most cases today is defined as to where the organization gets the majority of their revenue from fundraisers to keep the Corps afloat financially. Thus, it is entirely appropriate to still refer to this Corps as the " Boston Crusaders ". Additionally, Boston this year had more New Englanders in their Corps than in several recent years. ( some from the recently disbanded Spartans, East Coast Jazz). Boston's new young Director is from the Boston area, and the staff and volunteers are heavily drawn from the Boston region. But the Boston Crusaders no doubt also appreciate the positive impact Floridians have had on this Corps over the last decade and Floridians will probably continue to be drawn to this Corps in future years. And yes.... in the years of 1966, 67, etc the Boston Crusaders were contending for ( and winning )national Titles. And some of those Boston Crusaders from the Boston area who marched then, now live in retirement where ?........... You guessed it...Florida......haha!

Lakewood Ranch is right outside Sarasota on the Gulf Coast ( west ) side of Florida. It's a newer Planned Community built with good schools, recreation facilities and so forth. Dick Vitale, College Basketball's erstwhile College Basketball's TV broadcast announcer is one of it's residents. He says re. Lakewood Ranch ...." IT'S AWESOME BAYBEEEE !! "