2017 DCI Finals Scores (well, maybe)

[N.E. Brigand]

3 minutes ago, Chief Guns said:

If i got a nickel for every post or prediction that BD will be third or worst..........

It has to happen sometime, doesn't it? Although I agree it's hard to imagine after eleven years of BD in second or first.

Which will happen sooner? Blue Devils not placing in the top two of DCI, or Reading Buccaneers not placing in the top two of DCA?

(The latter hasn't happened since 2004.)

(Huh, I just realized both corps were founded in the same year.)

[Chief Guns]

1 hour ago, N.E. Brigand said:

It has to happen sometime, doesn't it? Although I agree it's hard to imagine after eleven years of BD in second or first.

Which will happen sooner? Blue Devils not placing in the top two of DCI, or Reading Buccaneers not placing in the top two of DCA?

(The latter hasn't happened since 2004.)

(Huh, I just realized both corps were founded in the same year.)

You are correct. It will happen. There will come a time where BD will take home a bronze or worst. Nothing is forever. But not this year guys :)

Edited July 6, 2017 by Chief Guns

[MotoSurfBass]

Good stuff! I think the 11th-12th corps are right, but the gap will be closer (Think mid-87s for Madison), flip Phantom and BK, flip Cadets and Cavaliers, flip BD and Bloo. 

Also, if you REALLY want hate mail, go make a list of the 25 corps you think will make Friday night. 

[Brass Lover]

1 hour ago, Chief Guns said:

You are correct. It will happen. There will come a time where BD will take home a bronze or worst. Nothing is forever. 

You know youre good when your ultimate fall as a corps is getting bronze lol

[BRASSO]

1 hour ago, Chief Guns said:

If i got a nickel for every post or prediction that BD will be third or worst..........

... Calif. would take every last nickel of it, So in retrospect, you haven't lost a dime, Chief Guns. ( ..haha)

[DrumManTx]

1 hour ago, MotoSurfBass said:

Also, if you REALLY want hate mail, go make a list of the 25 corps you think will make Friday night. 

You should see my prediction spreadsheet for all 40 corps.  

But really it's not too hard for me to pick 25 for semifinals.  There are 23 World Class corps, so at least 2 Open Class corps will make it in.   Let's go ahead and give those spots to BDB and Vanguard Cadets.  

Pioneer is scoring under/around a few Open Class corps besides the aforementioned two.  If you have them out, pick one more Open Class corps to take their place.  I'm gonna go with Legends, Spartans, Music City, or 7th Regiment if that's the case.  If you have them in, nevermind.  

I think Jersey Surf has a more World Class product than their last few, but if they miss again, pick one of the 4 you didn't pick above.  

I think Genesis and Seattle Cascades are easily safe and could even move up this year.   

Now predicting what order you have the 13th - 25th in........that's a not so easy at all discussion and good luck if you try!  

Edited July 6, 2017 by DrumManTx

[jwillis35]

6 hours ago, hostrauser said:

Well! I never!

I never... have gone this long without getting hate mail in my private messages and, honestly, I'm starting to feel a little neglected. A man has needs! And so, I present to you, with absolutely no apologies to Carnac the Magnificent, the 2017 DCI World Championships Finals scores, a full MONTH before they happen!!

For starters, no, The Mandarins will not make finals. That's still no blemish on their best season ever as they finish 13th, ahead of The Academy (14th), Colts (15th), Blue Devils B (16th), Spirit of Atlanta (17th), and Troopers (18th). But they get edged out for the final Saturday spot by...

In 12th place, with a score of 86.575... The Madison Scouts
Look, the Scouts easily could have made Finals last year until they let it slip away. This show is better, but I'm not sure it has the juice to crack the Top 10. Despite the wild uniforms, this show concept just doesn't feel that fresh or novel, you know?

In 11th place, with a score of 88.775... The Blue Stars
I like the IDEA behind this show (even if the Blue Devils did it 19 years ago *cough*) but from the videos I've seen it hasn't quite gelled yet. That said, the two corps above them are far from invulnerable and if LaCrosse can keep jacking that performance level up...

In 10th place, with a score of 89.325... The Blue Knights
What the what? I've really like BK's past three shows, but this one has me scratching my head a bit. Perhaps they will grow a lot over the course of the summer, but considering they've already been passed by Messy Regiment... I'm not sure that's a good harbinger.

In 9th place, with a score of 90.600... The Crossmen
Bones is really playing the heck out of this show, the pink and orange works far better than I thought it would... and yet, I just don't see them going higher than 8th in a best case scenario. I think there is a pretty low ceiling for this show compared to the corps around them.

In 8th place, with a score of 90.825... Phantom Regiment
Optimistic? Maybe. And yeah, I fully admit to being a Phantom homer. Unlike the past two years, this doesn't feel like Generic Drum Corps Show #14. There is a distinct Phantom identity to this show. I also like that the staff is writing stuff that, frankly, is beyond the corps' abilities at this moment. I would rather see Phantom go for the gusto and fall short than be content with an 8th, 9th, 10th place show design. That said, the difficulty is eating Phantom alive right now. I watched their Oceanside performance, and they were gawd-awful dirty. They have SO MUCH cleaning to do in the next month. But the vehicle is there. The ceiling is high.

In 7th place, with a score of 92.400... The Boston Crusaders
When I heard their performance in the park, I was AMPED. I was really hoping they would crash the Top 6. But man, no one ahead of them is letting up even a little! Of all the placements, this feels the most secure to me. Boston is noticeably better than every corps below them, but there's still a gap between them and the Top 6. Still, the new staff obviously has big goals for this corps.

In 6th place, with a score of 94.300... The Cadets
There's another really hot thread right now, "Can The Cadets Medal?" Yeah, I'm just not buying it. They are better than I think we all expected, but to me this is another low ceiling show. I just don't know how they keep pace with the corps above them as those corps continue to clean and improve.

In 5th place, with a score of 95.050... The Cavaliers
THIS SHOW IS... well, really cheesy, not to put too fine of a point on it. Oh come on, you know you're thinking it too. This is the drum corps equivalent of an eye-rolling Arnold Schwarzenegger one-liner in a special effects laden action spectacular. And I'm not thinking "I'll be back" from Terminator 2, more along the lines of shooting alligators and saying "You're luggage" in Eraser. Sure, they're performing great. But I mean seriously. Yes, you're an all-male corps, we GET IT already.

In 4th place, with a score of 96.050... Carolina Crown
Every year I think, "man, there's no way that a corps who plays THIS WELL can not medal." And yet, almost 50% of the time (four of the past nine seasons) Crown has finished just out of the medals. Crown is starting to remind me of early 2000s Blue Devils, though: they're SO CLEAN, SO EARLY... where do they go from here? Also, are they going to fix that show-flow disaster of a closer? New drum corps or old drum corps, bigger faster louder closer or slower and emotional closer, I'm still of the old-fashioned opinion that a show design should build up, build towards the finale. This show really feels like it kind of decays and falls backward into the last minute of the show.

Receiving the bronze medal, in 3rd place, with a score of 96.925... The Blue Devils
Concord has medalled in 22 of the past 23 years. They have been Top 4 in 41 of the past 42 years. I'd bet on the SUN NOT RISING before I'd bet on the Blue Devils falling out of the Top 5. They always finish at or near the top... even with a poorly designed, poorly performed show (cough). Look, by THEIR standards, okay? They have been Top 2 for an amazing ten years in a row, but I look back and I don't really see a show with the (small, but noticeable) question marks this one has. Also... is no one going to comment on how much park and bark they do this year? Oh sure, you can add all the hip shimmies or rocking on your feet like superhuman autistic drum corps savants you want, whatever the trend is this year, it's STILL park and bark.

Receiving the silver medal, in 2nd place, with a score of 97.350... The Santa Clara Vanguard
If anyone is going to catch the defending champs, I think it will be Gail Royer's legacy from the south bay. Brass, percussion, guard, visual... they have it all. The double-tonguing they do in the finale is unreal. The new uniforms (like 80-90% of the new uniforms, to be honest) might be non-traditional, but they work with the show. They have a lot of ensemble cleaning to do, and some fine tuning of the musical effect flow in the second half of the show, but they COULD win it all.

Receiving the Gold medal, your 2017 Drum Corps International World Champions, with a score of 97.925... The Bluecoats
My first viewing was their stadium run-through in Texas before the season, and all I could do was marvel at the amount of effect they were cranking out of a show that was still so, so dirty. I mean, the sky's the limit here. The show design is the best in DCI this summer, both musically and visually. Their staff is amazing. Doug Thrower might be the most underrated arranger in DCI HISTORY, much less working today. Successive viewings of regular season shows hasn't changed my initial opinion at all. This is still their championship to lose, no one else can catch them if they get this show to its full potential.
 

Good stuff. I don't buy all your write ups, but those should be your personal thoughts on things; but the top 12 you have here could very well happen.  I'd say flip Cavaliers and Cadets and that is likely what I would predict. Would love to see SCV in the 2 spot, or 1; but I am really hoping for a repeat with my hometown corps, the Bluecoats. 

[jwillis35]

Also, I'd be interested to see where you have corps placements for the 13 - 25 positions. The race at the top is good, but I think the competition from 7 - 12, 13 - 20, and on is really good. There are some good corps fighting to get into the top 12. I really want to see quarters and semis this year. 

[George Dixon]

50 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:

Good stuff. I don't buy all your write ups, but those should be your personal thoughts on things; but the top 12 you have here could very well happen.  I'd say flip Cavaliers and Cadets and that is likely what I would predict. Would love to see SCV in the 2 spot, or 1; but I am really hoping for a repeat with my hometown corps, the Bluecoats. 

I agree on the flip Cavaliers and Cadets (and maybe Crown) - but also Crossmen is the corps I feel will "over perform" these predictions. Either 8th or 7th IMO - Crossmen 2017 is the real deal :)

[jjeffeory]

8 hours ago, hostrauser said:

Well! I never!

I never... have gone this long without getting hate mail in my private messages and, honestly, I'm starting to feel a little neglected. A man has needs! And so, I present to you, with absolutely no apologies to Carnac the Magnificent, the 2017 DCI World Championships Finals scores, a full MONTH before they happen!!

For starters, no, The Mandarins will not make finals. That's still no blemish on their best season ever as they finish 13th, ahead of The Academy (14th), Colts (15th), Blue Devils B (16th), Spirit of Atlanta (17th), and Troopers (18th). But they get edged out for the final Saturday spot by...

In 12th place, with a score of 86.575... The Madison Scouts
Look, the Scouts easily could have made Finals last year until they let it slip away. This show is better, but I'm not sure it has the juice to crack the Top 10. Despite the wild uniforms, this show concept just doesn't feel that fresh or novel, you know?

In 11th place, with a score of 88.775... The Blue Stars
I like the IDEA behind this show (even if the Blue Devils did it 19 years ago *cough*) but from the videos I've seen it hasn't quite gelled yet. That said, the two corps above them are far from invulnerable and if LaCrosse can keep jacking that performance level up...

In 10th place, with a score of 89.325... The Blue Knights
What the what? I've really like BK's past three shows, but this one has me scratching my head a bit. Perhaps they will grow a lot over the course of the summer, but considering they've already been passed by Messy Regiment... I'm not sure that's a good harbinger.

In 9th place, with a score of 90.600... The Crossmen
Bones is really playing the heck out of this show, the pink and orange works far better than I thought it would... and yet, I just don't see them going higher than 8th in a best case scenario. I think there is a pretty low ceiling for this show compared to the corps around them.

In 8th place, with a score of 90.825... Phantom Regiment
Optimistic? Maybe. And yeah, I fully admit to being a Phantom homer. Unlike the past two years, this doesn't feel like Generic Drum Corps Show #14. There is a distinct Phantom identity to this show. I also like that the staff is writing stuff that, frankly, is beyond the corps' abilities at this moment. I would rather see Phantom go for the gusto and fall short than be content with an 8th, 9th, 10th place show design. That said, the difficulty is eating Phantom alive right now. I watched their Oceanside performance, and they were gawd-awful dirty. They have SO MUCH cleaning to do in the next month. But the vehicle is there. The ceiling is high.

In 7th place, with a score of 92.400... The Boston Crusaders
When I heard their performance in the park, I was AMPED. I was really hoping they would crash the Top 6. But man, no one ahead of them is letting up even a little! Of all the placements, this feels the most secure to me. Boston is noticeably better than every corps below them, but there's still a gap between them and the Top 6. Still, the new staff obviously has big goals for this corps.

In 6th place, with a score of 94.300... The Cadets
There's another really hot thread right now, "Can The Cadets Medal?" Yeah, I'm just not buying it. They are better than I think we all expected, but to me this is another low ceiling show. I just don't know how they keep pace with the corps above them as those corps continue to clean and improve.

In 5th place, with a score of 95.050... The Cavaliers
THIS SHOW IS... well, really cheesy, not to put too fine of a point on it. Oh come on, you know you're thinking it too. This is the drum corps equivalent of an eye-rolling Arnold Schwarzenegger one-liner in a special effects laden action spectacular. And I'm not thinking "I'll be back" from Terminator 2, more along the lines of shooting alligators and saying "You're luggage" in Eraser. Sure, they're performing great. But I mean seriously. Yes, you're an all-male corps, we GET IT already.

In 4th place, with a score of 96.050... Carolina Crown
Every year I think, "man, there's no way that a corps who plays THIS WELL can not medal." And yet, almost 50% of the time (four of the past nine seasons) Crown has finished just out of the medals. Crown is starting to remind me of early 2000s Blue Devils, though: they're SO CLEAN, SO EARLY... where do they go from here? Also, are they going to fix that show-flow disaster of a closer? New drum corps or old drum corps, bigger faster louder closer or slower and emotional closer, I'm still of the old-fashioned opinion that a show design should build up, build towards the finale. This show really feels like it kind of decays and falls backward into the last minute of the show.

Receiving the bronze medal, in 3rd place, with a score of 96.925... The Blue Devils
Concord has medalled in 22 of the past 23 years. They have been Top 4 in 41 of the past 42 years. I'd bet on the SUN NOT RISING before I'd bet on the Blue Devils falling out of the Top 5. They always finish at or near the top... even with a poorly designed, poorly performed show (cough). Look, by THEIR standards, okay? They have been Top 2 for an amazing ten years in a row, but I look back and I don't really see a show with the (small, but noticeable) question marks this one has. Also... is no one going to comment on how much park and bark they do this year? Oh sure, you can add all the hip shimmies or rocking on your feet like superhuman autistic drum corps savants you want, whatever the trend is this year, it's STILL park and bark.

Receiving the silver medal, in 2nd place, with a score of 97.350... The Santa Clara Vanguard
If anyone is going to catch the defending champs, I think it will be Gail Royer's legacy from the south bay. Brass, percussion, guard, visual... they have it all. The double-tonguing they do in the finale is unreal. The new uniforms (like 80-90% of the new uniforms, to be honest) might be non-traditional, but they work with the show. They have a lot of ensemble cleaning to do, and some fine tuning of the musical effect flow in the second half of the show, but they COULD win it all.

Receiving the Gold medal, your 2017 Drum Corps International World Champions, with a score of 97.925... The Bluecoats
My first viewing was their stadium run-through in Texas before the season, and all I could do was marvel at the amount of effect they were cranking out of a show that was still so, so dirty. I mean, the sky's the limit here. The show design is the best in DCI this summer, both musically and visually. Their staff is amazing. Doug Thrower might be the most underrated arranger in DCI HISTORY, much less working today. Successive viewings of regular season shows hasn't changed my initial opinion at all. This is still their championship to lose, no one else can catch them if they get this show to its full potential.
 

Yea, this is what I'm thinking could very well happen.

I'm not sure about where Phantom will land though.