2017 Coming Down the Home Stretch...let the speculation fly

[Bachstrad]

You actually need to be moving to be considered 'heading down the stretch.' Difficult to compare apples to apples, when park 'n bark has become the Nouveau riche...  congratulations to all the corps, it's been a fun summer to watch drum corps.

[MikeBD]

On 8/4/2017 at 7:04 AM, cixelsyd said:

In the context of title contenders, yes they are.  The simplified "Legend" drum cadence is still tick infested.  Every file in the drill rotation breaks every time I see it.  Bumblebee licks are a bit muddy in spots where timing is not locked in.  Soloists are out of tune, especially the two amped mellophones in the final push.  These are glaring problems, uncharacteristic for the Blue Devils at any time of year, and unprecedented in August (unless you go back to 1973).

If they fail to address such obvious performance issues, judges will have to call them out in the end.

I really hate saying this but you have no clue as to what you are talking about.

The obvious BD hate is strong in this one.

Edited August 7, 2017 by MikeBD

[MikeBD]

On 8/4/2017 at 7:34 AM, bicsta said:

I was at nightBEAT.

BD was loud.  The crystal (?) hit was stunning. The opening drill was neat.

But BD simply did not have the visual book to compete. It was very obvious from the stands.

Vanguard was better.  Crown was better.  One could even argue Boston was better.  Bloo was a little flat that night.

Do you actually believe this? 

As I stated before do you want to wager?  Didn't you write somewhere recently that BD won't even medal?  It must really suck to be so bitter toward the devils.  I want you to name me one corp that does more dance moves or just body moves in general compared to the devils and the devils do them in unison.

I guess the devil hate is strong this week.

Edited August 7, 2017 by MikeBD

[jsd]

23 minutes ago, MikeBD said:

I really hate saying this but you have no clue as to what you are talking about.

The obvious BD hate is strong in this one.

Much props.

To the previous post:

First, "Legend" hasn't been firehosed. 

Second, have you actually watched the show?

Third, do you understand the history of BD and how all of it is incorporated into the show?

if the answer is "no"to any of those questions, please stop posting. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by jsd

[dcsnare93]

On 8/3/2017 at 6:01 PM, N.E. Brigand said:

I think the challenge BD faces from an audience perspective is that some portion of the viewing public just doesn't find those motions particularly interesting. To those fans, BD may as well be doing calculus while they perform: sure, it requires talent, but what does it really add to the show?

I don't think it's a challenge they need to worry about. That shipped has sailed, and I doubt any changes are going to bring those people on board. Out of the seven shows I've attended live this season so far, I've walked away feeling that portion of the audience is smaller than it appears here in the DCP echo chamber anyway. Can't please everybody all the time.

[dcsnare93]

I don't think we'll see any movement within the top 5, and maybe 1 corps (well I guess that would technically be 2 corps) will swap placements below that.

Edited August 7, 2017 by dcsnare93

[HbRJgdZHsbc]

Prepare yourself for the most predictable show on turf.  The judges know exactly where to put everyone.  The placements aren't dictated from on high, but rather agreed upon communally. The judges all know each other well and talk at shows.  There are no surprises in a season that happens this fast and with this many performances.  The judging community has critiqued itself probably more than the instructors have.  I bet every judge knows what every other judge is about to say to each corps and what scores those words will yield.

Which FloMarching broadcast was it that had Steve and Dennis do the intro from the field?  Dennis said it's a story of tightly grouped "pairs" of corps - SCV & BD, Bluecoats & Crown, Madison & Mandarins.  He already gave us a glimpse into the nature of seeding in DCI.  And let's not forget that Dennis was a WGI judge for years, so it's not like he doesn't get how numbers work.

It's not a conspiracy, but it is a truth.  The more consistent placements are through a season the more likely they will remain unchanged.  That's how tendencies work - they TEND to stay the same.  As long as nobody sets the dome on fire or kicks Dan Acheson's kitten in the face the status quo will sustain itself.  

So now that the competition isn't a thing any more, let's all enjoy the shows for what they are and be impressed by the performers for who they've become.  

[MingoLeger]

On 8/3/2017 at 10:08 PM, furious-winter said:

I’m not nearly as knowledgeable or seasoned as the rest of you, but here’s my two cents…

1) Blue Devils - I don’t want them to win, but I think they will. Their closer is falling flat for me since they added the giant window, but they’ll certainly do something with it — and hopefully it won’t be underwhelming, but you never know.

2) Santa Clara Vanguard - I want them to win, but I don’t think they will… not unless they add something glorious come Indy (and given that it’s their 50th anniversary, it might be naive to think they won’t).

3) Bluecoats - I agree with a previous poster, if they don’t pass Crown it will be an upset. It’s an entertaining and challenging show, and if they don’t medal I suspect it will be due to a lack of polishing.

4) Carolina Crown - I’m all for taking risks and trying new things, but I just can’t wrap my head around why they’d want to make a vocalist the star of their show when, arguably, their brass is the star of DCI. I just can’t bring myself to like this show, but I’m really trying. If they beat Bloo… imma be sad.

5) The Cavaliers - Unlike many (most?) of the rest of you, I absolutely love the Mars: Bringer of War/My Way mash-up. Their guard is on point, and I appreciate the cheesiness in their show. Overall, I think it sends a really dark (and at the end, somewhat cacophonous) message about mankind and I’m here for it.

I agree 150% with your assessment of the top 5.

[SNModdison]

7 hours ago, HbRJgdZHsbc said:

Prepare yourself for the most predictable show on turf.  The judges know exactly where to put everyone.  The placements aren't dictated from on high, but rather agreed upon communally. The judges all know each other well and talk at shows.  There are no surprises in a season that happens this fast and with this many performances.  The judging community has critiqued itself probably more than the instructors have.  I bet every judge knows what every other judge is about to say to each corps and what scores those words will yield.

Which FloMarching broadcast was it that had Steve and Dennis do the intro from the field?  Dennis said it's a story of tightly grouped "pairs" of corps - SCV & BD, Bluecoats & Crown, Madison & Mandarins.  He already gave us a glimpse into the nature of seeding in DCI.  And let's not forget that Dennis was a WGI judge for years, so it's not like he doesn't get how numbers work.

It's not a conspiracy, but it is a truth.  The more consistent placements are through a season the more likely they will remain unchanged.  That's how tendencies work - they TEND to stay the same.  As long as nobody sets the dome on fire or kicks Dan Acheson's kitten in the face the status quo will sustain itself.  

So now that the competition isn't a thing any more, let's all enjoy the shows for what they are and be impressed by the performers for who they've become.  

The judges do not agree communally what the scores will be, nor do they know what scores each judge will give each corps. 

[HbRJgdZHsbc]

25 minutes ago, SNModdison said:

The judges do not agree communally what the scores will be, nor do they know what scores each judge will give each corps. 

Go on . . .