Calistar

I continue to be amazed by the BDB organization. Professional and Efficient. In my opinion, Rick Odello and Staff are THE best of the best. Cali.

You know what...I was seriously considering what you were saying until you started telling people to "go to hell". That was completely juvenile and you lost a lot of validity in the process. Although I am not a Revo parent, I AM a parent of a 20-year-old Open Class Musician. And just because he is 20, he does NOT stop being my son. When he leaves on the bus with the rest of the corps, I entrust his care to the staff and especially the director. The director of Revo came on this forum and admited that he instructed staff to leave the entire battery behind in Indianapolis. For me, this is where it starts and ends. I don't care WHAT they did (in this case, they refused to perform in a parade) and I don't care if the director is paid a million dollars or zero dollars...YOU MAKE SURE THEY GET HOME SAFELY. I understand your loyalty to Revo and don't want to see them go down the tubes (noboday wants that) but in this case I think your anger is misdirected. Cali.

I'll tell you what...I've read this entire thread and I am shocked by what occured this past weekend. All I can say is that I appreciate the Corps that my son is a part of -- now more than ever. I couldn't even imagine this happening in our organization. If I was a parent in Revo, I would be livid. Cali.

I have to agree with the OP. What a great weekend...and a great season overall. Absolutely the strongest top 12 (on avg) that I can remember. What I take away from this past week: Open Class & World Class together again. In my opinion, this was a huge success. I loved seeing all the corps together, being judged on the same sheets. BDB, OC, and SCVC were all amazing this year and represented Open Class very well (and BDB's drumline actually placed 17th...higher than 5 World Class drumlines). Spirit of Atlanta - I had seen this show a couple of times during the season, but it wasn't until finals week that I absolultely fell in love with it. They won't fly under the radar next season. A powerhouse in the making. Carolina Crown - At the beginning of the season, I HATED the Rock/Rach concept. Thought it was (cheesy) and all that, but they blew me away this week. Congrats to Crown for sticking with the concept and making it work. Live Coverage - As a FN subscriber, I got to watch the World Class Semi's live. Plus I get the Open Class Finals VOD. For the Prelims, we got the warm-up live (bonus!) until moving to the local movie theater for the top 15! And the cherry on top was the live coverage of the awards. For those of us that couldn't be in Indy this week, all the live coverage was appreciated! Now, if we can just get the Finals LIVE on PPV... and finally...watching the awards and seeing all those "kids" out there on the field, performing the Battle Hymn of the Republic...it struck me what a productive, inspiring, and character building activity this is. I hadn't thought about it in those terms in a while. Those musicians and performers on the field dedicated themselves to achiving excellence. And they achived it through hard work and dedication... and therefore should be celebrated. Congrats to all the Performers, Staff, Mgmt, and Fans on one of the best Drum Corps seasons of all time. Cali.

Oh,Oh..I'm hearing that the Cadets are killing it too...what a great night for DCI and all the fans... Cali.

Go, Kev, Go...I'm hanging on every word... Cali.

My kid is texting from the stands...said that BD killed it...best performance of the season. Cali.

Got a reply from the FN...VOD's are not up yet, they are workng on it. FYI. Cali.

Does anyone know if the Open Class Finals VOD's are up on the FN? I don't see them. I have the "live" subscription, so I should have access. Cali.

Way to Go BDB!!! I just got a call from the field and its Chaos!!! YEAH!!!!!! Cali

From the Oregon Crusaders Facebook Page... Cali.

Hmmm...190 users on this topic...what is everyone waiting for? Cali.

Thank You Mallet Mom! Cali.

I am an annual FN subscriber and since I cannot be in Indianapolis this weekend, I would pay $100 for the right to watch the Finals live this Saturday. Not on VOD and not on Blue Ray months later.....LIVE.... Cali.

One Show...Winner takes all... Cali.

Open Class World Championship Prelims Ames Field, Michigan City, IN Monday, Aug. 8, 2011 3:00 PM – Gates Open 4:00 PM – Opening Ceremony 4:30 PM – Spirit of Newark/New Jersey 4:46 PM – Blue Saints 5:02 PM – Racine Scouts 5:18 PM – Les Stentors 5:34 PM – Colt Cadets 5:50 PM – Jubal 6:06 PM – Intermission 6:22 PM – Forte 6:38 PM – Raiders 6:54 PM – Legends 7:10 PM – Yokohama Scouts 7:26 PM – Music City 7:42 PM – 7th Regiment 7:58 PM – Intermission 8:30 PM – Genesis 8:46 PM – Revolution 9:02 PM – Spartans 9:18 PM – Vanguard Cadets 9:34 PM – Blue Devils B 9:50 PM – Oregon Crusaders 10:26 PM – Last Score Announced Central time zone. All times approximate and subject to change.

I'll be honest, I didn't think Oregon Crusaders had a chance of catching BDB this season. When I saw them a few weeks ago, the show was just not up to par. But through determination and hard work they have elevated themselves to the top. And defeated a corps that had lost only once in the past three years. Great job OC. A well earned victory tonight. Very impressive. Cali.

lol...I feel the same way about Crown's design team. but back to Open Class... Cali.

Yes, very nice descriptive reporting.... much appreciated. Cali.

Are you sure about that? Just a week ago, they competed against the Oregon Crusaders and lost by 10 points...are you saying that they were judged on a WC sheet and the Crusaders were not? Why would DCI do that? Anyone have confirmation? Cali.

Thanks for the tip...I just checked them out and...I must say I like that corps. Kind of a cross between VK and Revo, which is not a bad thing I do wish, however, they would have used more of the field...they only mostly used the front half which made much of the drill cramped. And they seemed to rush through the music...(faster, faster, faster...). But otherwise, I love the enthusiasm and creativity. They are a spirited group that seems to really enjoy performing. Plus I always love seeing cymbals on the field (especially six!). I am a big fan of the SCV cymbal line and enjoy that aspect. AND I don't think I have ever heard "happy birthday" built into a show (not that I remember, anyway). Good Job Jubal... Cali.

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Don't look now, but they are starting to creep up... The Dayton Summer Classic August 2, 2011 Place Corps Score Open Class 1 Blue Devils B 88.750 2 Oregon Crusaders 87.900 3 Spartans 87.400 4 7th Regiment 82.900 5 Genesis 81.650 6 Legends 79.300 7 Les Stentors 66.050 8 Blue Saints 55.200 All age corps 1 Cincinnati Trad. 62.300 International 1 Jubal 75.550 Cali.

Lol...its a only a prediction. Nobody knows whats really going to happen over the next two weeks. However, if I were to venture a guess...I would consider the fact that BDB has won 38 of the last 39 competitions they have entered. With the only blemish, the .500 victory by SCVC over a year ago. I couple that fact with what I have observed so far this season. I've seen all of the top Open Class shows and although I really like SCVC's cleanliness and Oregon's visual design (very very good this season), its BDB that has the best combination of the two factors (imho). Plus their drumline is top notch which will definitely help them with their overall score. As for OC Corps placing in WC....I look for three to make it to semi's. I've seeen Surf and Teal and Mandarins and Cascades and these Corps are pretty dang good and will be tough to beat. Keep in mind that all of these WC corps are on average 1-2 years older than the best OC corps and also have had 15-20 more 9-9's this season. My guess is: 22. BDB 23. Cascades 24. SCVC 25. OCrusaders. Cali.