Pre-2024 Top 12 Guesses

[CAtenhut]

41 minutes ago, TexasPRfan said:

Can we please stick to the prediction topic, and any personal bickering move to direct messaging between the parties.  It's beyond old...

Well, I think the rudeness has been banned, so we can get back on topic. 

1. BD 4peat (sorry, haters)

2. Bloo

3. Crown

4. Cadets

5. Mandarins

6. Boston

7. Phantom

8. Cavies

9. Troopers

10. SCV

11. Blue Stars

12. Colts

[Boss Anova]

Way , way , too early with staff changes still taking place and a few others still to come , but what the heck …..

1) BAC

2) BD

3) Bloo

4) Cadets

5) Crown

6) Phantom

 7)Mandarins

 8)Cavies

 9)Blue Stars

10)Troopers

11) Blue Knights 

12) Pacific Crest

[Vuitton]

15 hours ago, Grandpa Joe said:

Wait a minute, are we agreeing? This doesn't feel right...lol.

Yes, we are. We'd probably be friends if we met on the street. We all share a common passion and have to remember that. 🙂

[Vuitton]

20 hours ago, TOC said:

My wife is.  Just ask her.

You are a good husband!

[Vuitton]

21 hours ago, craiga said:

Clearly, many people here missed my point.  It wasn't that I was right or wrong about any predictions I had made.  Rather, my point WAS in fact in response to some know-it-all folks here on dcp who just LOVE to put other corps' chances down, typically without any inside knowledge of the workings of their organizations. 

Whether it be Boston, Mandarins,  Cadets or anyone else, more than a few posters here spend their springtimes/early seasons crapping on other corps' chances.  Every. Single. Year.  "CORPS X can't possibly win, etc".

For my part,  yes, I am an unapologetic supporter of the Boston Crusaders. But here's the difference....I NEVER said that there is no way that Bloo, Crown, or BD can win.  Why? Because I DO believe in letting the corps speak for themselves.

It's not about putting other corps chances down, it's about using experience and knowledge that we have built up for decades. It's about making our best guesses at what's going to happen, and I think that's the fun of DCP. Seeing different people's views on it. I've been right sometimes, and wrong sometimes.

I've been involved in this activity since 1984. Until 2017, I have seen a corps move significantly up the rankings from one season to the next once - 1987 Phantom Regiment. THAT was my basis for thinking Boston was going to be 8th to 10th in 2017. I think it's a lot harder to do what 1987 Regiment did today. If Blue Knights had amazing staff additions, like BAC did, I would still believe they are going to be 8th to 10th at best this season. What 1987 Regiment did and what 2017 Boston did is really remarkable and extremely difficult, which is why it rarely ever happens.

Do I think Mandarins have the potential to be a top 4 corps? Sort of. I think they have the potential to be a champion. I thought that the second I heard JW was in charge, and I still believe that. Do I think top 4 is going to happen in 2024? No. 

I have no doubt Boston will win one day, but getting to 1st is going to be a lot harder than moving from 12th to 6th or moving from 6th to a tie for 2nd. 

It's pretty easy to be right when you're claiming BD is going to win. That is the only bet I would ever take. It's the safest bet in the world, IMO. I also was right on the Cadets placing 5th and Regiment landing in 7th.

However, I also thought 2023 Blue Stars had the potential to place 5th, and in June, I thought the Cavaliers show was a disaster in the making. Hugely wrong calls based on how things ended up. I still have a hard time grasping why Blue Stars placed so low, but I am not a judge.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Vuitton

[Boss Anova]

1 hour ago, Vuitton said:

It's not about putting other corps chances down, it's about using experience and knowledge that we have built up for decades. It's about making our best guesses at what's going to happen, and I think that's the fun of DCP. Seeing different people's views on it. I've been right sometimes, and wrong sometimes.

I've been involved in this activity since 1984. Until 2017, I have seen a corps move significantly up the rankings from one season to the next once - 1987 Phantom Regiment. THAT was my basis for thinking Boston was going to be 8th to 10th in 2017. I think it's a lot harder to do what 1987 Regiment did today. If Blue Knights had amazing staff additions, like BAC did, I would still believe they are going to be 8th to 10th at best this season. What 1987 Regiment did and what 2017 Boston did is really remarkable and extremely difficult, which is why it rarely ever happens.

Do I think Mandarins have the potential to be a top 4 corps? Sort of. I think they have the potential to be a champion. I thought that the second I heard JW was in charge, and I still believe that. Do I think top 4 is going to happen in 2024? No. 

I have no doubt Boston will win one day, but getting to 1st is going to be a lot harder than moving from 12th to 6th was, and moving from 6th to a tie for 2nd was. 

It's pretty easy to be right when you're claiming BD is going to win. That is the only bet I would ever take. It's the safest bet in the world, IMO. I also was right on the Cadets placing 5th and Regiment landing in 7th.

However, I also thought 2023 Blue Stars had the potential to place 5th, and in June, I thought the Cavaliers show was a disaster in the making. Hugely wrong calls based on how things ended up. I still have a hard time grasping why Blue Stars placed so low, but I am not a judge.

 

 Yes , I think most would agree that it is a lot harder to move up the placement ranks these days than likely ever before . Most placement shifts up or down year to the following year are typically no more than 3 placement shifts up or down . One or two corps in any given year in the Top 15 or so might move up or down more than 3 placement positions from their season before , but it’s not the norm . Breaking into the Top 12 is easier than breaking into the Top 6 . And then medaling from there gets much much harder . And of course then winning from there ( requiring topping the Blue Devils at minimum  ) becomes even a bigger nut to crack . 

[Vuitton]

15 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

Yes . You did post that “ I’m out “ . On July 19th you announced you  were leaving DCP , at minimum until the season was over . 

I actually think that was due to me, and my immature behavior at the time (laughing at all his comments) than him being upset about Crown's potential placement. Grandpa and I don't have the best relationship, and I didn't do anything to help that.

I always try and keep it real and own up to my mistakes, even though I'm thoroughly embarrassed by some of them.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Vuitton

[Vuitton]

2 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

Way , way , too early with staff changes still taking place and a few others still to come , but what the heck …..

1) BAC

2) BD

3) Bloo

4) Cadets

5) Crown

6) Phantom

 7)Mandarins

 8)Cavies

 9)Blue Stars

10)Troopers

11) Blue Knights 

12) Pacific Crest

Did you forget Vanguard or do you not think they are going to make finals?

They have some great talent on staff, but like others I am concerned about their ability to attract top talent. We'll see what happens. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

[Vuitton]

22 minutes ago, Boss Anova said:

 Yes , I think most would agree that it is a lot harder to move up the placement ranks these days than likely ever before . Most placement shifts up or down year to the following year are typically no more than 3 placement shifts up or down . One or two corps in any given year in the Top 15 or so might move up or down more than 3 placement positions from their season before , but it’s not the norm . Breaking into the Top 12 is easier than breaking into the Top 6 . And then medaling from there gets much much harder . And of course then winning from there ( requiring topping the Blue Devils at minimum  ) becomes even a bigger nut to crack . 

Yeah. I had someone from my professional life go to finals for the first time in 2022 and then again in 2023. She said, after this season, "I can't believe there were no movements in placements between semifinals and finals, and if the Blue Devils win every year that's going to be boring." I didn't think there would be any movements in placements between the nights, but to me it is so boring that BD always wins. I have spent years whining above it and being biased against it. It is what it is and they have deserved everything they have gotten. Reaching this point has been freeing. They come prepared to win every single season and we have seen the types of shows it has taken, since 2006, to beat them. No small feat. 

[Boss Anova]

2 minutes ago, Vuitton said:

Did you forget Vanguard or do you not think they are going to make finals?

They have some great talent on staff, but like others I am concerned about their ability to attract top talent. We'll see what happens. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

SCV might have been one of the toughest placement predictions for me for 2024, especially given that it’s still only Sept. I believe there now is a better than 50-50 chance they field a Corps in 2024 ( up from less than 50-50 chance I was thinking not that long ago ). SCV , despite their announcement to return to competition next summer , still has hurdles to overcome to convince  DCI they can field . Also it’s unclear what marching talent they assemble , and unclear still if they go on a national tour . 
   Due to these uncertainties , I left them out of my Top 12 at the moment .