What do YOU want to see happen in 2010

[kickhaltsforlife]

I realize that the post is about what you want the corps to place.........my feelings differ significantly on a few......

Crossmen......really a bit down, and yet they have not changed their music arrangement team or brass caption head......

unless they do, I think they could have trouble making semis and perhaps as low as 20th..........

I also think recruiting, without making the needed staff changes, could be quite a problem.....

GB

Well I'm sure they have more staff changes coming. They haven't announced any design staff yet anyway... but one thing is for sure, the problem IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT the brass caption head. Not a single bit. Trust me on this one. If given proper books, that horn line will grow to be one of the best in DCI under the current caption head. He is still a young caption head, but he is learning, and is taking the right steps to BUILD a horn line. Just trust me. Getting rid of Aaron Goldberg would be the BIGGEST mistake for the Crossmen. Aaron Guidry HAS TO GO.

[Suviduvi]

I am very happy that you are not a judge

I don't know if you know, but it isn't just about winning first place, or 5th or 10th, it's about what these young men and women learn on and off the field that really counts. I wonder which corps makes a person better?

I've seen all these prediction threads in my time here at DCP, and I thought I'd start something similar that's not really a prediction thread, but more of a What do YOU want to see happen with placements in 2010. This is not for ANYONE to flame anyone else's beliefs or desires.

Okay, now here's what I'd like to see happen. This is assuming that Teal does come up to World Class. I know they are trying to and probably will, so that's why I'm adding them in.

Top 3:

I think it's time for people who have been in the top three forever, to back off a bit. Maybe that's not the right way to say it, but I want to see some corps in the top 3 that have not been in there in a while, or just had their first time ever in the top 3. So, I'd like to see the top three turn out to be Crown, Vanguard and Phantom with Crown winning it all. They are the best corps in the activity and it's their time to get recognized as such. Vanguard and Phantom are also two of the greatest and even though Phantom had an off year, I think that with a better program they could surge back up. And Vanguard, with the amazing leaps they made this year -- when they SHOULD have medaled anyway -- they deserve to be back in the top 3 again.

4-6.

Honestly, I think it's almost not possible to think of Blue Devils or Cavaliers outside of the top 3, but we did see Cavaliers drop out of it this year. So, I'd like to see 4-6 be, in order, Bluecoats -- Blue Devils -- Cadets. Bluecoats have been putting out amazing shows the past three years and I think they are underrated. They really deserve to be higher. Could they really beat the Blue Devils? Who knows. I think Blue Devils are a great corps, but I also don't believe that they are the end-all-be-all of Drum Corps like most hard corps Blue Devils fans seem to think they are. Any corps can have a bad season -- look at Phantom this year. And while the Cadets were the corps that got me into this activity, I've not really been a big fan of them lately -- not since 2005. They've been really good, but they seem to have lost something. They haven't lost their identity, but it's something. They're not The Cadets I fell in love with right now and I have no idea why.

7-9

Blue Stars -- Cavaliers -- Boston Crusaders. Blue Stars are one of the best rising corps in the activity and I'd LOVE to see them keep rising. I don't think they could make it into top 6 yet, but I really believe that soon, they will. Cavaliers, in my opinion, have lost their identity. The past couple seasons, even though 2008 was good, I've not really felt like I was watching The Cavaliers when they were on the field. I just don't think they have what it takes to keep it up and I do expect them to drop. They really didn't even deserve 4th this year. Boston Crusaders have been putting out really great shows lately and I would put them to basically the same area, but down a bit because of the Cavaliers dropping down into this block.

10-12

Crossmen -- Troopers -- Glassmen. I've always been a fan of the Crossmen. I have thought they deserved to place higher the past couple years, especially 2008, because they've had really great shows -- in my opinion. So, I would love to see them move back into the top 12 and NOT just 12th. I also would love to see Troop move up a spot. They really impressed me this year and I became a huge fan of the show. Before 2008, I never really thought much of the Troop -- but I never thought they were bad. Then, this year, they blew us all away and they deserved to be in the top 12! Glassmen are having a bit of a tough time. I'm loving their shows lately, but I don't really know why they're not placing higher. So, I'd probably put them staying in the top 12, but just barely. They might even swap places with Blue Knights.

13-15

Blue Knights -- Teal Sound -- Madison. Unless the major changes going on at Madison help, I don't see them coming back into the top 12 this year. They also need to get the members that are top 12 caliber. I'm not saying that they weren't this year, but it takes more than a top 12 staff to get into the top 12. Blue Knights were great this year, but I see the possibility that they drop out of the top 12 this coming season. I'd really love to see Teal Sound, being the newest in World, make it this close to top 12. They seem like a great corps and it's also not the first time we've seen this. The Academy did something similar their first year in World.

16-18

Jersey Surf -- Cascades -- Colts. Jersey Surf is a great corps and I'd really love to see them pop up higher in the rankings this coming season. While Cascades didn't really impress me this year, I'd still hope for them to place higher this year. It's good to see a corps come back, but it's better when they come back and succeed. Colts have never really impressed me. In fact, I didn't really like them at all last year. I can't really tell you why, but just that I didn't like them. I don't think they'd slip lower than 18th, but still.

19-21

Spirit -- The Academy -- Mandarins. Spirit is nothing compared to what they used to be. Now, in 2008, I loved their show, but this year was not good. If they continue to field shows like that, then I put them lower in the rankings. The Academy seems to have lost something from their first season in World that kept them from repeating in the same area or popping up to the Top 12. Mandarins are usually good, but I'm not sure that they have what it takes to move up much more. I think they'd stay in this general area, only dropping down because of Teal Sound, Jersey Surf and Cascades placing above them.

22-23

Pacific Crest -- Pioneer. Neither of these corps have really impressed me, ever. So, honestly, that's the only reason I'd place them in the last two spots.

I think there are only going to be 23 next year -- provided that all 22 from this year come back and Teal Sound do move up to World Class. If I've left anyone out, I'm sorry.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Suviduvi

[euponitone]

I am very happy that you are not a judge

I don't know if you know, but it isn't just about winning first place, or 5th or 10th, it's about what these young men and women learn on and off the field that really counts. I wonder which corps makes a person better?

What does this have to do with anything? This thread is about what we want to see regarding placements, not about the true benefits of drum corps. What you say is true, but it has nothing to do with this discussion. You might as well go into an NFL thread and start talking about the New York Yankees... Yet another failure in the realm of reading comprehension...

[Plan9]

I'd like to see Crown and BD battle it out for the title, with SCV or Cadets taking a distant third.

This is probably a pretty accurate estimate of 2010. I know it won't make some DCPer's very happy, but it is what it is! I do see Cadets and SCV a bit closer though.

Although the intent of the thread is to reflect what we WANT to happen, the facts are that the BEST corps wins (even if it's 50 times in a row). But hey, it's a slow summer so let me suggest a few wants/predictions:

BD, Crown, Cadets & SCV will almost certainly be in the hunt for the title. I know the OP is dreaming of the day when BD's buses all get flat tires, but they are the corps to beat...period! That is to say....I don't see CC, Cadets & SCV going to bed at night dreaming about beating each other! They all have one corps in their sights. Now, here is the reason for the 4 corps mentioned: They all share the single most important trait of a DCI winner - Stability! They have had leadership, BOD's, design teams and staff in place for years (some for decades). They are not stuggling to find a magic bullet nor playing "musical chairs with designers & staff", these are rock solid organizations and all are drum corps jugernauts.

Cavies, Bluecoats, Boston, Blue Stars, PR are next echelon. Cavies are at this level (IMO) only because of the leadership shakeup (again...stability matters). Cavies and PR are capable of anything (both are off-the-charts talented), but neither are completely stable at the moment (movement in leadership and/or design teams). They will both be stable in the very near future...but not this year. Bluecoats are a strange agent in all this, they are almost in their own echelon and a dark horse for the top 5 by any measure. Boston & Blue Stars are on to something (particularly Boston) and if they can parley their success in 2009 into another creative product in 2010, they will be competing for the top of this echelon for sure. But this will be a very hard fought ecelon.

Madison, Troopers, Glassmen, Blue Knights, Colts, Crossmen & Academy. This group will be the most fun to watch next year. I know the OP wants some of these corps to emerge and bump up into top 7 but the Blue Knights and Scouts (with "new" crew) are presently the only ones that have the chops for that. I personally don't see Scouts above 9th place but they will certainly be marching come finals night. Troopers are my second favorite corps but will need to work very hard on the big "MO" to keep up with this very competitve third echelon.

[Schickmeister]

Saxophones

[kickhaltsforlife]

Saxophones

nobody likes you.

Edited September 24, 2009 by kickhaltsforlife

[Jeff Ream]

Saxophones

don't make me tell Dr Bundy about you

[Josiahsop08]

Troopers making it into the top 6!! Placment for 2013 or 2014

placement:

1. Crown

2. Blue stars

3. Troopers

4. SCV

5. Boston

6. Bluecoats

7. Blue Devils

8. Phantom

9. Colts

10. Scouts

11. Cadets

12. cavies

------------------------------------

13. Glassmen

14. Blue Knights

15. Surf

16. Pioneer

17. Spirit

18. Pacific Crest

19. Mandarins

20. Crossmen

21. Academy

22. Cascades

[Bruckner8]

I want judging to be more science, and less "art."

[kstein]

DCI Unplugged.

Entertain me, amuse me, challenge me. Don't talk to me, sing to me, or drown out a perfectly good hornline with your synthetic noise.

Oh yeah - and put Finals outside, where it belongs.

Karen