I Like Drum Corps Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Just a fond memory as they would be long gone due to grotesque overspending by this vaunted staff. The same staff who abandoned the young men mid season and ran to where the money was. Ouch. To whom exactly are you referring? I am pretty sure that Colin McNutt was talking to Hopkins in the middle of the season looking ahead to 2007, but the rest of the staff that did not return made that call after the board of directors made the decision to not renew Sal Salas's contract. I'm not saying that they were right or wrong in the decisions made, but let's not throw people under the proverbial bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 When I saw the show a week ago, I immediately realized that this was a tougher program then those that the Scouts had performed over the past several years. But, at this point, the concept goes nowhere for me (and others). The theme seems to fall flat on it's face. No doubt that the men of Madison will get their wind, but that's not what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about the over all package! I'm more concerned with Madison being Madison! I am not impressed with the show themes that the Scouts have come up with the last few years...and no more original music please. On another note, the Scouts easily have the worst web site of any of the World Class Drum Corps. The home page still has corps members in last years uni's. I personally think the problem with the Scouts is they have a lot of new staff members who aren't used to working with each other. Back in the day the Scouts had the same staff for many many years...they knew how to put together a "Madison" show. The Scouts are just another Drum Corp who has lost it's identity by changing uniforms every year for the last 5 or 6 years. The Uni decision should have been an easy one...return to a version of the traditional Scouts uniform and tell Stanbury to hit the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Blatch Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 On another note, the Scouts easily have the worst web site of any of the World Class Drum Corps. The home page still has corps members in last years uni's. You want a picture of this year's uniform on the front page? Corps proper or color guard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 You want a picture of this year's uniform on the front page? Corps proper or color guard? Well I think he's just saying that YES, it would make sense to have THIS years product featured predominantly on the website for THIS year, even if the uniform is not hitting a home run with everyone. They sure as heck aren't going to change it now with 4 weeks left in the season... make the website current. Last years pics go into the "years gone by" section, etc etc. And it is true, the website does fall pretty far behind BD's, SCV's, PR's, etc etc. I think Vince has made some excellent points, spoken with knowledge and answered specific concerns. I have no idea why anyone is still bringing up the staff that has now been gone for several years. THEY have moved on, and I would like to know what anyone who keeps bringing that issue up year after after year... time after time... again and again... thinks we can do about it now? Hire them all back and have it suddenly be one big happy family again? And suddenly Madison will win DCI again? Listen, I want Scott Stewart back with the Scouts. Get him back. And I want Tom Float to go back and teach Blue Devils again. And I always wanted the Beatles to get back together again, too. But for reasons we couldn't even understand, it never did happen. Let it go... please. I'm sorry your friends chose to leave, and one was basically not rehired. THAT is what happened. Stop saying they were FIRED. You have ZERO credibility when you keep saying that. You will make yourself crazy thinking it will ever happen again and be the way you think it will just because those names come back to Madison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madalumni Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) Listen, I want Scott Stewart back with the Scouts. Get him back. And I want Tom Float to go back and teach Blue Devils again. And I always wanted the Beatles to get back together again, too.... "And I want my Father back, you Son of a B####!" Sorry Geno - couldn't resist. Edited July 13, 2009 by madalumni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF2K4 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I don't agree with all the hate for the current uni... I don't necessarily like the red sash (and I think the Fleur on the aussie is a little much) but overall it's one of my favorite unis in DCI... I love the shirt and tie look... really classy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Sorry Geno - couldn't resist. Jeff, get out the bunch helmet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueByYou2000 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I am pretty sure EVERY true blue Scouts fan knew this would be a long road getting back to "Madison". As several have pointed out, the Corps has indeed improved this year and it is showing in there scores when you compare them to last years. To do what Madison did last year was just fantastic and we were all so proud of them making finals when just about all season they were fighting to get there. If you look back on DCP, the trashing of staff/design...etc was going last year about this time. Everyone needs to relax and see how this all plays out. Do you think the NY Giants of 2 years ago went into Dallas, Green Bay and to the Superbowl to beat an undefeated Patriots team cared one bit what the skeptics were saying? Hell no, they just went out and played there ##### off and achieved the ultimate prize. Either support the Scouts and there efforts to clean this show, or put a cork in it! These are kids are busting there tails every day and having the time of there life. GO SCOUTS!!! POW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scerpella Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I don't agree with all the hate for the current uni... I don't necessarily like the red sash (and I think the Fleur on the aussie is a little much) but overall it's one of my favorite unis in DCI... I love the shirt and tie look... really classy. My first thought when I saw the FDL on the Aussie was crossmen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scerpella Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) This has been discussed ad nauseum. They did not "fire the whole staff." Every corps has staff turnover. The Cavaliers had a new director last year. Nobody blamed him for not winning a title. SCV has a new director this year. Nobody is taking shots at him either. When I marched, sometimes we had "big names" on staff, sometimes we didn't. The big names didn't always earn their keep. Sometimes a guy fresh out of the corps would step up to teach and turn out to be the best instructor we had. Sal's approach was to hire the big guns for big money. And they made a big impact: 14th to 8th to 8th to 6th to 9th. I loved the result, but people in a better position to judge decided it was unsustainable. A big part of the Scout tradition is developing teaching talent from within the ranks. It takes some time, but builds loyalty and tradition. It's the staff who are on the field every day baking their brains out for little money who make the corps what it is, not the "designers." The joke I told for years was that to be a Madison Scouts instructor, one had to take vows in the Order of St Scott the Frugal. Those vows were chiefly poverty and obedience. A tradition incidentally he has transported to the Kilties which have shown some great improvements in his 2nd full year of his management. But what it did during Scotts years at the helm of Scouts was ensure the people he had around him did it for the love of the corps and activity, and that as we witnessed led to memorable years of drum corps excitement and a distinctive brand that people now still expect Scouts to live up to. The obvious effect was a teaching staff almost entirely made up of people from the ranks of marching members. But as we know the money was better elsewhere and people many times make the decision to go where the money is making Madison Scouts an integral part of the success of other DCI organizations where they not only took their skills but the corps philosophy they learned. To my way of thinking apart from the competitive and performance aspect of it, the Madison Scouts philosophy developed under Scott transformed the activity. So even when they dont win, they win. The question is had the management philosophy reached a point of diminishing returns in the modern DCI activity? Either way that style of management wont be back unless the whole activity changes nor do I think would Scott ever consent to be involved unless it did. The current group of guys is great and they are simply working their butts off until they create that certain alchemy which is the Madison Scouts. Edited July 13, 2009 by Scerpella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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