Blue Devils in Fairfax

[Plan9]

I agree that this year's show is polarizing and that accounts for much of the griping this year, but ...

... in general, region plays a HUGE role in crowd response. After decades of seeing BD on both coasts that is

painfully obvious. And that REALLY struck home during 2007 Pasadena when the BD got one of the LOUDEST crowd

responses I've ever heard after getting mostly nothing out East. On the West Coast, BD is the hero. On the

East Coast, ... not so much.

Drum corps is a highly competitive activity and that means cheering the home team and booing the enemy.

Period!

[dcfan1982]

I finally got to see the show live and it really is the only way to get the whole experience. And by experience, I mean in a Jimi Hendrix low dose acid trip kinda experience. They are so good at everything they do. You just cant deny it. Wow.

Haven't seen it live yet, but your description seems appropriate from talking to folks who have. The performers are incredible, but too many ideas that are never finished before rushing on to the other one. A friend described it as like an ADD kid took LSD..... He also said however, NO ONE can catch them. Performers are incredible.

[Big Bad Bari]

so wron

so wrong you are my friend. I have seen BD win in other locations other than the Left Coast, and receive ROUSING ovations. Madison 86, Foxboro 94, Orlando 97 and 03

so please, for the love of God, stop making it a regional hatred thing, or everyone hates the West Coast thing.

be honest for once and admit, it's a lot of people don't like this year's show thing....because really, that's what it is.

Jeff,

Did BD win in 1984 and 1985? How about in 92 and 93?... 95 & 96? or how about 01 and 02? So ignoring the point of the post you poo poo, does not make your point my friend. Please reread the post to which you responded and see if you can make your response make sense since you brought God into it and all!

[Jeff Ream]

I agree that this year's show is polarizing and that accounts for much of the griping this year, but ...

... in general, region plays a HUGE role in crowd response. After decades of seeing BD on both coasts that is

painfully obvious. And that REALLY struck home during 2007 Pasadena when the BD got one of the LOUDEST crowd

responses I've ever heard after getting mostly nothing out East. On the West Coast, BD is the hero. On the

East Coast, ... not so much.

Drum corps is a highly competitive activity and that means cheering the home team and booing the enemy.

really. Wow, I remember in 94, going to Allentown in early July, and seeing that crowd..then very split between Crossmen and Cadets..throw babies, hell old ladies, you name it on the field at BD.

same with Foxboro 6 weeks later. Phantom 08 in Allentown...puhlease. Hell, Allentown is Cadets new home when they are from "sponsored by YEA" and in many of the past few years they haven't gotten the best crowd reaction in JBC.

I wasn't in Allentown for 07, but the Godfather got a great reaction there. in 06 and 08...the hometown team got laughed at by many, and not the good laugh.

and we saw reviews this year from the West that didn't call BD the greatest thing since sliced bread. so much for that home base fanatacism.

So sorry, it's NOT just a regional thing. After all, Star was booed in the midwest in their day.

[Jeff Ream]

Jeff,

Did BD win in 1984 and 1985? How about in 92 and 93?... 95 & 96? or how about 01 and 02? So ignoring the point of the post you poo poo, does not make your point my friend. Please reread the post to which you responded and see if you can make your response make sense since you brought God into it and all!

I'm talking about winners. you want more?

ok.

82...great reaction up in Canuckia. wasnt there in 83 and 84, 85 I know when I saw em in Allentown the crowd loved em. 95 I remember a huge reaction, same as 92. I mean come on, even those "homer midwesterners" loved When A Man Loves A Woman. 93...well, I liked it.

95..yeah I remember a great reaction in Buffalo, and 96 too, tho I gotta be honest, Phantom wrung the crowd dry.

I've seen BD in the East MANY times, and it's only been the last few years the crowd reactions have been less than stellar.

Hell, my ears still ring from the crowd at Allentown after 88 prelims.

[ajwdad]

really. Wow, I remember in 94, going to Allentown in early July, and seeing that crowd..then very split between Crossmen and Cadets..throw babies, hell old ladies, you name it on the field at BD.

same with Foxboro 6 weeks later. Phantom 08 in Allentown...puhlease. Hell, Allentown is Cadets new home when they are from "sponsored by YEA" and in many of the past few years they haven't gotten the best crowd reaction in JBC.

I wasn't in Allentown for 07, but the Godfather got a great reaction there. in 06 and 08...the hometown team got laughed at by many, and not the good laugh.

and we saw reviews this year from the West that didn't call BD the greatest thing since sliced bread. so much for that home base fanatacism.

So sorry, it's NOT just a regional thing. After all, Star was booed in the midwest in their day.

Hey Jeff,

I think that the home field comment was directly targeted at BD's home and here in CA> Out here, this year, I saw them 4-5 times. The reception was phenomenal. Hence, some of the "home" comments. BTW, I will not dispute that if they could do a more crowd pleasing show, then they might get a better reception. But, their shows for the past 5 years or so have been very well received here in ca. And, the home attitude has rarely been more polarizing in the US society than today.

[Jeff Ream]

so then, if the East doesnt react like the West...we're all haters?

########.

oh and a West Coast team got the biggest reaction in Allentown last year.

SCV

[Lance]

no, haters are pretty easy to spot

[skevinp]

No one is attacking constructive discussion. What the bulk of the responses are about is trash talk about any corps. Vitriol, and just plain junk like post #35, where does this crap come from?..and who's comfortable saying it?...most of us would like to have a discussion not an afternoon with Jerry Springer.

As a result some of us attempt to decompress the situation with humor but in some cases that just makes them more angry.

I would have to disagree with this. People are absolutely attacking constructive discussion, misrepresenting statements about design as statments about the kids, and demonizing others who dare to have an opinion they don't agree with.

Thanks for your attempts to decompress though. Nothing puts out a fire like gasoline. I can't imagine why "humor" that's premised on the notion that someone is a mean-spirited hateful ### would make them angry.

[Big Bad Bari]

I'm talking about winners. you want more?

ok.

82...great reaction up in Canuckia. wasnt there in 83 and 84, 85 I know when I saw em in Allentown the crowd loved em. 95 I remember a huge reaction, same as 92. I mean come on, even those "homer midwesterners" loved When A Man Loves A Woman. 93...well, I liked it.

95..yeah I remember a great reaction in Buffalo, and 96 too, tho I gotta be honest, Phantom wrung the crowd dry.

I've seen BD in the East MANY times, and it's only been the last few years the crowd reactions have been less than stellar.

Hell, my ears still ring from the crowd at Allentown after 88 prelims.

And again I ask... did those reactions you saw... happen when the Blue Devils had won for the previous two consecutive seasons? This is the point of the post you are responding to. You cannot burry it by saying you were saying something else unless you used his post in quotes to point out that your post had nothing to do with his...