Ed Boxer Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Reading your post, which nailed the total experience, my eyes are welling up again. I was there, in row 25, the sheer deadening explosion of love from the crowd when "In second place, with a score of 98.1, nine eight point one, the Blue......" felt like the entire stadium moved. I don't ever remember a reaction from crowd like that to the winning corps. And I meant to add: Sunday morning at Indy Airport. People were walking up to any PR member, congratulating them and thanking them. This wasn't the usual - "Congrats and great show". These were several minute conversations letting them know how much it meant to everyone. There was one kid who was so overwhelmed with it that he took off his PR jack and hid it. That's how much they touched the audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarletKnight Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Thanks for this post. I marched with PR in 88 and 89, and was a lead soprano my second year. There are special years for all corps , and I felt that '89 was a high water mark for Regiment that will be remembered for a long time. Even so, I don't think '89 could have happened but for '86 (a resolve to return to greatness) '87 (first year of the "modern" Phantom Regiment) and 88 (a difficult year that made everyone tougher - with, again a resolve to return to greatness). When you look back on a season like Regiment in 2008, it all evolves out of many different parts. The marching members are perhaps the most important parts, followed by staff and instructors - but don't forget the recent age outs that weren't on the field that night, and all of the behind the scenes people that will never get an award or the kind of recognition they deserve. To you, to all of you, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarletKnight Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Thanks for this post.I marched with PR in 88 and 89, and was a lead soprano my second year. There are special years for all corps , and I felt that '89 was a high water mark for Regiment that will be remembered for a long time. Even so, I don't think '89 could have happened but for '86 (a resolve to return to greatness) '87 (first year of the "modern" Phantom Regiment) and 88 (a difficult year that made everyone tougher - with, again a resolve to return to greatness). When you look back on a season like Regiment in 2008, it all evolves out of many different parts. The marching members are perhaps the most important parts, followed by staff and instructors - but don't forget the recent age outs that weren't on the field that night, and all of the behind the scenes people that will never get an award or the kind of recognition they deserve. To you, to all of you, thank you. And note I said '89 WAS a high water mark . . . I'm glad to see even better things were to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolezfan Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Nicely written summary by the original poster. I was able to attend Orlando, Atlanta and Finals and my summary is as follows: Carolina Crown's show (my second favorite Corps) made me want to smile and laugh and hug everyone seated around me in Memorial Stadium. Phantom's show made me want to stab those very same people with a rusty knife. They sold it from the word go and it was truly EPIC!!! Then, to be out in the parking lot after the encore and have the Regiment march by softly singing "We are the Phantom Regiment, we are...we are..." Holy wow. My chillbumps had chillbumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwanswan Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Amen HasBeen It was impossible not to feel their presence Saturday night. You are right that they owned the field. You knew half way through that you were watching the world champs. The power that flowed through them was amazing! Like a team of beautiful, powerful thoroughbreds that with one small misstep could careen out of control and crash but with focus and determination create something so transcendent that it makes you weep! That show could have been a train wreck given the power, drive and excitment these kids had in and behind them, but they made it all into something wonderful! What an honor to be a part of that!!!! There were a lot of favorite moments for me...the Boxer horn moment, Clare De Lune...but my favorite was to look up on the hill and see the Marine corp going nuts for Phantom as they walked past after their show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apoch003 Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Now that it's done... I was in the PORTLAND show, at the beginning of the season. I KNEW then that Phantom had something special, regardless of the wonky way everyone was judged here that night. Bravo to you Phantom Regiment! I've followed you since 1980, and will continue for years to come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneva Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 You certainly described very well what I felt even through the movie screen of the quarterfinal performance. After that, I thought that if the judges don't recognize this as a championship performance, then something is seriously wrong with the way the judging sheets are constructed. Judges, thank you for restoring my faith in the system (at least for now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasPRfan Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I was there too, and indeed it was magical. What an incredible post. You captured everything perfectly. So much better than the review I just posted in the Review section. Thank you for helping me re-live the moment again. Harvey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampfan Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 This is easily the best post I have ever read on here. Thank you for taking me back to the greatest performance I have ever witnessed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mello916 Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 This West Coast guy feels a little strange for saying this but ... YAY PHANTOM!!! What an amazing show this year, and definitely one that's going down in the history books. Congrats to the corps, and thanks for treating us fans to a show that was as musical as it was epic in its storytelling. Can't wait to watch this one over and over again on video ... BTW, thanks to the author of this post for nailing the "Spartacus" experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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