Bluecoats slump

[BlooooContra]

'05...took them until finals night to do so...and that's because the Scouts couldn't decide on a way to end the show. What materialized as an ending was more of a grasping at straws than anything resembling cohesive with the rest of the show.

Totally. Not because they were out-performed or anything.

The Scouts couldn't make a decision, so they actually called Bluecoats up on finals day in 05. It was a really nice conversation.

*ring* *ring* *ring*

"Hello?"

"Hey Bluecoats. It' the Scouts. How's it going?"

"Oh hey, Scouts! Great to hear from you. It's going pretty well. We were hoping to beat you guys, but I guess it'll never happen this year."

"Aww... don't be so hard on yourself there, Bluecoats. It's ok. That's actually what I called to talk to you about."

*sniff* "Oh... oh yeah?"

"Yeah... We cant really decide on our ending this year, so we wanted to call and concede 5th place to you guys."

"Really??? Oh man, thank you so much! We really appreciate it!"

"No problem, it's the least we could do. Have a good time tonight, Bluecoats."

"Oh thanks, Scouts! You too!"

*click*

Sorry, but having been on DCP for Lord knows how many years now, that might be the first post ever that's genuinely offended me.

We worked our a**** off that summer and PEAKED finals night. That Saturday performance made our Thursday and Friday nights beforehand look like a giant bag of ****, but apparently we only took them by nearly two points after being behind them all season because the judges looked at their watches Finals night and said "Uh oh, Madison's out of time. They didn't decide on their ending tonight, therefore Bluecoats will win."

Jesus H. Christ. I'm gonna get off of my soapbox now and go play some Guitar Hero. :P

But seriously, do you see the (lack of) logic behind that original statement? I usually don't go off like this, but you make it seem like my entire ageout season's outcome was just handed to me rather than having earned it.

[Piper]

Take a deep breath and a shot of Jack Daniels. That always helps. :P

[X DM]

it seems like everyone around them is going up, but their score is plateauing (not even a word......i think). the only thing that really kept them in 5th at 'boro was the brass score (1st). the drumline and guard had a great start to the season and now they're starting to fall behind. they were last in GE AND visual.

i already knew music was going to be the strong point for them this season, but seriously...1.5 out of first in GE, and 1.6 behind in vis. i thought after last year their visual woes would fade away this year, but things seem to be going for the worse.

any thoughts?

the Corps staffs ahead of them ( Cavs, Cadets, BD ) just know how to get more points out of their show, the marching members, and more importantly, the judges. It's no more complicated than that and they've done it for decades. It's a very elite group indeed the top 4, and the same Corps simply swap spots in this top 4 every year. They have what it takes in money, reputation, skill, that Corps outside this group almost always hit a ceiling before falling back, or more oftentimes than not, simply ceasing to exist in a few years. For Corps like Crown, Bluecoats, these are the good years..... just enjoy them while they last. We the fans are.

[uncle z]

Totally. Not because they were out-performed or anything.

The Scouts couldn't make a decision, so they actually called Bluecoats up on finals day in 05. It was a really nice conversation.

*ring* *ring* *ring*

"Hello?"

"Hey Bluecoats. It' the Scouts. How's it going?"

"Oh hey, Scouts! Great to hear from you. It's going pretty well. We were hoping to beat you guys, but I guess it'll never happen this year."

"Aww... don't be so hard on yourself there, Bluecoats. It's ok. That's actually what I called to talk to you about."

*sniff* "Oh... oh yeah?"

"Yeah... We cant really decide on our ending this year, so we wanted to call and concede 5th place to you guys."

"Really??? Oh man, thank you so much! We really appreciate it!"

"No problem, it's the least we could do. Have a good time tonight, Bluecoats."

"Oh thanks, Scouts! You too!"

*click*

Sorry, but having been on DCP for Lord knows how many years now, that might be the first post ever that's genuinely offended me.

We worked our a**** off that summer and PEAKED finals night. That Saturday performance made our Thursday and Friday nights beforehand look like a giant bag of ****, but apparently we only took them by nearly two points after being behind them all season because the judges looked at their watches Finals night and said "Uh oh, Madison's out of time. They didn't decide on their ending tonight, therefore Bluecoats will win."

Jesus H. Christ. I'm gonna get off of my soapbox now and go play some Guitar Hero. :P

But seriously, do you see the (lack of) logic behind that original statement? I usually don't go off like this, but you make it seem like my entire ageout season's outcome was just handed to me rather than having earned it.

That is one AWESOME rant!!!!

Props to you!!!

[BlueR36]

the Corps staffs ahead of them ( Cavs, Cadets, BD ) just know how to get more points out of their show, the marching members, and more importantly, the judges. It's no more complicated than that and they've done it for decades. It's a very elite group indeed the top 4, and the same Corps simply swap spots in this top 4 every year. They have what it takes in money, reputation, skill, that Corps outside this group almost always hit a ceiling before falling back, or more oftentimes than not, simply ceasing to exist in a few years. For Corps like Crown, Bluecoats, these are the good years..... just enjoy them while they last. We the fans are.

OK, so you're predicting that CCrown and Bluecoats are going to "cease to exist" in a few years .... "enjoy them while they last"???

WOW -- that's, um, kind of rude. These are two corps who have seemingly done things "the right way" by building and building and building to get to where they are. They have put down a "foundation" that brought them here, not "smoke and mirrors." I don't see either of them going ANYWHERE anytime soon ... sure, maybe (MAYBE!!) one or both might slip competitively in a single season here or there, but with what they've built, I doubt that too.

Some people simply ENJOY bringing others down, don't they???

[BlueR36]

I'll say this -- for a corps that is supposedly "slumping", I'll take winning brass two nights in a row any time!! Before the last two nights, they had exactly ONE time in their history where they won a caption at an "everybody's-there" regional (field percussion, 1991 Preview of Championships prelims in Madison). To do this on back-to-back nights is AMAZING for this corps.

The Bluecoats have finished by matching or setting their highest placement "ever" at Finals in each of the four years. They've actually improved their placement during Finals week itself in each of the last two years.

Two years ago, they finished fifth, but hadn't beaten the corps in sixth until Finals and didn't beat any of the four corps ahead of them all season. During that season, they defeated SCV for the first time(s) in their history.

Last year, they finished fourth, leaping two corps on Finals night that they had beaten most of the season ... AND they had defeated the corps that finished in second. During that season, they defeated the Cadets for the first time(s) in their history.

This year, no matter how things play out overall, they are currently in fifth and to-date have defeated everybody but the fourth-place corps (who they had only seen once before the last two nights), whom they're currently only a half-point from. During this season, they defeated Blue Devils for the first time in their history, and the Cavaliers for the first time in almost 20 years.

Oh yeah, and from the sixth- and fifth-place performing positions, the won Brass on back-to-back nights ... did I mention that?

So again, I'll take a "slump" like this any day!!!

But I won't take is people trying to "wet" all over me being happy and proud and excited about my corps' recent success and hopeful for their future ...

Edited July 15, 2007 by BlueR36

[iceman]

the Corps staffs ahead of them ( Cavs, Cadets, BD ) just know how to get more points out of their show, the marching members, and more importantly, the judges. It's no more complicated than that and they've done it for decades. It's a very elite group indeed the top 4, and the same Corps simply swap spots in this top 4 every year. They have what it takes in money, reputation, skill, that Corps outside this group almost always hit a ceiling before falling back, or more oftentimes than not, simply ceasing to exist in a few years. For Corps like Crown, Bluecoats, these are the good years..... just enjoy them while they last. We the fans are.

I've been on these forums for years, and this very well may be THE MOST REDICULOUS POST I HAVE EVER read. Seriously, that is quite the statement you just made: rude, snotty, ill-wishing, and without any fact whatsoever to back it up.

Now it is time to click that button that ensures that I never have to read any of your posts again....

[CowboyKen]

Totally. Not because they were out-performed or anything.

The Scouts couldn't make a decision, so they actually called Bluecoats up on finals day in 05. It was a really nice conversation.

*ring* *ring* *ring*

"Hello?"

"Hey Bluecoats. It' the Scouts. How's it going?"

"Oh hey, Scouts! Great to hear from you. It's going pretty well. We were hoping to beat you guys, but I guess it'll never happen this year."

"Aww... don't be so hard on yourself there, Bluecoats. It's ok. That's actually what I called to talk to you about."

*sniff* "Oh... oh yeah?"

"Yeah... We cant really decide on our ending this year, so we wanted to call and concede 5th place to you guys."

"Really??? Oh man, thank you so much! We really appreciate it!"

"No problem, it's the least we could do. Have a good time tonight, Bluecoats."

"Oh thanks, Scouts! You too!"

*click*

Sorry, but having been on DCP for Lord knows how many years now, that might be the first post ever that's genuinely offended me.

We worked our a**** off that summer and PEAKED finals night. That Saturday performance made our Thursday and Friday nights beforehand look like a giant bag of ****, but apparently we only took them by nearly two points after being behind them all season because the judges looked at their watches Finals night and said "Uh oh, Madison's out of time. They didn't decide on their ending tonight, therefore Bluecoats will win."

Jesus H. Christ. I'm gonna get off of my soapbox now and go play some Guitar Hero. :P

But seriously, do you see the (lack of) logic behind that original statement? I usually don't go off like this, but you make it seem like my entire ageout season's outcome was just handed to me rather than having earned it.

Sorry, I have to agree with BigBadMadMan on this one! Madison couldn't put a decent ending on that show! Can't tell you how many times it was changed - at least three that I know of in the last couple of weeks of the season - it never fit the show - didn't resolve it. That's certainly not to say that Bloo didn't work their tails off but yes, Madison was "grasping for straws." IMO the judges kept waiting for that ending and it didn't happen so they put Bloo over the Scouts in a big way, but it's just my opinion.

[byline]

IMO the judges kept waiting for that ending and it didn't happen so they put Bloo over the Scouts in a big way, but it's just my opinion.

I know you're saying this is your opinion, but I have to respectfully disagree. Judges aren't supposed to judge based on some some whimsical perception of what they think is coming; they're supposed to judge what's happening on the field at that moment . . . no more, no less. So they're judging according to the criteria of their captions a corps' highlights and deficiencies. If Madison's ending was deficient, then it would be judged accordingly at that time. Bluecoats wouldn't be put over Madison based solely on the strength -- or lack thereof -- of Madison's ending. You total up the points on any given night, and that's how it stacks up. Obviously, with everything taken into consideration, Bluecoats earned more total points than Madison. It's as simple as that, and to put it any other way denigrates both corps. Acting as if all Madison had to do was tack on the right ending underestimates them every bit as much as it does the Bluecoats.

I wish people would stop treating certain corps as a given in certain slots. Yes, experience, staff, talent . . . all those things count. But so does the corps, itself, doing everything right on a given night. Or, at least, it's supposed to. That's why this is a competition, not a cakewalk.

[mobrien]

Sorry, I have to agree with BigBadMadMan on this one! Madison couldn't put a decent ending on that show! Can't tell you how many times it was changed - at least three that I know of in the last couple of weeks of the season - it never fit the show - didn't resolve it. That's certainly not to say that Bloo didn't work their tails off but yes, Madison was "grasping for straws."

All of which is saying that Bloo made some better decisions early on and was able to capitalize on those good decisions. Considering that's a big part of how the game is played, it means that they beat Scouts the right way. No need for rationalization (fwiw, it comes off a little on the "sour grapes" side).

Edited July 15, 2007 by mobrien