Audience Comments!

[zachariaswmb]

Allentown '07 lady sitting next to me commented on how Carolina Crown was acting like CATS. I politely turned to her and told her the show was titled Triple Crown and the corps was portraying HORSES.

Also '07 Allentown, another neighbor was upset about Bluecoats being Booed. I didn't respond to her though.

My story actually comes from that exact show. There was a family sitting behind us. Three generations, if I recall correctly. A grandparent, Mom and Dad, and a daughter. Most of the family, if not the entire family, were drum corps newbies. When Bloo came on, the same thing happened that happens every performance. The crowd blooed loudly. The whole family was quite taken aback, and the poor little girl actually started crying! Everyone around, of course, turned to the family and explained what was happening. It was quite funny/sad to see!

[Rimba47]

Allentown '07 lady sitting next to me commented on how Carolina Crown was acting like CATS. I politely turned to her and told her the show was titled Triple Crown and the corps was portraying HORSES.

LMFAO!

[CitBos]

If you think Hashgate was about hashmarks, you've had you head buried in the sand.

[Grumpy]

My story actually comes from that exact show. There was a family sitting behind us. Three generations, if I recall correctly. A grandparent, Mom and Dad, and a daughter. Most of the family, if not the entire family, were drum corps newbies. When Bloo came on, the same thing happened that happens every performance. The crowd blooed loudly. The whole family was quite taken aback, and the poor little girl actually started crying! Everyone around, of course, turned to the family and explained what was happening. It was quite funny/sad to see!

Every year, the first time we saw Bluecoats, I would join in with the "bloo"-ers. My ex-wife, every year, would glare at me until either I or one of our friends would remind her who it was and that we were blooing, not "booing". This happened for at least four or five years in a row until she finally got it-although she never joined in. My current wife eagerly joins right in, and has ever since it was first explained to her. If we have obvious newbies sitting around us at a show that includes the Bluecoats, we try to "clue them in" ahead of time.

[jjeffeory]

IIRC, the esteemed Mr. Haring made a number of requests over the PA system for the corps staffs to respect those who had paid for those seats.

I'm sure the noisy staff weren't there at the time the announcement was made.

The staff usually only come in for their corps and then leave straight away. The would only hear announcements made right before their corps would come on, and then would they even pay attention?

[84BDsop]

Then he started saying "HEY! Everyone! Give George Hopkins A call and Tell him exactly what an ### he is!" Then he starts calling out George's phone number in the movie theatre! A few seconds later I hear him leaving a long VERY bad message on Hop's answering machine!

Ok....I have had my issues with George...he and I got into it a little bit on this board during 07, in fact (and MAJOR props to him for actually doing so where he could've easily hidden away), but giving out Hop's phone number and doing what he did it beyond tacky and inappropriate.

[boxingfred]

If you think Hashgate was about hashmarks, you've had you head buried in the sand.

It was about:

- Vocals

-Delays

-Hop

-The fact that DCI was in Cali and Cadets beat Devils the last two shows.

-Lack of information

-ignorance

-crappy Stadium

-Lack of hash marks

- DCI not giving a clear expiation as to why the Cadets were leaving the field

Here's a post from Aug 2007

Did the boos affect The Cadets' performance? Absolutely! Who could have been prepared for anything even close to what they encountered. Did George do the right thing by pulling them off the field to permit the field to be relined?

Absolutely! The Cavaliers, performing just before the Cadets, experienced several members falling, and their Director not only notified George of the condition of the field, but was solidly in support of George's decision. The irony is that the Cavaliers were the only corps that would have benefited from a penalty assessed against the Cadets, but Mr. Fiedler, like George, chose to do the right thing rather than the advantageous thing. It amazes me how so many people both in the stands and in the theaters characterized what occurred according to their own distorted prejudices and/or invalid assumptions. On Thursday night in the Rose Bowl the audience became a mob, and our long-held belief that drum corps people were something special was tarnished forever .

Second- Jackson, Mississippi. People Booed the Star of Indiana.[

Edited March 1, 2010 by boxingfred

[jjeffeory]

Ok....I have had my issues with George...he and I got into it a little bit on this board during 07, in fact (and MAJOR props to him for actually doing so where he could've easily hidden away), but giving out Hop's phone number and doing what he did it beyond tacky and inappropriate.

I agree. That would be VERY tacky and inappropriate.

Edited March 1, 2010 by jjeffeory

[BRASSO]

I disagree - well, slightly - with that. I think they do think about the effect that rule changes have on the audience. Of course, with 90% of the submissions, it's negligible - usually technical. But with instrument changes, I think they did consider it, and I think they also felt that any audience discontent would be offset by advantages gained, rightly or wrongly.

Whether that worked or not, I guess you could support either conclusion. Honestly, 10 years later the Bb switch has turned out okay; it was argued pretty heavily at the time, but it's pretty much worked itself out. Amps and voice are really more controversial, and we may have to wait another few years to see on that one, but it seems to be *more* polarizing now, not less.

Anyways, my point being that I think they do consider it. You may not *like* their conclusions, but they did arrive at 'em.

Mike

There is lots of discontent with Geoge Hopkins of The Cadets in Drum Corps.

He is a polarizing figure.... a lightening rod..... but hasn't Mark Arnold of the Blue Knights ( and a few others ) been even MORE of an advocate for much more progressive ( others would say radical ) changes to take place in what becomes allowable on the field for competition ? Even more so than Hopkins ?

Edited March 1, 2010 by BRASSO

[boxingfred]

There is lots of discontent with Geoge Hopkins of The Cadets in Drum Corps.

He is a polarizing figure.... a lightening rod..... but hasn't Mark Arnold of the Blue Knights ( and a few others ) been even MORE of an advocate for much more progressive ( others would say radical ) changes to take place in what becomes allowable on the field for competition ?

You also have people like Dave Gibbs and Kevin Smith who are "blamed" or "Credited" for advancing drum corps beyond it's traditional framework.

Back to work!