mckdan

The way things are going with Troopers, Xmen, Blue Stars and Pacific Crest (Although PC has not met any others head to head) you might see a 4 way tie for 12th or 11th place!

I was on Trooper chat during the last show and even the corps members thought that their show was a bit down from the previous one. I really think that Troopers, Xmen and Blue Stars will be spending the rest of the season duking it out! I think that the score for Pacific Crest was just a bit of "West Coast inflation"!

It's exciting to see Troopers make such a surge in the last few shows! I guess there may be a little less "slotting" this year and it will be great to see corps rise and fall totally dependent upon their show and not necessarily reputation!

From what I have been hearing Troopers have managed to clean quickly and their show is getting an incredible response from the crowd. You can only keep them down for so long if the show design, performance and response is getting so good. It is amazing to me how many people who have been screaming about "slotting" when it comes to their corps are upset when another corps, even momentarily, pass them up!

I would really like to see Troopers beat Boston at least once this year, but, as big as a Trooper homer as I am I don't think it will happen. But, if it does, I will eat my black cowboy hat, complete with crossed sabers!

Oh, YEAH!!

After last night, you and I both look like prophets!

REALLY! How about Troopers last night, huh? Great job F Troop! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy:

When was the last time that Troopers beat Blue Stars, Crossmen, and the Colts in the SAME show! This corps is finally beginning its rise!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Maybe the judges are finally listening to the screaming of the fans during Trooper's show! General effect is how the corps is, at least partially, appealing to the crowd, and, from what has been written this year Troopers are really making the crowd "throw some babies"! :thumbup:

Troopers only .3 behind Xmen! Way to go F Troop! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy:

I have a bit of a different take on my prediction! 1. Cavaliers 72.1 2. Bluecoats 71.9 3. Spirit of Atlanta 67.5 4. Crossmen 66.5 5. Troopers 64.5

My prediction is that BD, Carolina Crown and SCV will duke it out the entire season for the top spot! 4 - 9 will be a crapshoot with the usual players! 10 - 12 will be a battle royale with the shocking reemergence of a very strong Troopers. I predict a 10th place for Troop because of finally having a full corps and a move back to their traditions and one of the most popular shows on the field this year! Remember, I said this first! I guess my prediction looks a bit better after last night, huh?! :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue:

The more I see the new Trooper uniform, the more I like it! The lighter blue will definitely be more visible under the lights. The past few uniforms have kind of blended in with the field and did not "pop" like so many of the other corps. The gauntlets are classic old-school Troopers and I think they will also help with visual general effect. The side sash has a little pop of white and it could also be used to good effect in certain formations. I do like the stripe on the pants. It is a lot better than having the side stripe which highlights phasing and marching issues. It kind of gives the corps a bit of a "machine-like" look which should make them look more powerful in their marching. I still have to say that I will reserve full judgment on the CG uniform until I see them on a fully lit field.

Terri, I really think that the change to the main uniform is going to be very effective! The lighter blue will definitely be more visible under the lights and I really like the white gauntlets (which I have wanted for years!) The colorguard uniform is a bit odd, but, I also believe that it will be more effective in the big shows. It kind of looks like a collage of Trooper uniforms and flags over the last 60 years. I only wish that the yellow scarves could have been integrated into the main uniform. It just doesn't seem to be Troopers without them!

Boy things have changed since I marched! In 1982, my last year with Troopers, I had to get a larger size. When my mother began to do a few repairs on the pants she found a signature and date from 1965. I guess I probably had one of the "newer" uniforms. Lets just say that it was very common to have unexpected "ventilation" during shows. I guess it was probably a good thing to make sure you had clean "drawers" just for the shows. (Although I do remember a snare drummer going "commando" and having a "wardrobe malfunction"!

My first drum corps experience was in 1977 when I marched with Troopers. The corps was really down that year and they were desperate for warm bodies to help fill the field. I played the plug-baritone (this meant that I was so terrible that Mr. Jones himself ordered my horn to be blocked with cotton to make sure NO sounds ever were even possibly heard) but I marched like a demon! (Also as ordered by Mr. Jones!) We stepped of the starting line, somewhere in Wisconsin, on our first show. The American flag squad proceeded to march from the back corner of the field directly towards the 40 yard line. The only problem was that they were supposed to march directly towards the 50! The entire corps used the flag squad as the basis for the first movement. I still don't know how we managed to get the corps on the right spots after that. We scored somewhere in the low 50's and truthfully did not come close to deserving that score. Although we did have a terrible year in 77 it was the base for our finals push in 1979. By the time I finished marching in Troopers I managed not only to learn how to play, I was a lead. No matter how many times I winced at what happened in my first show I will never forget or regret it! My first real experience with another corps was at the same show. I watched Guardsmen and was absolutely wowed by their great hornline. It was a real dream when we started beating their hornline in 79.

Sorry, I hadn't been on DCP since last year. Just wanted to make my point!

Being a Trooper alum, I cannot imagine drum corps without at least a few corps with rifles. This being said, I am absolutely sick and tired of the hypersensitivity of some to eliminating ANYTHING that even reminds them of a possible weapon! Rifles in drum corps are traditional and a part of the mystique of more than 80 years of use! Please do not listen to the idiots who would take away our traditions just because they "feel" uncomfortable! If you don't like the use of rifles just go to a different activity!

Sorry I haven't replied earlier! I love the choices for this year and will definately be at DATR in Denver! Looking forward to wiping away a few tears while I am jumping out of my seat! As for Troop: As I always say, if you got it, flaunt it! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy:

Congrats to Crossmen! I do remember a few decades ago seeing an even more shocking upset that Crossmen were involved in... Troopers making it in 79! I guess the drum corps gods decided to finally give Xmen a boost back into finals, again, congrats!

I think that you are partially right. Troopers have had their show in front of the World Class judges the entire season and have made many changes to try to cater to these same judges. OC just did not have the exposure. I do think that Troopers show had a lot more difficulty and nuance even though I really was not a fan. Troopers show design was "almost brilliant", but, if that show wasn't completely brilliant it was more "Rainman brilliant"! They just did not have the complete design this year and they need to maybe rachet back the show design and have the impact moments much larger,(like Madison has done in the last few years), and try to reconnect with the audience. I am not saying that the corps should march "Battle Hymn" and "Ghost Riders" in elbow contact company fronts, but, it sure would be nice to see the first 10-20 counts of the Sunburst in a conventional drill then having a crazy spin off of expansion culminating in a wide company front, while playing a souped up version of some Trooper classic, then compressing into an infinity symbol and the infinity chord. Tradition combined with new Tradition!

I see that Mr. A forgot about Troopers again this year! Do you really think that Jersey Surf, Mandarins, Pacific Crest and the others you have here will all beat them this year. I would be very surprised if this happened!

I have to at least partially agree with your comments. I think that the corps has strayed a bit too far from their roots, but, they have made great strides in their overall quality and show performance. The corps doesn't need to have an opener of "How The West Was Won", a second movement of "Battle Hymn", next have "Billie The Kid" with a closer of "Ghost Riders" to be successful! I would like to see more excerpts from the older music intertwined with the newer selections. It would be very possible to add the bell tones from Battle Hymn into many Copeland pieces, I could see Ghost Riders being a counterpoint to many more "classical" western pieces. Maybe just a few hints in the show topped off with the Sunburst morphing into the Infinity Chord could finally bring the corps the crowd reaction (and the judge reaction) that the corps is desperately looking for! Also, for those who are saying that the corps is going to finish at around 20th, I will eat my crossed sabres if this happens!

Wrong. I respectfully believe that both Colts and Troop have the horses to move up into the top 17 and the Open corps will be at least 3-4 points behind them!