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Rude behavior at WGI


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Ok here is my post WGI rant. People be on your best behavior at shows. We are crammed in to UD like sardines and you find it acceptiable to behave so poorly.

I will not call out names because you know who you are section 309 row E seats 9 & 10 and row D seats 6,7 & 8.

Row E if I had been sitting in front of instead of next to you I would have thrown your expensive camera over the railing. Really sitting your camera between 2 peoples heads and just clicking away the whole night very rude. I have to give props to those people in front of you because I would not have been so kind as to not say a word.

And now row D we often times in this world wonder why young people act badly, talk durring shows, text, talk on phones, generly disrupt the people around then. Well here is the answer BECAUSE THEY SEE THEIR PARENTS DO THE SAME THING! Shut up, sit down, turn your phone off and don't comment about every drop another team makes you never know who is sitting next to you.You also give your team a bad reputation. I know you don't want me sitting behind you bad mouthing your child and their show. So as they used to preach to us as kids

IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY, SAY NOTHING AT ALL!

When you put on a team shirt it doesn't matter if your a preformer or a fan not assocated with the team you now repersent the team. Please repersent them well

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we had "typhoid mary" coughing and hacking,sitting directly behind us. :thumbdown:

also in back of us we had the "screaming girl" and her earpiercing shrill shrieks[directly into my ears]and shout outs to all her "friends" on the floor! :shutup:

and not to be outdone by them the seat squatters in front of me repeatedly leaned forward in their seats thereby obscuring my view of the floor. :rock: a sharp poke to their back and a polite request for them to sit like a civilized person quikly remedied that problem! :devil:

as far as or activty being "art"....i don't ever recall going into an art museum and smelling the sickly sweet noxious odors of carmel corn wafting through the gallery. :w00t:

Edited by dugg
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we had "typhoid mary" coughing and hacking,sitting directly behind us. :thumbdown:

also in back of us we had the "screaming girl" and her earpiercing shrill shrieks[directly into my ears]and shout outs to all her "friends" on the floor! :shutup:

and not to be outdone by them the seat squatters in front of me repeatedly leaned forward in their seats thereby obscuring my view of the floor. :rock: a sharp poke to their back and a polite request for them to sit like a civilized person quikly remedied that problem! :devil:

as far as or activty being "art"....i don't ever recall going into an art museum and smelling the sickly sweet noxious odors of carmel corn wafting through the gallery. :w00t:

This is why i prefer the first 3 rows!

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makes me kind of wonder about ticket sales. YES there were alot of people but many guards , who bought those 15 dollar back side seat tickets for world finals when looking for those back seats found they were front side. Now, I do know several people who went to prelims and Semi's did decide they saw enough before world finals and opted not to go But usually in the past there weren't enough seats for participants, especially front side..hmmmmmmmmmm, sign of the times maybe? or choices.

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This screaming like you're at a European soccer match stuff has really gotten out of hand. You hear it all over the arena now.

I had low-rent screamers behind me, too - and I was in the VIP section.

And these people were more than likely staff members with a participating guard because they were still wearing their WGI credentials around their neck.

Sure, everyone is excited for 'their groups' at finals. It's a spectator activity - definitely show your support. No one's suggesting that you sit on your hands and speak in a hushed tones, as if you were studying in a Christian Science reading room.

But leaning forward and screaming at the top of your lungs across the people seated in front of you - especially when it's that classless 'TEAR IT UP, GINA!' stuff - is completely beyond the limits of acceptable 'spectator enthusiasm.'

And anyone who holds a position in this activity that would allow them to receive a WGI credential knows better. Period.

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Guys and Gals:

Many years ago when I was teaching, I watched my students walk in the arena in the middle of a performace, find seats, and walk IN FRONT OF PEOPLE to get to them - in the middle of the show.

When it was over, I calmly walked over to them.... verbally ripped them apaprt and then made them turn to EVERYONE is ear shot to apologize for their ignorance. They were EMBARASSED - humiliated.

But they learned.

Get the picture coaches?????

And what I learned from that experience is that you need to TELL YOUR KIDS, on the bus, how to behave, what is expected and what the consequences will be if they miss the boat. Don't do what I did and ASSUME that kids have the knowledge.

As for the rude adults..... do what I do..... publically call them out on it. It certainly worked well for me at this year's WGI finals. Once I started telling the crowd to "knock it off" "sit down" - everyone around me joined forces with me and BOY did we have one PLEASANT area! (Well, accept for the guy dropping the f-bombs - and you too know who you are).

But seriously - Coaches - talk to your kids.

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My issue are the Seat Squatters - when we arrived, an ENTIRE GUARD was sitting in the seats we had purchased. They refused to move until a UD Minion told them to do so.

Another seat squatter was sitting in my daughters more expensive seat by the VIP section and also refused to move. WHAT IS THAT??? I get the "Lets try to find a better seat that is not being used" philosophy, but when someone shows you their ticket and you STILL refuse to move - that is just plain rude and setting a scene for hostility.

On another note, WGI will make a killing next year, as my sister and I have already planned to purchase the seats on either side of us so that we are not crammed in between people who need two seats anyway due to their 'girth'. NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE with that comment, but it makes 6 hours in a seat VERY uncomfortable when your arms are only wrapped in front of you.

In reference to guards making comments about every drop, agreed - very annoying - and a very patient spectator near us got it to stop when the guard behind us was saying that. They very calmly turned around and said "And you are not in finals because........" We only heard positive comments after that!

Other than that, I still love WGI - it is better than Christmas.

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Definitely saw rude behavior at WGI this year. However, I witnessed way more examples of guards being kind and polite.

Below are a few of the guards who I saw acting with grace:

West Johnston

Mineola

Alter Ego

Westerville

Americas

I dont like to mention guards by name, but the above 5 I saw do really nice things. A special shout out to Americas - I sat near a group of their performers during prelims or semis (cant remember) and after every show every one of them said one or two things that they liked.

If I was a billionaire, I would give WGI a million dollars if they banned people from screaming "GET IT...." at shows. I hate that.

I am already excited for WGI next year!

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As for the rude adults..... do what I do..... publically call them out on it. It certainly worked well for me at this year's WGI finals.

Sadly, the confrontational approach that you describe is exactly what you have to do more times than not these days.

It's just so discouraging, especially in this activity. I mean, this isn't the NFL, for God's sake. It's not as if we're straining to be heard from the upper deck of Texas Stadium or something.

I used to say, 'I hate having to tell people to 'act right' in the stands' - but that's not really true.

I actually DON'T hate telling intentionally rude, belligerent a**holes to stop screaming at the back of my head. And I have zero reservations about becoming as 'forceful' with my words and actions as I need to become in order to solve the problem.

What I DO hate, however, is being placed in a situation - at a frikin' COLOR GUARD competition, no less - wherein I have NO OTHER CHOICE but to stand up, turn around and tell ADULTS to show some common courtesy to the people sitting in their vicinity.

***Taking a deep breath... Counting backwards from 10...***

As I said in another post, no one is suggesting that we all sit silently in the UD Arena with our hands folded in our laps, as if we were attending Easter Sunday services during the Eisenhower administration.

This IS a spectator activity, and the performers of each and every one of those groups deserves the acknowledgement of an appreciative crowd.

But I really do wonder whether or not it's time for WGI to have the announcers at Finals remind fans to 'Show your support for your favorite groups, but please be courteous to the fans sitting around to you.' And maybe print something in the program somewhere - a 'Guidelines for Fans,' addendum, too.

Of course, there will ALWAYS be people who just don't care about anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, that's the world we live in. Whatcha gonna do...???

But maybe some kind of an official 'Spectator Guidelines' statement from WGI would help more fans to feel as if they have the right to tell loud-mouth jerks that they need to take it down a couple of decibel levels.

***Taking the deep breath again... Counting backwards from 100 this time...***

I feel much better now. :smile:

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