Blue32Wazoo

Over-arching theme is spot on. I've never been a big fan of props, but since we're stuck with them, then use them to create something that's going to produce a WOW factor and be memorable, like "Jagged Line." Gurneys with old writing instruments on them doesn't quite do it.

Consistently being in the top 12 is good, but consistently fighting for the scraps of 8th through 12th is not. As I said in my earlier post, Blue Stars need to compete, not participate. Take Blue Coats. Until they rolled out "Tilt" two years ago, they were a solid top 6,7, corps that showed it wasn't satisfied. "Tilt" changed all that with the innovation and theme that was out of the box. They took it even further last year and won the world title. This year's show, imho, is also championship-worthy. We need to hear the Stas mentioned in the same breath with Bloo, SCV, BD, and Crown, not Crossmen, Madison, and Academy.

When I saw them in the Flomarching debut against the Cavaliers, I knew in the first :30-seconds that it was going to be another long year of battling it out with Crossmen and Madison to stay in the top 12 and make finals. All winter and spring the talk was all about the hornline being the best in years, and then the show starts off slow, plodding, with nothing musically to wow us and blow us out of our seats. When they rolled out the writing desks, my wife and I couldn't figure out what they were due to the solo cam wide-shot; they looked like gurneys, and still do. There's just no innovation with the design staff. You're absolutely right about the love themes.

Isn't it really time to join the big boys and girls and roll out a show worthy of the talent and hard work these young people put in year after year? I'm tired of seeing my corps simply be a participant; participation trophies and medals and ribbons are driven by adults who don't believe in competition. Don't look now, but the Mandarins are within two points of usurping the corps out of 11th place. Not good enough. Staff needs a big shake-up going into next season.