DaveH

TONS of narration in the Blast! show, what are you talking about!? (have you even SEEN it?)

They were good in 92 and 93, too. Didn't stop the trailer trash from booing them.

Cavie 95, what's your definition of a clean drumline? I gotta be honest here, they're pretty few and far between these days (exception of Phantom last year, Cadets a couple of years recently, and probably Devs 03...). That'd be what, 4 lines? Not much to write home about. Hornlines? They're just marching band brass these days, nothing like the old days. I don't need "RFL!" all the time, but how about at least once a show? Drill is DEFINITELY much better, that's a given. Fun stuff to watch. Too bad the musicality (AND the volume) has gone out the window thanks to that light speed drill. I do love a hot guard though! :)

Just curious. Gee, guess they found a classier audience. B) (No, management, you shouldn't move, merge, or delete this, it's a valid thread with a valid point and it deserves to be commented on based on its own merits)

Well, since Mike the moderator saw fit to delete the ONLY other thread about BD winning (wow, Mike, nice job buddy!), I thought I'd better bump this back up from page 8 or wherever. Not that I think it'll last too long (management is far too interested in keeping "judges suck" and "hopkins sucks" and "let's all boo" topics alive and well...). But anyway, bump. And, GO BLUE DEVILS!!!! And congrats to Cadets, Cavies, and all the rest as well! :)

Don't go.

The Blue Devils have been booed plenty of years, my friend. Mostly for being "too good". Same with Star. Trust me...with "fans" like that, who needs enemies?

No, brutha...not at all. It's just DCI crowds in general disgust me. It goes way back (remember the total lack of class in 1992?). Not speaking of everyone, just the ignorant hicks that think they have the right to ruin the championships. I'm a former Blue Devil, and honestly I can't really enjoy my teams victory with all this negative crap going around...all FAN BASED! (no, it ain't Garfield, no, it ain't their director, no, it ain't narration, and no, it ain't hashmarks...it's ignorant twits who think it's "their" show cause they paid their $30 bucks.)

Instead of just booing like the ignorant trailer trash you obviously are, why not go for broke and make this "the year of the fan". Nobody has to remember the great performances at all, you "fans" have already ruined the vibe. The BD well-deserved victory of Thursday has already been tainted (hell, I can't even keep a "Congratulations Blue Devils" on the front page of the forum, how sick is that?). So, forget the boos, and go for the gold. Greet em with utter, stone cold silence. Then, when they're done, nobody applaud. Just an occasional "cough" from way in the back. After you've accomplished all THAT, as they march off the field, strike up a rousing chorus of "na-na-nana, na-na-nana, hey hey, goodbye". I'm sure if you "rehearse" it well on Friday, you talentless hicks, you can really "nail it" on Saturday and the "year of the fan" will be on for the history books.

That's awsome. (dontcha just wish?)

Dropped to page 2 already. Wow. Guess not many people want to congratulate the winners (too much #####in to do about more "important" stuff...what a great forum!). :sshh:

Greentrumpet, what years did you march Cavies bro?

And thank YOU for your hard work in being such a vital part of the fantastic BD organization! Good luck on Saturday night! Go number TWELVE!! Go BD!!!! :)

Congrats to your boys too there, brutha. Sans penalty they're right there in the thick of it! It'll be an interesting 2 more days.

Way to go, Blue Devils. Sweet! Here's hoping for old number 12 on Saturday...lotsa fans are pullin for you guys!!!! :D (just thought I'd throw the topic out there, since NOT ONE topic on the whole front page here actually, um, mentions the Blue Devils or their victory.)

Never mind, I zoned and thought I was writing on the BD site. Dave Gibbs doesn't write on here, I think.

Dave Gibbs wouldn't be that stupid, imho. Actually, when all this is said and done, I'd love to hear from Dave and get his take on all this. Dave, have you ever been in a similar situation where you wanted to delay the show or something? Is there a "right way" and a "wrong way" to handle this stuff? What do you think of what George Hopkins did, and the penalty they got and all that?

Like Hulka said too, there is plenty of time to get in some last minute rehearsal too...and it works especially well if all the corps are on the same schedule. So, I should say, mandatory HALF-DAY free (no corps can send off the busses to rehearsal until I&E is over and done with). I've seen way too much advantage IN THE REAL WORLD for the kids that are allowed to compete, gigs, endorsements, a chance to actually MAKE MONEY doing the drum corps thing...and SHAME on Hopkins and the other guys who deny their kids the chance to go for these opportunities!

The staff planned poorly then. It's easy enough to set up a schedule that includes a day at I&E during the "event week". In fact, it should be mandatory imo. To be honest, one of the biggest disappointments of my Blue Devils experience was the fact that we DIDN'T go, as a corps, to cheer our guys on that day. The competitors left, but the overall corps was "too busy" because scores were close that year. Well, we still finished fourth so it didn't make a bit of difference in the long run. But it sure would have been fun to go to I&E and see some of those legends perform! (like some corps manage to fit in). Again...mandatory is the way to go. Wednesday of finals week is FREE DAY for each and every corps, that way, competing or not, no corps gets an "extra" advantage of rehearsal "cram time". Works for me. What's wrong with it, really? Anyone object? And if so, why?

And another thing. Garfield's pit competed AND WON in 1984. The reason was, THEY were very good and the staff knew they had a great shot at winning. Hey Mr. Hopkins, where was the "team game" philosophy then?

George Hopkins is telling a convenient half-truth here. The original reason for not letting their drummers compete way back in the mid-80's (and this told to me by drum staff members of the era) was that they weren't good enough individually, and would have embarrassed the corps. Of course, that all changed soon after and the talent level went up a LOT, but for some reason Mr. Hopkins continues to tout that "team game" junk. And I do believe it's junk, because in THIS day and age any corps not letting their kids participate are CHEATING them, since so many winners go on to further music careers with gigs, endorsements, and all kinds of opportunities that they get ONLY because of their I&E "fame". Here's a simple solution. DCI should FORCE all corps to take the day off that day to attend and cheer on the activity if they don't want to participate. EVERY CORPS. THE WHOLE DAY. That way it all works out fair and square don't it? And I wonder if Mr. Hopkins would STILL not let his kids participate if that were true.

I would LOVE to check that stuff out. You mean Larry Cohen, right? Another true legend...little 14 year old on the end of the EIGHTY-THREE BRIDGEMEN line. Unreal. I don't know about 89, but in 90 we checked out warmups all the time. Usually SC or Phantom (kinda sorta an "anti-cavies" hype :P). I definitely woulda checked you guys out, but we didn't really see each other much that year...plus in all the years I remember the Cadets are like the HARDEST line to find. Do you guys go and hide or something? I think I got lucky in KC in 89, you guys were right nearby and I checked out your Thursday warm-up...it was a TRIP!

Thanks, Matt...quite a compliment! Coming from another snare legend who personifies the word "intensity" in classic east coast fashion! Matt goes way back too (thanks for remembering my old Sancians by the way, I thought everyone forgot us by now lol), and most likely taught little Nicky Angelis how to play his first flam back in the old NH Spartans. Yeah, this is turning into a who's who of DCI snare drum greats...Clark, nice to meet ya! Heard a lot about you as well from the UMass crew, and man your 93 line was something else wasn't it!? Amazing attention to detail, and tonsa talent there too. Fun to reminisce here, so many years later...me and Matt had a cool little rivalry going on back in the day, being probably the most experienced guys in the line at the time (other soon to be superstars included Rudy Gowern, Eric Vargo, and of course Colin McNutt..and some other great guys as well). That was one hell of a college line...and a GREAT experience for me, coming form BD...talk about a well rounded education. :D How many of you guys are still drumming anyway? Anyone interested in gigs in Tokyo (rudimental and/or other stuff, we do it all) should definitely keep in touch...we get some opportunities now and then that call for a high level of chops, and I think the dudes writting on here are pretty much OVERqualified. B)

You're welcome. I'm a big fan of creativity, and even if your ideas don't work out they could lead to other, equally cool ideas. For that reason, the people jumping in here and bleating "that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard" are morons, and don't understand the creative process. Thanks for bringing this stuff up, dude...in fact I produce shows in Japan now and then and your ideas have really got me to thinking about the potential of those concepts (outside of corps, of course).

Something you guys are considering? That'd be really cool...I always wished that Star in 94 had chosen to compete at the championship on top of the rest of their summer stuff (they'd have had to keep the age rules intact, but otherwise what's to stop them?). They had so much material to choose from, it would have worked out fine...