Have we seen the last of high-speed "kaleidoscopic" drill in D

[Fish]

That's pretty much exactly what I thought you'd say. It's exactly the response I'd anticipated from someone who talks out of his fourth point of contact.

Do you you really think anyone would take the challenge you posted seriously? Are we living in the age of duels?

[xandandl]

On more than one public occasion, George Zingali admitted getting his inspiration for his drill from gazing upon the clouds of the skies and the birds that flew them.

http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/starlings-dance-over-winter-skies/9/

[Kamarag]

Do you you really think anyone would take the challenge you posted seriously? Are we living in the age of duels?

I made a similar challenge several years ago. Said user (I don't think he posts much anymore) took the challenge, showed up at a rehearsal when we were on the road, and proceeded to learn a lot. He took a few of us out for beers after the rehearsal.

So, to answer your question, sure...why not?

[BRASSO]

For perspective, lots of fans have gone to practices over the years. Judges... for obvious reasons.... do not generally attend Corps practices. As a result, some current DCI judges have not only never marched a caption they judge, they have never been to the practices of modern day DCI Corps to witness what goes into the moves that they then judge in competition.

Edited February 16, 2016 by BRASSO

[Fish]

I made a similar challenge several years ago. Said user (I don't think he posts much anymore) took the challenge, showed up at a rehearsal when we were on the road, and proceeded to learn a lot. He took a few of us out for beers after the rehearsal.

So, to answer your question, sure...why not?

Because.....the Internet.

It's not as important as some want it to be.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Fish

[N.E. Brigand]

That said, in my view, most coaches, refs, in sports have indeed done most things that current athletes do. Perhaps not as well, and there are a couple of things current athletes do, that in their youth, they did not do in that sport. However, the overwhelming things they teach or they judge, they indeed did do in that sport in their youth. When we contrast this with DCI, however, we have judges that never did ANY of the things in their youth that they judge today in DCI. For just one specific example (of many we could point out ), some guard judges in DCI have never tossed a single flag, nor carried a rifle, nor saber in guard, etc. Heck, they've never marched (or danced) in any competitive guard in their entire life. This does not make them bad, just singularly unique as judges, imo. As a result, you'd be hard pressed to find refs or judges in any sport comprised of the teenage years up that never did ANY of the things in their youth in that sport that they are asked to referee or judge now in that sport.

Well, I was thinking of, for instance, when the "quad" was introduced into competitive figure skating, and I think there must be countless other examples like that in sports, but I'll grant you that some DCI judges are at the extreme end of the continuum.

[GUARDLING]

Well, I was thinking of, for instance, when the "quad" was introduced into competitive figure skating, and I think there must be countless other examples like that in sports, but I'll grant you that some DCI judges are at the extreme end of the continuum.

good example of not doing it yourself BUT knowing the difficulty of it. EDUCATION!

but one has to be willing.

Edited February 16, 2016 by GUARDLING

[cowtown]

The thing I've always disliked about Blue Devils' drill the past few years is that most of it is impossible to tell if it's even clean. When they're scattered about the field, even while not moving, there's just no way to tell - nothing for the judges to judge - so it's chalked up to being a clean set, I suppose?

When the ensemble is broken up, you watch individual technique

Last year was a good year to pick up on Blue Devils visual ensemble as it was a weaker corps, their rotating forms were horrible up through August and they had to water some of the drill around the k-pop, break up the symmetry because they couldn’t clean it.

Blue Devils have never achieved the Visual GE built into classic Cavies or Cadets drills (has any corps?) and with Cavies not being Cavies and Cadets lost in the wilderness on several recent year, feels like DCI gave up and now rewards a different sort of second tier Visual GE

[GUARDLING]

When the ensemble is broken up, you watch individual technique

Last year was a good year to pick up on Blue Devils visual ensemble as it was a weaker corps, their rotating forms were horrible up through August and they had to water some of the drill around the k-pop, break up the symmetry because they couldn’t clean it.

Blue Devils have never achieved the Visual GE built into classic Cavies or Cadets drills (has any corps?) and with Cavies not being Cavies and Cadets lost in the wilderness on several recent year, feels like DCI gave up and now rewards a different sort of second tier Visual GE

Why a 2nd tier visual? Because it isn't easy to read like a line or an arc or a block? All designers will hide weakness and show strengths, thats call smart writing which has always been done . To think that a non traditional approach to staging ( drill ) is the easy way out is so not true as well as shows that whoever thinks this clearly has never had to stage each person and make sure each and every time is the same.

It's quite easy to critique something one doesn't understand.

Not challenging you thought, likes or dislikes, just giving you mine and asking why 2nd tier?

Edited February 16, 2016 by GUARDLING

[GUARDLING]

The thing I've always disliked about Blue Devils' drill the past few years is that most of it is impossible to tell if it's even clean. When they're scattered about the field, even while not moving, there's just no way to tell - nothing for the judges to judge - so it's chalked up to being a clean set, I suppose?

I'm also one to believe that something isn't "effective" if it isn't entertaining. Sure, we all have our own opinions as to what is entertaining and what is not, but there's a reason why the majority of fans prefer other corps' shows to what the Blue Devils put on the field - and what makes it bad is that DCI is rewarding corps for doing shows that the majority of fans aren't entertained by. And it isn't just the Blue Devils, btw. Recipe for disaster, IMO.

Actually there's quite alot to judge. Just because lines and blocks are easy to judged doesnt mean the non traditional approach can't be judged. It surely is in many ways. Maybe more ways then lines and intervals.

I would also question those who in their statements claim majority, often it's far from the actual case.