MikeRapp Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Agreed. If Devils win Saturday, I certainly won't claim the system is rigged. But I think there are three corps with a legitimate shot. (Heck, maybe more than three. It is not unheard of for a corps to close a gap of more than three points in the final week.) It seems pretty clear to me that DCI had two directives prior to the start of the season: keep scores lower overall (provides more room to reward performances at the end) and keep it close. Let's face it, it really doesn't matter who "wins" any specific night, but if someone is running away with the scores it makes everyone feel anti climactic. There really are several great, and very different, shows this year, but I don't think the scores should consistently be as close as they are. No doubt we will never know the truth, because the judges won't talk. While I don't think the race is "fixed," I do now wonder if the above scenario is real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) Its not speculation. The judges WERE instructed prior to last season by DCI to keep the scores close through much of the season within the various pecking orders. Thats just a fact. Edited August 9, 2016 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Yep. It's my opinion backed up by the sheets. Examine the top three shows. Crown's show hinges on their ability to tell a story, and they are still having difficulty doing so. Like I posted, their brass section is phenomenal, but that is just one of many components that come into play. Bloo is a GE monster, but there is no through line to their show other than various members running up and sliding down the ramps in an attempt to validate their title of "Down Side Up" (their "architectural" approach does not help explain their original approach). BD has, musically and visually, the superior show, which is nothing new. The backlash against them winking three in a row is what is their biggest challenge at this point in time. They march better, they play better, their drum line is vastly underrated, and the general consensus in the drum corps world is that folks don't want them to three peat. Do other corps in the top three have fantastic shows? Absolutely. Are they out designing and out performing the Blue Devils? According to what appears on the sheets, no. If the Devs do their job and are accordingly judged, they win three in a row next week. And we wonder why so many people leave finals before the encore when Blue Devils win....it's not because they hate them it's to avoid sitting next to you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 OK... I'm just going to interrupt all the "BD is great" in-fighting for one moment to say: GO CADETS!!!! Way to keep pushing!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the lone ranger Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 I have taken the time. Watched them live every chance I had, and watched them via the Internet after that. I watch and look to understand ALL the shows. The Stagecoach component is, at best, a bit component to the story. They chose to not make it a moment that tells the story. Jsd. You have really done a number in yourself in this thread. You are certainly in the minority with your complaints.... About everything. it took me 30 min just to catch up. You seem to be pretty lost on crowns story. Which is a shocker. As its one of the clearest story's on the field this summer. I mean as I look at the top twelve. I barely understand what anyone is doing aside from the academy crown and Bloo. Perhaps in your infinitite blue devil wisdom you could enlighten literally every non blue devil homer on this site. What the heck blue devils are attempting to portray this summer?The tempest? Mermaids? Ariel? Wtf dude. How's that going?Of all the things to complain about when you put your home team on a pedestal.... Story telling shouldn't be part of your equation. As many people have said in this thread if you can't get crowns show you just aren't watching. If you can't get blue devils show. You are normal. Because I've yet to even hear an explanation of how it makes any sense what so ever. Only that if they don't win its because of emotion. Well guess what ...emotion is on the sheets. And when you connect with the audience in a way that creates emotion or nostalgia it's worth points. The blue devils wouldn't know about that, cuz they just March spin and play better than everyone else every year ....just ask a blue devil. It's clear you drink the blue kool aid. As you yourself said ...you just want a 3 peat and you trust Scott, Jay and company etc... That's true colors right there. You bleed blue we get it. How bout lead with that instead of throwing other corps under the bus. I love Bloo show this year. As well as crowns. Imp jsd,,The devils show is really hard to participate in this summer. Just like most years. The crowd not clapping and being bored to tears is proof enough of that. So No they don't deserve a 3 peat when 2 other corps are better. And really if you take anything from this jsd. I would love to see your thought process on why blue devils are so good and what it is that they are conveying (trying to convey) this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRapp Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) I already said that. As a designer, I blew it more than once. I posted that. I made mistakes from a design standpoint. That said, I can call out the design team of Crown. Sometimes, what you want to portray is lost in translation. I had it happen to me, multiple times. That is the case for their show this year. I'm sorry, were you a designer? Because I may have missed it the last five times you told us. People don't cheer against BD because they hate BD. They cheer against BD because of people like you. Edited August 9, 2016 by MikeRapp 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) The Other Awards of the Night: The bad news is these awards were voted on by a committee of one. The good news is the results were unanimous. Gutting it out Award: Phantom wins this hands down. The corps came out for the standstill with about a third of their members missing. It looked like the entire drumline was there, half the tubas were missing. The crowd was told it was a 24 hour virus. The performance was strong by the members who were there. They certainly added to The Committee's enjoyment of the evening. Best Uniform: Vanguard, Scouts, Bluecoats Best Guard Apparel: Crown, Vanguard. The new Vanguard apparel were very effective and dramatically helped to advance the story line. Crown gets major credit for dressing the guard up with sexy uniforms but in a classy way with the skirts, and dressing the girls as girls and boys as boys. Vanguard loses big time points for dressing their boys up like girls, but that doesn't change the fact that the feminine apparel was very effective visually. Best Snare Line: (since this is what 95% of us remember and can hear) Cadets, Crown, Vanguard, Bluecoats, Blue Knights. BK line could play! Most Musical Horn Line: Crown. Pitch, balance, blend and emotion, Crown had it all. Cadets #2. The Bluecoats were very effective in their use of screaming soloists which greatly aided in the conveying the excitement of their visual package. Best Mello Section: Vanguard, Crown, Bluecoats. This may be why Vanguard is not winning music, because the mellos are just ripping on their parts with power and beauty. I don't know how that figures into the Music adjudication, but I can assure you the crowd loved them. Loudest Horn Line: Crown, Cadets, Bluecoats, Blue Knights. Crown's ensemble playing is simply the best. Electronics Mixing: This may sound like a strange category, but you really can hear a difference in the corps who do it right and the ones who have thunderous goo! Bluecoats #1, Crown #2. 'Coats have a five speaker set in a semi-circle from L-R 20-20. This helps the audience focus aurally on what the Bluecoats want them to focus on visually. What makes them different is the tend to have the soloists position anchored to the sound of the nearest speaker, instead of routing the sound to the front sideline speakers like most of the rest do. It's very effective and opens up a palette of sound rather have the front sidelines work like your computer speakers at home. Are there any Special Awards that I, uh I meant the Committee, missed? Edited August 9, 2016 by wvu80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Guns Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 BD always... But, not so much for Bloo and Crown. You are far more generous than I. I am actually a bit tired of hearing about the revisionist design of Bloo. They said, point blank, that they went with the visual first and made everything else fit in a way that they could "sell" the show. My former student (and captain) is the designer of the colorguard (and they are ######), but I would love to have a conversation with him about the "theme" of the show. I assume that there wasn't one, but they made it fit and sold it in critique. Crown? Great brass line, great performers, great idea...to begin with. At this point, the storyline is a muddled mess, and not even the DCP fanatics (who are all awesome, by the way) who are fans of Crown can figure out the storyline. I have confidence that BD will end their inability to finish off their three peat. "Clarabel" may very well be coming... And, sorry... I am a total homer, and that guides my viewpoint. I make no bones about that. As a BD honk i really wish you wouldn't have said that. I love BD as much as you do. But Crown and Bloo are amazing. And if they beat BD, then they deserve and earned it. Lets keep it classy please. Lets not stoop to the level that we will see from BD haters Saturday night if BD win's. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamahoNow Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 The Other Awards of the Night: The bad news is these awards were voted on by a committee of one. The good news is the results were unanimous. Gutting it out Award: Phantom wins this hands down. The corps came out for the standstill with about a third of their members missing. It looked like the entire drumline was there, half the tubas were missing. The crowd was told it was a 24 hour virus. The performance was strong by the members who were there. They certainly added to my enjoyment of the evening. Best Uniform: Vanguard, Scouts, Bluecoats Best Guard Costume: Crown, Vanguard. The new Vanguard costumes were very effective and dramatically helped to advance the story line. Best Snare Line: (since this is what 95% of us remember and can hear) Cadets, Vanguard, Bluecoats, Blue Knights. BK line could play! Most Musical Horn Line: Crown. Pitch, balance, blend and emotion, Crown had it all. Cadets #2. The Bluecoats were very effective in their use of screaming soloists which greatly aided in the conveying the excitement of their visual package. Best Mello Section: Vanguard, Crown, Bluecoats. This may be why Vanguard is not winning music, because the mellos are just ripping on their parts with power and beauty. I don't know how that figures into the Music adjudication, but I can assure you the crowd loved them. Loudest Horn Line: Crown, Cadets, Bluecoats, Blue Knights. Crown's ensemble playing is simply the best. Electronics Mixing: This may sound like a strange category, but you really can hear a difference in the corps who do it right and the ones who have thunderous goo! Bluecoats #1 there is no #2. 'Coats have a five speaker set in a semi-circle from L-R 20-20. What makes them different is the tend to have the soloists position anchored to the sound of the nearest speaker, instead of routing the sound to the front sideline speakers like most of the rest do. It's very effective and opens up a palette of sound rather have the front sidelines work like your computer speakers at home. Are there any Special Awards that I, uh I meant the Committee, missed? Best Use of Props: Who else? Bluecoats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Guns Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 How is that not arrogant? So just because you said it's gonna happen, that means it should happen, right? Not because the Bluecoats have been straight up beating BD all year? I agree with you, BUT.........Coats need to beat BD on the biggest stage. What has happened during the regular season now means nothing. And as a BD fan i would like to point to exhibit A........2008. Exhibit B.......2006 when BD was beating PR all year. Exhibit C........1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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