CrossmenAlumni

I think so. Maybe Wayne, NJ?

I remember the rain well. Many shows delayed, some canceled. In one instance, we were in our opening set, finished our warm-up, were announced to the crowd, the judges were ready, the corps was ready...crash of lightning and thunder...and the next thing we heard was our drum major shouting, "Crossmen, exit the field to your left!! Mark time hut..." And we left the field and ducked under the home stands as the skies opened up and it POURED on everyone.

That eyechart one is a winner. A ten!

Wow, you're being a tad bit oversensitive I think. If all it took was sarcasm to be characterized as someone who goes around insulting and disrespecting another, this place would have been shut down long ago. The only real name he called anyone was Mr. Nitpicky...that's about the least offensive name I've seen anyone be called on this site. And nowhere in the DCP Guidelines did I read anything about not being allowed to be sarcastic. In fact, the word sarcasm is nowhere to be found in those guidelines. Derogatory? I wouldn't classify anything you quoted as being gross examples of being derogatory. Emotional? Passionate? Opinionated? You bet. I can think of a number of high profile DCP members who post in a similar fashion. But if it was so derogatory, all you have to do is hit the report button and let a moderator decide. If you do and they don't close down the thread, then I guess it's not as derogatory as you think. Maybe I'm saying this because I know Tekk personally and I know he's a good guy who is perhaps being a bit overly defensive, but then again it's difficult for me to blame him when the corps he loves is getting blasted left and right by lots of people around here. I'm not saying that the Cadets are or should be above being criticized, but it's a lot to handle sometimes when you love something as much as he loves that corps. And maybe I know what that feels like because I've come to the defense of my own corps numerous times online when it's been attacked in a manner in which I think is unfair. Point is, there are a lot of borderline comments on DCP that can be considered insulting IF the person they are addressed to takes it that way. Otherwise, isn't it just heated and passionate discussion? Aren't we all guilty of tip-toeing across that line every now and then? Would you like someone to go through every one of YOUR posts to pick out isolated phrases that can be construed as just as insulting or disrespectful as anything you think Tekk wrote?? I'm sure we can find some if we look long enough. I guess I'm just looking for a higher level of understanding in all of this (from everybody). We're all passionate about this activity even though we may not always agree. And now that we've all broken the DCP guidelines by taking this thread off-topic, why don't we just let it go and move onto something else. First drink's on me?

The shirt says No Singing. I'm just asking if they sang in their 2000 show. I honestly don't remember. If the shirt said No Amplified Singing, I wouldn't have brought it up since they haven't done any amplified singing that I can recall. But it just says No Singing. Just curious...

Didn't Madison sing in their 2000 show??

The neon Joey Buttafuoco pants...yikes!

True, but even those corps were not able to sustain that finalist presence for very long. 1977 Finalist 1978 Finalist 1979 Not 1980 Finalist 1981 Finalist 1982 Finalist 1983 Not 1984 Finalist 1985 Not 1986 Not 1987 Not 1988 Not After they made finals in 1989, they remained a finalist corps for 16 consecutive years. That 1990 season surge from 12th to 7th had a lot to do with that IMO.

Having attended the USSBA National Championship event held last year at this stadium, I have to say that I was not pleased. The stadium itself, I guess, is fine, except there is only one entrance/exit for the corps to the field. This will create some traffic issues, for sure. Especially if the area immediately outside that entrance is clogged with spectators or other personnel. Also, the warm-up area at this event was in the unused areas of the parking lot and I'm not sure the surrounding neighborhood area was available for that purpose. If they can get the surrounding area, they might do ok with it. But if they have to utilize areas of the parking lot, it will be a complete cluster you know what.

Actually, their schedule looks pretty much the same as it normally would. Plenty of eastern region performances in there... June 23-Toledo, OH June 24-Belding, MI June 25-Erie, PA June 28-Elizabeth, PA June 29- Westminster, MD June 30-Clifton, NJ July 2- Ft. Edwards, NY July 3-Bristol, RI July 4-Beverly, MA July 6-Lawrence, MA July 7-Massillon, OH July 8-Allentown, PA (Regional) July 9-Hershey, PA July 11-Chesapeake, VA July 12-Hilton Head, SC July 14-Atlanta, GA (Regional) July 16-Sevierville, TN July 17-Memphis, TN July 19-Dallas,TX July 21-San Antonio, TX (Regional) July 22-Denton, TX July 23-Midland, TX July 24-Wichita Falls, TX July 26-Great Bend, KS July 28-Denver, CO (Regional) July 30-Ogden, UT July 31-Boise, ID August 2-Portland, OR August 4-Stanford, CA (Regional) August 5-Northern, CA August 9-11-Pasadena, CA

Quick, let's start a petition! :P

There have been discussions about the possibility of folding the Crossmen for more than just one night after they didn't make Finals last year. In reality, since the corps runs at a pretty significant loss each and every year, the YEA Board of Directors and their executive director have the financial responsibility to discuss ALL options on the ability of the organization to sustain the Crossmen, including discussing folding the corps as an option. They would be irresponsible if they didn't examine all possibilities. But the fact of the matter is, even through all these discussions of possibly folding the corps, the Crossmen are still around. Furthermore, they have been placed in a situation that could very well allow them to not only get back on their own two feet, but to thrive and prosper in ways they have never been able to do before in their history (whether it was as an independent corps or as part of YEA). That all remains to be seen of course, but to just imply that George wanted the corps to be gone isn't true. If he wanted them gone, they would have been gone a long time ago. Like back in 1995 when they only had $700 to their name, a mountain of debt, and were days away from folding forever.

You've stated that you're a mom of a member in the corps. Have you personally seen what was written on an Esperanza staff member's contract?? I've signed staff contracts in the past, and I've signed member contracts in the past. They are usually not the same. I really hope all of this gets resolved...

Haha, really! I don't get involved in predictions until, you know, I actually SEE the corps. I'm nutty like that. :)

PLEEEAASSEE NO!!! :)

I don't wonder that at all. I can't imagine one single member of either corps threatening to leave because of something like this. Not after all the time, energy, effort, and money they have already sacrificed. And not when it has absolutely ZERO effect on the show they are already in the process of learning, the friends they are already making, the skills they are already learning, or the good times they are already having.

And you are definitely not the first person to predict that just because a corps has risen in the rankings in previous years, that they will automatically continue to rise. That's nice and all, but if you honestly think that there is no possibility of them dropping in placement next season even with an improved corps, then you haven't been paying attention to how this activity works. With the ever-rising quality of corps and performances in the top 12 these days, hardly anything is a lock. I could very easily see them field an improved corps this year, get out to California at finals and pop a high 93 or 94 (which would be an improvement over 2006).....and finish in 5th or 6th place (which would NOT be an improvement over 2006). If anything, it speaks to the overall quality of corps in the top 12. Many many years of consistency in placing in the top grouping of corps, which basically means scoring above a 94/95 or so. When you're hitting that number for multiple consecutive years, you can call yourself a legitimate contender. Changing perception in this activity often takes TIME (yes, there are notable but rare exceptions). Personally, I think they're on the right track. But I also think a lot of corps are doing good things and are on the right track as well. I'd love to see a day when 8 or 9 or 10 corps are all scoring above a 93 or 94. It might just come to pass one of these years, but there's only so much room up there. You can't have 8 or 9 corps in the top 5. What exactly can they do to stop another corps from passing them?? They can only control what they do. They can improve on last year, and then what happens if SCV and the Cadets improve even more?? Those two corps scored within one point of Canton last year...a lot closer to 4th place than the Bluecoats were to 3rd. And if that happens, it's not like the Bluecoats can do anything to prevent it. Point is, nobody knows. (And if you're going to use previous seasons as some sort of barometer, you'd have to give a corps like the Cadets the benefit of the doubt that they will be able to rise back to their usual level of scoring above a 95 at finals.) That's great. An incredible accomplishment. But I don't see them as a lock for anything except making finals. I would only be shocked if they didn't finish in the single digits. I can realistically see them finishing anywhere from 3rd to 8th, depending of course on the quality of their competition, which I expect to be high. I wish them well. :)

I'm not certain any specific year or date has been finalized yet, as there is much to do and many details to work out before then. All they have stated is that they are working towards being independent again. And I believe I'm correct in thinking that they would like this to happen as quickly as possible, but not until they are ready. So no official timetable as of yet. At least not publicly.

http://www.yea.org

HEY, let's start a petition!!!

They were penalized in other early-season shows that year. They were simply overtime, and they knew it. Without the penalty, yes, they would have won the 1991 DCE Championship.

The emergence of the Crossmen from finalist "wannabe" to solid DCI Finalist for years to come. They shot from 12th up to 7th in 1990. New look, new sound. Good stuff! :)

I wonder how long this movie would be if all the slow-motion action shots were played at normal speed. My guess is a little less than an hour. :P Greatest movie event of our generation (as it is being advertised)?? Uhhh, no.

I've read the previous 12 pages and I don't seem to recall reading about any former Esperanza staff member stating that they ever signed an official contract with the corps. I'm curious to know of this is true or not. Legally speaking, if you have a signed contract with your signature on it and the signature of the corps director or CEO, I would like to think that you can get some closure to this whole fiasco fairly quickly. But if you never signed a contract and are just going off of somebody's word that you'll eventually be paid "something," then I'm afraid the situation is doomed to be prolonged and ugly. I hope it all gets worked out.

Not this year.