East Coast Corps got hammered

[mobrien]

An individual guard drop is not on the same scale as an ensemble tear. Even still, Bluecoats came on top, so no one's complaining there.

Crown didn't get hosed; their hornline and guard got hosed by their 12th place drumline. Their placement was as good as could be hoped for under the circumstances.

Blue Stars show wasn't as ambitous, but was played a little cleaner than Bones. The small difference in scoring at Semis amounts to a statistical tie in this judging system, imho.I didn't particularly love either Spirit or Colts this year, but both were demonstrably cleaner and less ragged than Crossmen.

Boston's show maxed out. It was a 10th place show from the get-go. Madison's show was less clean but much more ambitious, with SOME segments that built GE. I saw Boston four times last week, and by the third viewing, felt I'd seen everything they had. Madison got progressively stronger over the week.

Edited August 19, 2006 by mobrien

[toph34]

Funny, I didn't hear any ensemble tears from Bloo on Finals night. In fact, they were much closer to tearing in Atlanta and during 1/4's and semi's. Articulation was MUCH better in Finals. IMO, of course.

I remember feeling an incredible amount of tension from the corps during 3 small segments in the first 4 minutes of the program in Atlanta and Thur/Fri nights. That feeling that "OMG" they're gonna lose it any second. Nothing but bliss on Finals night.

[dcifan2002]

Blue Stars show wasn't as ambitous, but was played a little cleaner than Bones. The small difference in scoring at Semis amounts to a statistical tie in this judging system, imho.I didn't particularly love either Spirit or Colts this year, but both were demonstrably cleaner and less ragged than Crossmen.

Madison was dirty. They did received credit for the difficulty of the visual program

Crossmen did not.

[hockeyamrk]

Ten years ago you could go to a West Coast drum corps show and see a total of 4-6 corps at any given competition. Drum Corps on the West Coast was in dire straights. With the restructuring of DCI under Dan Acheson, the West was given an opportunity for growth. That growth has produced among others:

Pacific Crest

Esperanza

Impulse

The Academy

Jester

Oregon Crusaders

...and the list goes on

The West should not be compared against the East, but applauded for the growth in corps and participation over the last decade.

[Bones758]

I agree that the Crossmen got screwed. The best thing about it is that THEY really didnt care. I spoke with several members at the resturant in Madison on Saturday Night about the blue stars beating them and being out of Finals for two years in a row. One member commented on how inconsistent there scores had been all seaon (they beat Madison in Visual a week before quarterfinals) but said that the philosophy they are taught is to be internally motivated to be better instead of trying to beat somone else. They never really care about the scores. They care about intertaining and perfomring. They then talked about how much fun they had this season, and I asked if the were coming back next year. They all said of course, including some people who will age out next year.

That gives me a whole new respect for the corps.

[leadsop97]

For some reason the quote "the west coast brought it and the east coast didn't" seems a little farfetched to me.

The only corps that I think got screwed over was the Crossmen, but hey it's life. Even when you're good, there's gonna people out there that are better than you. I'd still say 5th place out of what, 22-23 corps is pretty sweet, especially in div I where top 6 is considered the promised land.

As far as div II/III goes, which is what I'm obviously more familiar with, there is no way you can call any corps left in div II/III a perennial winner. ECJ has won twice, and Spartans 3 times. If you said "perennial medalists" that would be much more accurate, and that's exactly what happened. What I found weird, was Yamato not making finals after many 2nd and 3rd place finishes in a row.

East Coast Corps got hammered? eh, not so much. They all put our products that were much more enjoyable than the last few years, which is what matteers I suppose.

[X DM]

That's kind of funny that both of you think that. If you asked anyone who marched in the corps this season, they would tell you otherwise. Quarters was their weakest show of the three, and they pretty much feel they maxed out through Friday and Saturday night. That's how I saw it too, I guess the judges just see it differently. Boston knows they can't control the judges, they say "We Don't Gava" for a reason.

Good point on Boston. Their staff and fans rarely whine or complain these days about the judging after a competitition. ( this wasn't always the case ) I guess the saying you had is an appropriate one. Nobody likes whiners. Kudos to Boston this year, by the way. Classy look and feel to the Corps all around.

[X DM]

Why dreadful. It just means midwest and West coast corps stepped it up this year and East coast corps didn't. One of the old big boys just moved back into the neighborhood and should shake things up for a while in Div I. Gotta make room in there somwhere!!

-word

I didn't say " this year " though. I was referring to the Finals week only. All the East Coast Corps took a hit in Madison compared to earlier competitive placements and score differentials from the previous couple of weeks. For whatever reasons. That was my thread topic comments. Not who did what for the entire season.

[X DM]

What's the point of the thread? I think it is a coincidence, you know..."one of those things". Not every corps did worse than last year (Surf comes to mind). Crossmen moved down one place from last year, are they worse then last year? Spirit got a lower score than they did last year....What? Raiders didn't win again...who repeats as champs every year? No place but to go down or do it again when you are champs.

If you are stating it is anything more that a coincidence please back up your theory with some type of facts.

Again, I wasn't referring to the season. Just what took place in Madison compared not to last year, but compared to a few weeks ago before the Corps all got together in Madison. Maybe it was " a coincidence " all the East Coast Corps took a scoring hit. I'll accept " coincidence " as a reason. But it's a pretty large " coincidence ", you'll have to admit when they ALL took a scoring slide in Madison.

Edited August 19, 2006 by X DM

[X DM]

An individual guard drop is not on the same scale as an ensemble tear. Even still, Bluecoats came on top, so no one's complaining there.

Crown didn't get hosed; their hornline and guard got hosed by their 12th place drumline. Their placement was as good as could be hoped for under the circumstances.

Blue Stars show wasn't as ambitous, but was played a little cleaner than Bones. The small difference in scoring at Semis amounts to a statistical tie in this judging system, imho.I didn't particularly love either Spirit or Colts this year, but both were demonstrably cleaner and less ragged than Crossmen.

Boston's show maxed out. It was a 10th place show from the get-go. Madison's show was less clean but much more ambitious, with SOME segments that built GE. I saw Boston four times last week, and by the third viewing, felt I'd seen everything they had. Madison got progressively stronger over the week.

Madison beat Boston in Guard on Finals night. Boston had some equipment drops, but from my amateurish eyes, Madison's guard work is nowhere near that good as Boston's large guard..... and don't get me started on Crown's placement...... and I like the Blue Stars, but the Crossmen got beat by them and were a couple of tenths from getting beat by Cap. Regiment ? I could go on, but you get my drift.