Grumpy

Guess I'm one of the few who didn't really care for Annapolis. Our seats were under the overhang, and we could not hear anything that came over the PA...and it wasn't really due to the noise from the concession area either, although at times that was distracting as well. As for the previous poster that said his rooms for Williamsport were cheaper than Rochester, I have been looking for the better part of the last month and I can't find anything that was even remotely CLOSE to being as affordable as what I was paying at Rochester. Almost everything I've seen in Williamsport is north of $150 per night, you have to get 30 miles or more away to get into the low $100's. Air access for those of us who are not in reasonable driving distance is also problematic for Williamsport. Seriously considering skipping 2019, already have tickets for next year or I would seriously have reconsidered that.

IMHO, the greatest announcer of all. Although we didn't know each other personally, he knew me by face and we often exchanged a few pleasantries in passing at shows. YOU will surely be missed! RIP my friend.

After witnessing a near fist fight in the stands between a couple of fans and the staff of a corps that is now departed at a local show some years back, I sent the corps director an e-mail asking him to rein in his staff's enthusiasm. I did receive a response from him, thanking me for bringing it to his attention, apologizing for their actions and that he would address the issue with his staff. Whether that actually happened I have no idea, but at least it made me feel better that he acknowledged my viewpoint. This whole issue is nothing new, it was pretty bad back when finals were at were at the baseball field in Scranton several years back. IIRC, Mickey & Co. had to get involved in that one told the staffs to cool it. The main thing to remember here is this: the fans PAID, please respect that.

OK, I guess I'll take my lumps...I've been coming to DCA since '94, and it just seemed as though the Govies were "always" here, and that whole intro about being the oldest competing drum corps, etc. was what I was thinking but I am quite sure about the last part of that...they were Class A, went Open last year, back to Class A this year. As for the mandate about inactive corps coming back as Class A, the mind is getting muddled from too many brain cells killed off during the college years...perhaps it was DCI? that at one time had the requirement; I'm thinking back to Magic of Orlando? and I think it was put in to protect corps that took time off because they got in over their heads to ease back in with more prudent policies in place. Unfortunately, the latest weather forecast isn't looking too rosy for Sunday...but I'm hoping that the performers will knock our socks off!

And now, several hours later, weatherchannel.com is back to predicting 40% morning showers on Sunday. Perhaps if we're lucky, they'll be REALLY early. I will be packing the rain gear; I live in FL so I'm used to the daily rain, and I sat through Ernesto in prelims those many years back so "showers" won't kill me.

I would be curious to get a viewpoint on this from the Govies; who were around and competitive before there was Class A, have been in Class A for years, went to Open last year, opted to go back to Class A this year. Personally, I try to see all the corps at prelims. I have also known those who choose to wait until the first or even the second intermission to arrive because they only want to see the top 6 or 8 or whatever. But I also think Class A serves a purpose, as has been stated earlier if nothing else, against groups of like size it gives you some measure of bragging rights. IIRC, DCA also mandated that when corps come back from inactive status that they have to come back into Class A (like Sky did several years back). Also not necessarily a bad thing. As far as the argument does 66 really sound that much different than 65, well the same argument can be applied to almost any rule...does 129 members really sound much different than 128, in DCI does a member that's ONE DAY beyond the age limit really make a difference compared to his one day younger counterpart, really Officer, is 66 mph really that much different than 65 mph, etc. Any time you are placing a limitation on something, there has to be a "line" drawn, and it needs to be adhered to or the lines eventually become so blurred that they then become meaningless. A perfect example is a condominium complex I recently moved out of, where the rules enforcement became so lax that there is now no enforcement and the residents all do as they please because they know there will be no ramifications. The governing body loses the respect of those they govern.

Latest I just saw from weatherchannel.com looks dry for the whole weekend; the predicted high temperatures for the weekend for Rochester are lower than the predicted low temperatures for our home area for the weekend! Fingers crossed that the forecast holds and prayers for Texas.

I think this year in particular, seeding doesn't really mean a hill of beans. So many shows have gotten cancelled, resulting in some serious head scratching regarding seeding. I often wonder what scores would look like if: a) performance order was determined totally at random, by corps drawing numbers out of a hat or something along those lines; and/or b) what scores would look like if the judges had absolutely no idea whom they were judging. I've seen more than one instance over the years where corps sometimes seem to get a "free pass", particularly in the early season, based on who they are and where they finished the previous season as well as some corps who seemed to have been held back for the same reason. I'm just looking forward to a great weekend filled with fantastic performances by some incredibly dedicated and talented individuals!

Didn't someone a few posts back say it was due to be released on the 20th? Over the last few years, some of the best minis have ceased to perform...Mass Brass, Golden Eagles and who will ever forget the Crunchy Frogs? Although Rochester has a terrific venue for the minis, for anyone that's not staying downtown, parking is a true adventure. Curious to see what Williamsport will offer up. That "life" thing got in the way for a lot of people, and a lot of minis have gone the way of both competing and alumni corps for that reason. When it stops being fun, it kind of defeats the reason you did it in the first place.

There was a list of the Alumni corps lineup, complete with times, on Facebook a few days ago. I can't figure out why Les Dips are going on last, AFTER Cabs Alumni!

Great news!

Went to AMC Cineplex 20 at Universal Orlando. Since we recently moved to the area, this was my first viewing at this venue. I went to Disney Springs to view the preview earlier this summer. The picture was fine all the way through; the sound, not so much. The bass was horrendous, whatever goo was being generated by the amps on the field was magnified even more by the theater sound system...they finally turned it off as Madison started and after that it was much more tolerable. I also noticed some audio issues with the commentators, I thought that was probably an issue in Indy and nothing that the theater had any control over. That too eventually cleared. Theater was deserted...maybe 30 people, even that might be a generous estimate. I was surprised, since the preview at the Disney Springs theater was about 85% full. Perhaps the $20 parking fee to get into Universal had something to do with that; I had other reasons for seeing it there that have nothing to do with anything here.

Think you might be a little hoarse by the end of that one, Fran?

Jeff, for some of the more technologically challenged on the forum, how do we access this "periscope" you speak of? I was there in person, but I could easily watch the last 4 corps every day. Congrats to C2, personally I think Bucs should have won, but my opinion and $2.41 will get you a cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. Kudos to every single corps that performed for us over the weekend!

I have looked through DCA's website and through some of the threads on here, but haven't seen it...does anyone know what time the mini corps performances begin? We have a long trek to get into town and I hate to rush through check in, drop stuff in room and race off to mini corps without at least a few minutes to try and recharge.