Tim K Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I will not be seeing Mandarins live until this evening, but I found Madison to be much stronger than I expected last evening, so my objective pick is Madison. It's also my heart pick because I do not want to see Madison out of finals two years in a row. That being said, I do love an underdog and Mandarins being rewarded for hard work and steady improvement is a drum corps scenario I love. I also found Academy's show to be hysterical and thought they should have been closer to Madison. Since the three way tie for 12th is not an option, I'll predict Madison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoakes Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Tim K said: I will not be seeing Mandarins live until this evening, but I found Madison to be much stronger than I expected last evening, so my objective pick is Madison. It's also my heart pick because I do not want to see Madison out of finals two years in a row. That being said, I do love an underdog and Mandarins being rewarded for hard work and steady improvement is a drum corps scenario I love. I also found Academy's show to be hysterical and thought they should have been closer to Madison. Since the three way tie for 12th is not an option, I'll predict Madison. Nice comments. I'm a big Madison fan, so my heart is there, too. But I also think they execute a difficult show well. And I think they will continue to surprise people during finals week and improve the crowd response. Maybe a small factor is that online comments have often been bad enough that first-time viewers are expecting a bad show. That sai, and also like you, Mandarins have a fun show and their gaining a slot for Saturday night would be a terrific story for the 2017 tour. I just don't want them in at Madison's expense. I like Crossmen a lot less than either Scouts or Mandarins; but Crossmen are maintaining a sizable gap from both. Sadly, The Academy doesn't do much for me this year. I have seen them get much better, however, and wish them well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armyscout Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I think the Madison show is technically better than its getting scored, its getting held back a bit because its so different from their norm. They are in a weird position as not necessarily a fan favorite this year and that sentiment has kinda shifted to mandarins and to a certain degree academy. However, madison has a smart last leg show schedule with a optimal slot for a allentown and good show spacing for cleaning time beforehand then a sprint to build up whatever they get tmrw. I believe this will help them secure finals momentum over mandarins. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prsmpower4 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Last year should have been a tie...Scouts and BAC. They both had shows deserving of the 12 placement. Mandarins and Scouts may be in same boat this year. Scouts, to me, have the edge. Better horns and perc. Show is more taxing...so they should get in. They need to hold that last note a bunch longer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman1084 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I want the Mandarins in finals because not only do I love the "new blood" concept, but I do truly love their show this year. My gut tells me it won't happen though as they've been a bit stagnant. I want Madison in finals because their show was so unexpected and frankly very exciting for me as a viewer. I mentioned in another thread that I loved their show this year because it was a complete departure from their "identity." Some people gave me crap for it assuming I was knocking their identity ... oh well. My comment was more meant to say that I love the unexpected and that sticking too true to an identity can become predictable and less exciting for me as a fan. Madison came out of left field for me this year and I ####### love them for it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoSurfBass Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 As much as I love Mandarins' show and am always excited for new blood in Finals... it's gonna (and gotta) be Madison. Now that the shock has worn off, that show has gotten so much cleaner and gained so much more momentum that they will leave a younger corps with less experience in the higher tiers behind. Academy never stood a chance this year when they decided to dial back the cartoon-y stuff on a literal cartoon show. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoakes Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 45 minutes ago, Musicman1084 said: My comment was more meant to say that I love the unexpected and that sticking too true to an identity can become predictable and less exciting for me as a fan. Madison came out of left field for me this year and I ####### love them for it. Me, too. I liked the traditional Madison identify (and am not sure I want to agree that it's gone in 2017). But I also am a big supporter of what they are doing this year. More than that, I think it is a really bold move from the corps leadership - and they are pulling it off. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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