Orange Bowl Memories

[AlanAndreasen]

Does anyone else remember that some local thugs thought they'd be cute and tried to pick a fight with the Boston Crusaders? If I remember correctly it was the BC crew that passed out the lumps. There weren't a lot of them that year but they sure were tough!

Correct. They tried to jump a couple of saders not knowing the rest of the corps was just around the corner.

1983 was my first finals (I came across from England). I had some nose bleed ticket but a bunch of us just crammed in on the 50 lower deck. The chanting of EAST-WEST back and forth with us shouting MID just before the WEST came again. Discovering nachos and jalapenos. Dave Tippet's chilli. It rained 2pm everyday like clockwork. Standing outside at 2am with sweat dripping off of my forehead. Watching a group of kids from Iowa see the ocean for the first time. Eating breakfast outside with geckos jumping me. The biggest darn bugs I have ever seen in my life.

[CODI]

What a great time we had in 1970 in Miami!! Boston stayed at two hotels in North Miami Beach that year. The drum line stayed at the Broaddripple Hotel, and the horn line stayed across the street at another hotel. I can't remember the name of the hotel fo the life of me.

Ed Denon, the horn inst., had some of the most memorable practices poolside with the horn line that year. I remember myself and two other alumni would lay in the pool on a raft, with a beer, and enjoy the practice!!!

The corps marched in "The Cootie Parade" on Monday night. This is a division of the VFW, and they had their own parade. Not many corps particpated.

On Tuesday was the annual VFW Parade. What site to to Chicago, SAC, Garfield, Boston, Troopers, Blue Stars, Kilts,Madison, Argonne, 27th, Black Knights,

Blue Rock, along with all the other corps.

On Wednesday AM at 8 AM the Prelims commenced. The prelims were held at Hiealigh High School. It was hot, and there was not shade.

When the Chicago competed they left the PA system on, and there was feed back, and Chicago Management put in a protest. I believe Jack Regan was the Chief Judge, and he advised Chicago that if they performed again they would have to take what ever score was the best. Believe it or not the first score was the best, and it had a pen. I don't know how the pen. was imposed. Chicago, was bull ----!

That evening you could not have asked for a better evening for drum corps.

It was so strange to see Chicago perform at a National Championship as the sun was setting.

The did nice job, but you bet the judges left lots of space for movement with 10 corps to compete.

SAC was the "b " that night!!! What a great job they did.

Boston certainly peaked that evening, how far they came in two weeks since the CYO Nationals in Boston.

When they hit the 10 yard line in "California Dreamin" those tassles on the uniforms were swinging in the wind.

Needless to say their have been rumors through the years that Mr. Anthony (Tony) Scheltcta dictated as to who would win the VFW!!!!

I was told by someone, who will remain nameless, that Jim Jones of the Troopers was told it was their championship until the SCV were ready to

take claim to it.

That only lasted on 1 year, and SCV took control in Dallas in 1971. SCV beat Troopers by .95!!!!!!!

I would love to hear if anyone else heard this story.

Through the "60's" I had marched in the VFW in Chicago(1965), attended in N.J.(1966), attended in Det,(1968) attended in Phil(1969) and Fla and Dallas in the next two years. There was always rumors floating as to was going to win and how "he" was running the show. I read that all the scores sheets for the

VFW Nationals through the years was destroyed by his family.

CODI

[TrainWreck]

I remember:

• My 3rd finals performance in 83.
  
• Seattle Cascades folded that year presumably because of the distance between finals and Seattle.
  
• The tour on the way to Miami was the worst I had been on....just bad.
  
• The finals crowd was shockingly small, particularly when compared to the two previous years in Montreal.
  
• We didn't see any Gators....
  
• Warm-ed up in the Dolphins locker room for I&E
  
• I remember dreading the ride home....4 days of solid driving.
  
• We had our best performance of the year at finals
  
• Garfield winning
  
• The only year I marched that we did not win the horn title. Deservedly so, I would add.
  
• I have not been back to Miami since....not to say I wouldn't go if the opportunity arises, but haven't had the desire.
  

Edited November 21, 2007 by TrainWreck

[MikeD]

What a great time we had in 1970 in Miami!! Boston stayed at two hotels in North Miami Beach that year. The drum line stayed at the Broaddripple Hotel, and the horn line stayed across the street at another hotel. I can't remember the name of the hotel fo the life of me.

Ed Denon, the horn inst., had some of the most memorable practices poolside with the horn line that year. I remember myself and two other alumni would lay in the pool on a raft, with a beer, and enjoy the practice!!!

We (Garfield) stayed in a nice hotel right on the beach. We had music practice standing IN the ocean to keep cool. :)

Ended up with a couple of holes in the drill as two of our smaller horn players floated away out to sea! :P

On Wednesday AM at 8 AM the Prelims commenced. The prelims were held at Hiealigh High School. It was hot, and there was not shade.

When the Chicago competed they left the PA system on, and there was feed back, and Chicago Management put in a protest. I believe Jack Regan was the Chief Judge, and he advised Chicago that if they performed again they would have to take what ever score was the best. Believe it or not the first score was the best, and it had a pen. I don't know how the pen. was imposed. Chicago, was bull ----!

I think it was flag violations in their prelims cut-down drill. That's my recollection anyway.

That evening you could not have asked for a better evening for drum corps.

It was so strange to see Chicago perform at a National Championship as the sun was setting.

The did nice job, but you bet the judges left lots of space for movement with 10 corps to compete.

After we competed their director actually came over to us at or busses and told us what a great job we had done...this was in response to Schlechta's pronunciation that we did not deserve to compete in the show because of our Peace Sign form.

SAC was the "b " that night!!! What a great job they did.

Kind of their last gasp as a top corps. They were my favorite corps through the 60's growing up in NJ.

Through the "60's" I had marched in the VFW in Chicago(1965), attended in N.J.(1966), attended in Det,(1968) attended in Phil(1969) and Fla and Dallas in the next two years. There was always rumors floating as to was going to win and how "he" was running the show. I read that all the scores sheets for the

VFW Nationals through the years was destroyed by his family.

CODI

I attended 69 in Philly when I was in a Garden State corps; I was just shy of 16 at the time. Our DM could drive, and she driove a bunch of us down to watch finals.

I marched VFW Nats in 70 and 71 with Garfield.

[audiodb]

"Orange Bowl, 1961 VFW Nationals":

Tons of memories from this one: Canbridge Caballeros incredible fourth place finish, and this the first time they ever competed in a Nationals (A record perhaps?)

Well, no. Cambridge competed at VFW in '58, finishing 12th in the prelims.

[lindap]

Well, no. Cambridge competed at VFW in '58, finishing 12th in the prelims.

1958, 1961, amazing. I only need to go back to 1983, the last DCI competition I attended, in the audience.

In 1983 about 10 of us ‘aged-out’ Alberta All Girls said “Let’s go to Miami to see DCI finals”. We went, however, I had business in Toronto and said “Just wear your orange T shirts and I’ll meet you at the Orange Bowl Stadium”. I took an early flight to Miami and a cab straight to the stadium. The driver proposed to me so he could live in Canada. Got to the stadium, it was locked and no-one there. Walked around the neighbourhood and found bars on the downstairs and upstairs windows. Found another gate and pleaded for someone to let me in.

It was quite a sight to see an empty field and bleachers. Walked about all day, sat on my suitcase ‘cause the seats were hot. Found my friends who had my ticket and enjoyed the competition. Found out later my camera flash didn’t work. I did enjoy the DCI finals in Miami and the 3 days on the beach thereafter. 3 faded photos and fond memories of curls, swirls and circles.

To stoods59. I did buy a ticket. I wouldn't travel about 3,000 miles without one but thanks to security for letting me in the gate. :)

Edited November 23, 2007 by lindap

[nineiron]

I also remember the Cadets first championship.

As well as a gang of kids that started some stuff they could not finish with the Crusaders outside the stadium.

[stoods59]

1958, 1961, amazing. I only need to go back to 1983, the last DCI competition I attended, in the audience.

In 1983 about 10 of us ‘aged-out’ Alberta All Girls said “Let’s go to Miami to see DCI finals”. We went, however, I had business in Toronto and said “Just wear your orange T shirts and I’ll meet you at the Orange Bowl Stadium”. I took an early flight to Miami and a cab straight to the stadium. The driver proposed to me so he could live in Canada. Got to the stadium, it was locked and no-one there. Walked around the neighbourhood and found bars on the downstairs and upstairs windows. Found another gate and pleaded for someone to let me in.

It was quite a sight to see an empty field and bleachers. Walked about all day, sat on my suitcase ‘cause the seats were hot. Found my friends who had my ticket and enjoyed the competition. Found out later my camera flash didn’t work. I did enjoy the DCI finals in Miami and the 3 days on the beach thereafter. 3 faded photos and fond memories of curls, swirls and circles.

To stoods59. I did buy a ticket. I wouldn't travel about 3,000 miles without one but thanks to security for letting me in the gate. :)

Funny that you mention that........there were some marching members of a certain corps from Illinois that thought that since they knew me I could just let them "walk right in". Talk about a difficult situation. The entire DCI staff is just waiting to have someone catch a crasher. Needless to say I couldn't let them in.

[lindap]

Funny that you mention that........there were some marching members of a certain corps from Illinois that thought that since they knew me I could just let them "walk right in". Talk about a difficult situation. The entire DCI staff is just waiting to have someone catch a crasher. Needless to say I couldn't let them in.

Then I must have had my ticket with me. I was just at the stadium way too early.

[elphaba01]

Well, no. Cambridge competed at VFW in '58, finishing 12th in the prelims.

"Caballeros:

You are correctt. Thanks for the info. Cambridge Cab's had a fine record at VFW, with their placements in 1958, 61 & 62.

Elphaba

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