Bobby Knight

[garfield]

Anyone remember which year Bobby Knight made his comments about the endurance and athletic ability of MMs?

Also, does anyone remember other vignettes that display the athletic ability of MMs? I've already got the cardio test of the Star quad player and John Hord's Gulf War/Bluecoats piece. Can you think of any others that might be on the Legacy collection?

I'm putting together a piece on the physical demands and could use the input.

Thanks!

[Michael Boo]

Anyone remember which year Bobby Knight made his comments about the endurance and athletic ability of MMs?

Also, does anyone remember other vignettes that display the athletic ability of MMs? I've already got the cardio test of the Star quad player and John Hord's Gulf War/Bluecoats piece. Can you think of any others that might be on the Legacy collection?

I'm putting together a piece on the physical demands and could use the input.

Thanks!

August 10, 1987, Volume 67, Number 6.

Full text.

One of the biggest sporting events of the summer, the Drum Corps International World Championships, will be held in Madison, Wis, Aug. 10-15. If you don’t consider drum corps a major sport, don’t tell that to the 10,000 youths who will descend on Madison, the 50,000 fans who will watch them or Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight.

Knight is a big booster of the Star of Indiana corps, which was founded and is largely financed by his friend Bill Cook, who made his fortune in medical supplies, became enamored of drum corps when his son joined one, and in 1984 he started the Star of Indiana, which is headquartered in Bloomington and attracts high school and college kids from Kentucky and Ohio as well as Indiana. In its first year of competition, the Star of Indiana finished 10th in the world, and last year came in eighth.

“If a basketball team trained as hard as these kids do,” says Knight, “it would be unbelievable. I like to take my payers over there to show them what they can accomplish with hard work and teamwork. Besides, once they see them practice 12 hours a day, my players thing I’m a helluva lot easier.”

Drum corps, each of which numbers as many as 128 youths age 14 to 21, are not marching bands, though the two do have things in common; music, uniforms and football fields. Because of the highly competitive nature of the activity, performances tend to be more innovative, precise and entertaining than those of marching bands. The music slections for the 11 1/2-minute performances run from the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz to Enchinda’s Arf (Of You) by Zappa, and their choreography can rival that of a Broadway show. At Madison a panel of nine will judge each drum corps for its brass performance, it’s percussion performance and its visual effect.

This year’s defending champions are the Blue Devils from Concord, Calif., who scored 98.4 out of a possible 100 last year. The jazz-oriented Blue Devils are a dynasty in their “sport”—they have won six times since 1986.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Michael Boo

[garfield]

August 10, 1987, Volume 67, Number 6.

Thanks Mike! I knew if you were online today you'd have the answer.

Can you think of any other vignettes that reinforce the physical demand? I'm making a sponsorship proposal to a health care company.

[Michael Boo]

.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Michael Boo

[Swine]

HEY KNIGHT!

His segment is on the 1989 PBS recording (and DCI-sold tape) between the best corps of the year .... and Santa Clara.

And: http://www.excelsiordrumcorps.org/coolzone/knight.htm

Edited February 15, 2010 by Swine

[NR_Ohiobando]

Drum corps, each of which numbers as many as 128 youths age 14 to 21, are not marching bands, though the two do have things in common; music, uniforms and football fields. Because of the highly competitive nature of the activity, performances tend to be more innovative, precise and entertaining than those of marching bands.

Edited February 15, 2010 by NR_Ohiobando

[Just A Plain Old Fan]

Anyone remember which year Bobby Knight made his comments about the endurance and athletic ability of MMs?

Also, does anyone remember other vignettes that display the athletic ability of MMs? I've already got the cardio test of the Star quad player and John Hord's Gulf War/Bluecoats piece. Can you think of any others that might be on the Legacy collection?

I'm putting together a piece on the physical demands and could use the input.

Thanks!

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the Gulf War/Bluecoats piece?

Thanks!

[NR_Ohiobando]

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the Gulf War/Bluecoats piece?

Thanks!

I could be wrong, but I remember there being a story about a Bluecoats 1991 quad player who lost either part of his foot or his toe and on a whim marched that year (in what was apparently one of the more underrated drumlines in DCI). It could be the same guy, but honestly I'm not sure.

[garfield]

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the Gulf War/Bluecoats piece?

Thanks!

John Hord, quad player from Hilliard, Ohio. He was a Marine and was sweeping mines in Kuwait when one went off and blew off the four small toes of his left foot. While home with his foot still bandaged he went to the Hilliard show and saw that the 'Coats were missing a quad player. He said he could do it but staff was naturally hesitant because he had a significant limp. He auditioned on the spot and said he could do it. Staff said "Go pack your stuff." He hurried home, packed a bag, and left his Mom a note that said "Mom, I joined the Bluecoats. See you at mid-season break." Then he rushed back and jumped on the bus. Played the whole season, carrying quads, nursing his foot, and aged out.

Very inspriational, indeed. He now lives in Georgetown, KY, and is still a DC nut.

Edited February 15, 2010 by garfield

[bluecoats88]

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the Gulf War/Bluecoats piece?

Thanks!

John Hord, 1987-1988, Bluecoats member had joined the marines after marching. He lost half a foot and had schrapnel in his other leg after a land mine incident during the gulf war. After recovering in a military hospital (in germany I think) he was shipped home. The doctors told him that he would be in a wheelchair for a few months and then have to use a cane for the rest of his life and would always walk with a limp dur to the loss of all but his big toe as well as half of his foot.

When he got home he heard the Bluecoats had lost 2 tenors during everyday/first week of tour and decided since he was still 21 to march. He left his mom a note and joined the corps on tour. He marched tenors the whole season. so much for needing a cane.