Crown is... just okay.

[Lincoln]

I hate catwalk cam it makes me see sets that look clean really skewed and dirty (bluecoats arc when they take helmets off)

I know what you are saying.

It's just not catwalk cam, it's also those videos posted on youtube where one of the members is wearing a camera. Hornlines that sound absolutely wonderful from the stands suddenly have "issues" when you get in the middle of the performers.

This is why I think there is such a disconnect between what the judges hear and what the fans hear.

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Seems like some BD honks just can't stand the idea that Crown might actually be good enough to win. To be fair there are also a few BD honks giving Crown credit -- but there aren't many of them.

HONK ALERT!

Seriously, I have seen a LOT of BD fans giving credit to Crown this year. A LOT.

I think that Crown still has a lot of visual issues. When you have so much body movement, it is SUPER hard, if not impossible, to clean. The fact that they are in cream unis provides no where to hide. Also, so much of their drill just misses. I still think that, if they clean the drill more and turn in a great percussion show, they could win it all. But it would be an epic effort, and I really wouldn't care, as I will love this show for a while!

[MotorCityMusician]

There should totally be catwalk cams available for every corps. On the Blu-ray if not on Fan Network.

EDIT: as mentioned it does strikingly reveal the dirt. I'm sure some corps staff might prefer it *not* be included on the Blu-ray.

If it is on the DVD everyone will come on here no matter who wins and say how dirty the first place corps is and how so and so was better and deserved to win, right?

[OrlandoContraAlum]

To be fair, you might like it better if you the show live. I saw CC the first show of the year in Akron, and they have HUGE power, something that's it's hard to perceive via FN. They also spread the show from sideline to sideline, front to back and turn the entire field into a giant speaker with their big sound, and it's together, Fanfare for the Common Man. That's really hard to do, and hard to appreciate seen only on the FN.

That's not a criticism of you, just an observation from my own experience watching shows on the little screen, they usually don't grab me. And if they do, they are usually a monster seen live on the field. I'm going to see Blue Devils live the first time this season on Monday.

I'll let you know if they're any good.

Yep, this. I have a feeling that BD is similar. So much so that I just dropped good coin to go to the TOC show in Jersey night after Allentown, because I want to be able to see BD, SCV and Phantom live (I have seen Crown and Cadets). BD and SCV I already love and HAVE to see live, and I want to love Phantom as much as others are, so I am hoping that the live performance gets me!

[Lincoln]

Seriously, I have seen a LOT of BD fans giving credit to Crown this year. A LOT.

I'll add that this year there are a lot of people who like BD as opposed to some other years.

There are a couple of BD alums here that are very objective and whose opinion I'll pay more attention to - GMichael1230 is one of them.

[general_tsos_chicken2]

I like their show a lot, but honestly feel they are being tremendously over scored. Their drum score last night seems to be close to accurate but theyve been close to winning drums at certain shows... Which was mind boggling to me.

Also visually I'm not sure how they are popping the numbers they are since they have noticeably more dirt than the other G8 corps to the naked eye, granted what they are doing is much more difficult, cleanliness should count somewhere shouldn't it? The drill isn't incredibly effective overall either ( except rotating cube, LOVE that), staging is okay.

Even so, I don't care what they place, I like the show a lot. I just think in a judging standpoint they should be hanging with PR and cadets. On the opposite spectrum, do not care for BD one bit this year, but feel they should be in their own league score wise this year... Ugh... They are the only corps without a weak link.

Now I expect to be red minused to death since that's what happens when you don't say something 100% all rainbow and bubbly about crown, but I'll live with it :)

Edited July 29, 2012 by general_tsos_chicken2

[OrlandoContraAlum]

I'll add that this year there are a lot of people who like BD as opposed to some other years.

There are a couple of BD alums here that are very objective and whose opinion I'll pay more attention to - GMichael1230 is one of them.

Agreed.

[corpsband]

If it is on the DVD everyone will come on here no matter who wins and say how dirty the first place corps is and how so and so was better and deserved to win, right?

No -- you get judged from the box not from the catwalk. But I enjoy seeing the dots -- it's very interesting (educational even) to see the contrast between what you remember seeing from the front view and what actually happened on the field.

As for second guessing judges, it's been going on forever and will continue regardless of whether we can watch the catwalk view on the Fan Network.

[DCfan76]

There seems to be a lovefest going on for Carolina Crown's show. While their show is good--it just doesn't grab me.

I saw it for the 2nd time tonight on FN and just thought that their show sounded like a Mighty Ducks movie. While that's not necessarily a bad thing (Mighty Ducks DO win in the end every time) but I just cannot get into their music.

And it also seems like they are running for absolutely no reason--they're good, don't get me wrong--but I just cannot connect their music with their show.

Boy, I'm glad you posted this because I agree! I've been saying this for weeks. My wife and her friends love Crown, but their show just doesn't connect with me at all - and I also feel that they do a lot of running around for no reason. (Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.)

I have to admit that what they do, they do very well - but I am just not engaged at all with their show.

It's so good to know that there are other thoughtful, highly intelligent people that think the way I do!

[GREENBLUE]

I must admit i'm pretty impressed with the reactions that the OP has gotten. When I first started reading the post I thought for sure there would be a -23 at the bottom. lol.

Here's my read on the show:

While I enjoy the show, I don't love it. It appears as if they're trying too hard. It's a visual design that just isnt quite their style. I've read where people compare them to earlier Cadets and I agree, but with one big difference. If you watch the Cadets, their drill design moves with a purpose, it flows. When I watch Crown this year, while I think the drill design is very demanding, I really dont't get the flow. It feels as if its marching just to march. There are no real transitions between sets and not much design when the set hits. Personally, I'd prefer them to go back to the 2007-2011 style shows and up the difficulty on the design. I found them more entertaining.

I commend the members on marching this drill, but watching last night, it just isnt clean.

Lines aren't there, spacing issues, body placement, forms are not hitting. I think the judges are being very generous in the GE Vis and Vis categories.

Once again, kudos to their Brass, unbelievable (1st, maybe 2nd if BD is on fire). Drumline, definitly think 6th/7th is about the right placement (BD, Cadets, Cavies, SCV, Bloo infront of them, phantom/crown interchangeable). Guard, I'm sorry, but visually they get lost, I do see some great tosses occasionally, and the cubes. But, as mentioned a million times before, where's the color? Again, where's that flambouyant guard we've come to enjoy in the past?

Crown doesn't feel like Crown to me this year. Maybe thats good for them, they are in contention for a medal. I just wish they could've done it while staying true to their identity. I don't feel like I'm watching the same corps.