byline Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Oh, and their rifles were maybe 1/2 the size of ours, if you notice they're the small ones with a very long muzzle and streamers. Yes, we called those "baby rifles." I always attributed their blindingly tight timing to having such small rifles. And, of course, other rifle lines followed suit in subsquent years, and the rifles started getting smaller and lighter, and rifle lines were able to do more with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerFi Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 (edited) No, St. Anthony's Imperials, Everett, MA - 1975-1978 in particular. Have you ever seen them? Should this topic be opened in the Guard Forum? I forgot the Imperial part!! They marched in with capes and prior to going on they were taken off each person.... Edited November 17, 2003 by LancerFi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerFi Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Really, I never thought that would help timing....hum..... Anyway, they could stand so much closer it seemed and that just looked so good. I know when we were in a form very close together, we felt more powerful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 (edited) Another thing about BDs guards if you watch them from at 76-80 you'd be hardpressed to see anything truly new, yes we did repeat many things, but in 76 we were only doing 2s and 3s, by 77 4's and exchanges, except for the skirt lenth, with BD, as beautiful to watch as they were, they did alot of the same work...but boy did it look clean!!! Of course I shouldn't talk, from 79 to 80, except for maybe 500 counts, we did the same equipment work! LOL! Totally unlike my guard, who did three completely different styles the three years I marched. Not that we were anywhere near your league, or Blue Devils . . . or any of the Top 12 guards, for that matter. But at least we were attempting new challenges, and that involves a certain amount of risk. I do agree that guards with repetitious styles tended to play it safe. But, by the same token, that lent itself to establishing a unique style, which made guard so much more interesting in a lot of ways back then (though harder to judge, because you were comparing apples to oranges, so then personal taste inevitably came into play). Guards were unmistakably who they were back then. You'd never mistake 27th Lancers for Blue Devils, or Phantom for Santa Clara, or Guardsmen for Spirit. Each guard had its own distinctive style influenced by its region. That really changed in the '80s, once most guards took all the various styles and sort of amalgamated them into a more universal guard style, with some elements of the California guards, other elements of the Eastern guards, and still more elements from the Midwestern guards. It made the guard activity more consistent, overall, but also removed a lot of the individuality each guard had, style-wise. Edited November 17, 2003 by byline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 No, St. Anthony's Imperials, Everett, MA - 1975-1978 in particular. Have you ever seen them? Yes, I saw them at the first WGI finals in '78! And I saw them in subsquent years, though I think someone different might have been doing them by that time. Not sure, though. I'd have to check through my WGI yearbooks to be sure. They're a guard I've loved through all their various incarnations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Really, I never thought that would help timing....hum..... I could be wrong, but it just seems to me that having smaller, lighter guard equipment makes everything easier . . . including timing. Part of that is just because the physical demand is reduced, so the risk of timing breaks caused by physical exhaustion would be less. But, of course, a person still has to be able to count and know equipment placement within each count, so making equipment smaller and lighter only goes so far! :) And yes, this thread really has drifted into the color guard realm. Still, it's a conversation about history, so it's still pertinent to the original discussion. But if it gets moved to the guard forum, that's fine with me, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malibu Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Yes, we called those "baby rifles." I always attributed their blindingly tight timing to having such small rifles. And, of course, other rifle lines followed suit in subsquent years, and the rifles started getting smaller and lighter, and rifle lines were able to do more with them. Yep....I still see some groups using those small "baby rifles." I'm glad Cadets brought back the longer size rifles.....true it may be more difficult to clean as well as maneuver, but over all I think they are more appealing visually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 (edited) I was working in the yard the other day when I realized that I'm still upset with the placement that my corps (Suncoast ) received in 1982. It's like an unresolved issue with me. I need closure.I was wondering, with all the technology available today, would it be possible to get a do over? I'm thinking of something like a people's choice set up where the corps in question could have their shows played (video if possible) and people could watch/listen on their computers and then vote. It could be as simple as who do you think beat who, or you could even break it down to caption scores if you wanted to. I, for one, would accept the opinion of many who post here, over what some of the judges have decided over the years. Or, before someone else says it...Should I just get over it? What do you guys think? Just curious Russell, did you think that Suncoast should have been in finals at the expense of Spirit? In reviewing the season's scores, Suncoast only beat Spirit twice all season...once at Midwest prelims and once at DCI North prelims. Spirit's margin of victory over Suncoast all season ranged anywhere from 12+ points in the early season to 3-5 points just 5 days before finals. Suncoast had a great show that season. Although Spirit's show in 82 was not among my favorites, we worked HARD to stay in the fight for finals. After missing finals at Midwest, we worked harder than I ever worked out of my four years in a baby blue uniform. Our rehearsals were longer and more intense. Our focus was evident. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I'm not saying that other corps didn't too, but that definitely was the most intense rehearsals I've ever been a part of. In prelims, we were 9th in both Brass and M&M. We were in finals in all captions. Suncoast was 12th in brass and all other captions were 13th and below. With what was Suncoast to make their move into the top 12? I'm just curious and would love the debate. I can see being disappointed if one or two judges dump your corps (like we were when one drum judge dumped us at Midwest prelims), but when eight out of ten judges had Spirit over Suncoast, how can you question the validity of the outcome? Edited November 17, 2003 by ssorrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerFi Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 You know George Z had the idea that we might use the smaller rifles. In 77 we had people come from St. Anthonys/Revere or Quasar and they used the baby ones. Only 2 on rifle the first year, the rest on flags and sabers, and I can tell you it was shot down before he got it out of his mouth!! We had that kind of effect on him...and Denise of course wouldn't hear of it...she just had to give him a look, or the look! A few of us gave him that look, and his look back was priceless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malibu Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 We had that kind of effect on him...and Denise of course wouldn't hear of it...she just had to give him a look, or the look! A few of us gave him that look, and his look back was priceless! b**bs You'll have to show me that "look" someday! :P Another thing about BD's rifles back then, didn't they look straight...(the equipment, not the people LOL!). They didn't seem to have a wide butt....(again the equipment). :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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