Pre-2024 Top 12 Guesses

[DFA1970]

4 minutes ago, Tim K said:

I’m not sure they will make the Top 4 though I wouldn’t bet against it. I did not expect a 6th place finish this time last year, but I did expect higher placement. In 2021 it seemed as if Mandarins had a game plan for the future and were experimenting a bit for 2022. While placement did not improve in 2022 from 2019, we did see something new. 2023 built in the good work of 2022. I assumed 8th was where they would end up. 

I don't think anyone years ago thought BAC would be in the top 4/5 but they are. So yeah it's not out of their reach. What I'm saying is they STILL are not taking seriously.

[DAL-27]

43 minutes ago, Triple Forte said:

 

 

Cracking into the top five is really difficult as we all know . For the Mandarins to finish in the top four ; and using the results from this year, the mandarins would  have to stay ahead of cavaliers, and phantom  and  jump “two” of these corps; Cadets , Boston, Crown, Bluecoats  BD.

  My opinion ,  anything is possible but I will say historically it is incredibly  difficult and rare  for lightning to strike twice and the mandarins definitely struck like a bolt of lightning with their show choice and talent in 2023.  Maintaining their current position of sixth place  would be a huge victory for 2024 in my book. 

This & add they also need to stay in front of PR

[craiga]

You know, drum corps planet is such a hotbed of hypocrisy.   People on here whine ad nauseum about slotting, competive inertia,  etc on a regular basis. They seem to love to promote this false narrative.   BAC provides a couple great examples of this.  In the fall of 2016 when BAC announced their new staff, many of the dcp intelligencia stated UNEQUIVOCALLY  that the best Boston could hope for might be 9th or 10th.   They rose to 6th.  Then, in 2022 when I predicted them to come in second, those same knot heads called me crazy and said there was NO WAY POSSIBLE for them to get to second because they "hadn't paid their dues".  Really? A corps which has survived 83 years hadn't paid their dues?

As far as Mandarins are concerned,  I fully expect them to continue to be very strong and they will certainly be unaffected by the troubled SCV rejoining DCI. And, one more time...just for the record,  Mandarins did NOT benefit from SCV'S failures this year.  They are their own corps, and the kids who marched there had a blast. 

 

[Triple Forte]

1 hour ago, DAL-27 said:

This & add they also need to stay in front of PR

 Yep, I did include that in my message. I said they have to stay ahead of cavies  and phantom 😁

Edited September 13, 2023 by Triple Forte

[Grandpa Joe]

1 hour ago, craiga said:

You know, drum corps planet is such a hotbed of hypocrisy.   People on here whine ad nauseum about slotting, competive inertia,  etc on a regular basis. They seem to love to promote this false narrative.   BAC provides a couple great examples of this.  In the fall of 2016 when BAC announced their new staff, many of the dcp intelligencia stated UNEQUIVOCALLY  that the best Boston could hope for might be 9th or 10th.   They rose to 6th.  Then, in 2022 when I predicted them to come in second, those same knot heads called me crazy and said there was NO WAY POSSIBLE for them to get to second because they "hadn't paid their dues".  Really? A corps which has survived 83 years hadn't paid their dues?

As far as Mandarins are concerned,  I fully expect them to continue to be very strong and they will certainly be unaffected by the troubled SCV rejoining DCI. And, one more time...just for the record,  Mandarins did NOT benefit from SCV'S failures this year.  They are their own corps, and the kids who marched there had a blast. 

 

You also predicted that BAC would win this year. All good luck eventually runs out. Just because you were right before doesn't mean you'll be right again. BAC may eventually win, and when that day comes, I'm sure you'll be the first to say "I told you so", but how many times will you be wrong before you end up right? That to me is hypocrisy and ad nauseum in itself. Let the corps speak for themself.

[Vuitton]

23 hours ago, craiga said:

You said that Boston should "lose the Crown references".  To what are you referring?

I think there are similarities between these two corps based on shared staff. There were many moments in BAC 2023 that reminded me of past Crown shows in terms of musicality and structure.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Vuitton

[Vuitton]

1 hour ago, craiga said:

You know, drum corps planet is such a hotbed of hypocrisy.   People on here whine ad nauseum about slotting, competive inertia,  etc on a regular basis. They seem to love to promote this false narrative.   BAC provides a couple great examples of this.  In the fall of 2016 when BAC announced their new staff, many of the dcp intelligencia stated UNEQUIVOCALLY  that the best Boston could hope for might be 9th or 10th.   They rose to 6th.  Then, in 2022 when I predicted them to come in second, those same knot heads called me crazy and said there was NO WAY POSSIBLE for them to get to second because they "hadn't paid their dues".  Really? A corps which has survived 83 years hadn't paid their dues?

As far as Mandarins are concerned,  I fully expect them to continue to be very strong and they will certainly be unaffected by the troubled SCV rejoining DCI. And, one more time...just for the record,  Mandarins did NOT benefit from SCV'S failures this year.  They are their own corps, and the kids who marched there had a blast. 

 

You also predicted Boston would win this year and you also claimed they were three tenths down from BD based on different shows on different nights. And when you were told you were wrong you name-called and insulted people. Talk about promoting a false narrative. You were right in 2022 and you were wrong this year. Others were wrong in 2022 and right this year. It happens. None of us can be right all the time.

I too was stunned in 2017 when they rose to 6th place. Despite their staff acquisitions I thought they were going to place 8th to 10th heading into the 2017. It was such a wonderful and pleasant surprise. I love it when a corps jumps up in the rankings. However, that doesn't make you any more knowledgeable than anyone else.

I would be interested to see if anyone really did say they hadn't paid their dues. It is extremely difficult to crack the top 4 today, it's exceptionally more difficult to place 2nd. It's a herculean task to win. Saying in 2022 that Boston wasn't going to place 2nd isn't extreme. They tied for 2nd and therefore one mark change would have put them 3rd.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Vuitton

[keystone3ply]

I'mma head out. 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by keystone3ply
cx

[TOC]

1 hour ago, Vuitton said:

  None of us can be right all the time.  

My wife is.  Just ask her.

[Jeff Ream]

3 hours ago, craiga said:

You know, drum corps planet is such a hotbed of hypocrisy.   People on here whine ad nauseum about slotting, competive inertia,  etc on a regular basis. They seem to love to promote this false narrative.   BAC provides a couple great examples of this.  In the fall of 2016 when BAC announced their new staff, many of the dcp intelligencia stated UNEQUIVOCALLY  that the best Boston could hope for might be 9th or 10th.   They rose to 6th.  Then, in 2022 when I predicted them to come in second, those same knot heads called me crazy and said there was NO WAY POSSIBLE for them to get to second because they "hadn't paid their dues".  Really? A corps which has survived 83 years hadn't paid their dues?

As far as Mandarins are concerned,  I fully expect them to continue to be very strong and they will certainly be unaffected by the troubled SCV rejoining DCI. And, one more time...just for the record,  Mandarins did NOT benefit from SCV'S failures this year.  They are their own corps, and the kids who marched there had a blast. 

 

agree on all of this.

 

looks Bloo made it back into finals in 2000 after a year break....they finally medaled in 2010, won in 16.

Crown got back in finals in 03 after a year out...medaled in 09, won in 13. 

Boston almost missed in 16, jumped up in 17 and finally medaled in 2022.....win TBD. 

just getting to that top level is IMO just as difficult as cracking the winners circle. for years your top corps were BD, Cadets and Cavies, with a rotating cast usually consisting of Phantom, madison and SCV underneath. Boston broke top 5 in 2000, but never took that big jump, even after 02. over time perennial powers like Madison fell down the rankings, and even Cadets had stutters getting back into the top 6 after their issues a few years ago. the competition at the top is incredibly deep, especially with programs consistently keeping design teams in house that manager to keep their corps at the top.

 

25 years ago Boston still hadn't made finals yet despite being a founding member of DCI. Mandarins were D3.granted they dominated there, but it took many years in WC performing in daylight til they even made finals. let's be glad they have had the recent successes they have, and watch and wait because if they do leap up, it means someone else came down. and hopefully just cause Mandies were better and not because their organization is chaos.