nero14

with regard to scoring-- Bluecoats, IMO are not at their compeditive best until you bring in the full panels-- the second half of the season-- we thrive on some of the details and the subtle things that you're not going to get rewarded for until there's a full compliment of judges.... there are some other more GE-first corps (not going to say the name of the one I'm thinking of here) who's supporters ALWAYS come out early season and say how great they are doing-- and how they're gonna beat the bluecoats etc- and they're gonna crack 5th place or they're gonna _____. but the second half of the season they fall back a bit in the judging sheets--- just give it a few weeks :-)-- the fine tooth comb of that many judges has a way of separating out and rewarding the subtle, the details, etc. ---------- In 2003... I can remember countless times when the scores were announced, expecially early season- from the field because there was always full retreat--- how many BOOOOs (not blooos) we got every time we beat the Crossmen. People couldn't believe that the group that played "somewhere over the rainbow" and had a super long loud chord at the end of their show was beat by a group that really didn't play as loud (we didnt...) and whose show concept wasn't as accessible etc. and I remember how that always made me mad-- why couldn't they appreciate what we were doing down there? I've come to think that the Bluecoats are an acquired taste... maybe like a fine wine/cheese :-) hehe, but really-- a lot of the things they try to achieve are SUBTLE in nature-- it's not the rotating company front or the 32 count final chord...or the rehashing a song the corps had in their show 10 years ago and is a fan favorite---and that's what, for us in the NON-judging world- often gets our blood pumping "whoa that was loud!!" "did you see that big ol straight line move like that??" "whoa i loved it when they played that song for an encore-- and NOW it's in their show-- awesome!" or "remember back when they played that song before- that brings up some memories..." - and the cluecoats for better or worse are not going for those hooks... would working Autumn Leaves into a new show create buzz, heck yeah, would throwing out some of the tone quality for volume get people on their feet-- absolutely!----- do those things always translate into compeditive success? not really we, as fans, aren't the ones who put the numbers down on that sheet-- who have been judging DCI brass/percussion lines for 20 years, etc. and if you want to win and be a consistent high scoring group-- those are the people you have to appeal to, etc. hopefully you can entertain the bandos and the first time show attendees and the people who don't know how to play an instrument or the people who just want their hair blown back by sound along the way... but it's more sophisticated than that-- and for better or worse-- that's a big part of the identity-- to truly elevate to the top-- in my opinion-- we've gotta go after a big name visual designer... too much fluctiaton there. and we've gotta risk more -- I think the groups that push to the top try soemthing, visually, that makes you think "whoa- how did they do that? " and we've played it a bit safe lastly... not finishing below 7th the last 10 years. especially when a corps like crown surging in and taking top 3 spots-- if you can't respect that consistent quality- or think that the only definition of a top teir corps is one that has ay ANY point in their history won a gold metal-- I don't think I can respect your opinions

As a bluecoats fan I'm kinda glad there's no guard judge ;-)

Agree $10 says Bluecoats get last in.... What caption is she judging, ah yes CG

sure- and it's not that I think she's got the placements wrong for her captions- it's just her spreads have struck me a bigger vs other judges doing the same categories on other nights- with respect to bluecoats

6/26: Visual Analysis: Phantom 14.8, Bluecoats 14.0 <--- Debbie Torchia -0.8 spread Color Guard: Phantom 14.8 Bluecoats 14.6 <--- not Debbie, -0.2 6/29 Visual Analysis: Phantom 14.7 Bluecoats 14.3 <--- not Debbie -0.4 Color Guard: Phantom 15.0 Bluecoats 14.3 <---- Debbie Torchia -0.7 spread accounted for 77% of the total gap between the two corps at least Costanza wasn't at this one too! :-) sorry... just been watching her judging for years now and it always bugs me how from show to show she seems to hit bluecoats harder than other judges evaluating the same caption on different nights... I know you all probably think I'm a conspiracy theorist - but maybe somebody else will see what I'm seeing

Well said again- I like your style, sir

Great thoughts- well written and I find myself actually 100% in agreement with your predictions I feel like cadets, BD, crown are looking like they could be our top 3 this year- I think the exciting / suspenseful question is how 4-6 will look come August- seems totally up in the air--- phantom knows how to surge late better than jus about any corps ... Thoughts on 4-6?

Glad this person isn't a judge ;-)

see post above yours :-) sounded like Battle Hymn of the Republic or some version thereof

here ya go- took with my iphone pointed at my TV & put on youtube boom

"Tonight" was being played by the LGBA band who followed boston...

is it just me or did they cut off boston pretty early and start looking at the LGBA that followed them?--- like it was 40 seconds of Boston and we've been watching the LGBA for 2 minutes

Marie Czapinski's score difference between SCV as a lone judge, in fact, was well more that enough to put them behind SCV... hmm... it's really sad, IMO, that some judges seem to almost have a predictable bias. flame on

has anyone mentioned that they were both bourne from Boy Scouts of America troops? As an Eagle Scout, I have always respected that in these two corps and it's one of the first things I'll tell my friends when they come to shows-- i realize they are not officially connected now, but that seems to be a valid position as to why they don't include girls in their membership. as to the competitive disadvantage- I have to 100% agree. I'm not sure how you could argue against that unless you honestly think any male performer would always be better than any female performer... which we all know is certainly not the case. BD, SCV, Bluecoats, Phantom, Crown, etc. all are able to put the best 150 performers on the field, period. If the best 150 auditionees were guys, guess what, they'd be all male too, but they're not. (exceptions made for CG for gender roll quotas, etc- Cadets male rifle line in 2002, for example) it doesn't BOTHER me at all that this would put them at a disadvantage and they have certainly thrived despite it- but if anyone seriously thinks that there's not a disadvantage- i'd ask you to explain why you feel that way.

just wanted to see how one-sided this would be..... I'd really love to see Madison in person this year but won't because I live down south.... see the rest of yous this coming Friday. 6 words

where are the bleepin' recaps?!

wow

blooooo

every BD show post 2007 has felt like abstract art to me... including this one... but I'd put money on them placing 1st or 2nd with this show in 2012... :-/

i feel like BD just won

i feel like the overall drill design for SCV is a step behind phantom,

feel bad for SCV having to follow that ;-)

took about 10 seconds to see that phantom was several points above the rest so far... i can see why they are scoring so high

lil too much lectronics for me. feels like they finally did put the best part of their show at the end this year vs the beginning (2011, 2010). IMO

this feels like Phantom's 2007 closer