Big Event on TV tonight!

[WWonka]

There are a lot of people slamming the content of the ESPN2 show that need to realize it was not meant for the DCP crowd. I watched bits and pieces while in a fantasy football draft. I didn't kill myself to see it because I knew the audience. And I think it's a great idea. But it was not meant for people like me who went to like 11 shows and spent the entire week in Madison and went to every show cept Div II Semis. (got to see them in prelims and ALL of them make finals so skipped the show in between).

Hey if it makes some kids show up who would not otherwise have shown then good deal. I do wish there could have been some promotion of the II and III corps. A lot of the kids targetted and watching don't have a snow balls chance in #### of making a top 12 corps but there are a lot of corps looking for bodies. Like Bawker mentioned some where "we are all on the same side".

I have a question though. It seems that ESPN replays stuff a million times. Like the Poker championships, etc. I know DCI owns that content but why is it not replayed X times. Like at 2am, etc. The more times you show it would seem the investment would pay off more. And god knows they play the NCA Cheerleading and crap a 100 times.

Anyone know??

Mike

Edited September 6, 2006 by WWonka

[JimF-LowBari]

Watched until end of Bluecoats and sounded to me that Blue Knights marimbas were a lot louder (as compared to the rest of the corps) than the other corps I saw. Anyone notice balance issues with the other corps?

Disclaimer: Might have been my older model stereo TV. Sometimes you can barely hear normal conversations and then the "background" music knocks you out of your seat. (But last night I had to crank volume for the corps as the audio did seem muffled.)

[madscout96]

Watched until end of Bluecoats and sounded to me that Blue Knights marimbas were a lot louder (as compared to the rest of the corps) than the other corps I saw. Anyone notice balance issues with the other corps?

Disclaimer: Might have been my older model stereo TV. Sometimes you can barely hear normal conversations and then the "background" music knocks you out of your seat. (But last night I had to crank volume for the corps as the audio did seem muffled.)

I pretty much couldn't hear SCV's hornline. That could be a combination of the pit being too loud and their horns not being loud enough. I sat at the top of the lower deck, 45 yard line, during semifinals and remember barely being able to hear them then, especially the trumpets. What kind of horns do the play on?

[Granny Smith]

I admit that I didn't read through the entire thread. Is there some kind of abbreviation for that so when we write something that is redundant we don't look more stupid than we already are?

My favorite segment of all was the segment on "Blue Man" Pete Simpson of the "Long Blue Line." I loved seeing my beloved corps represented so well. I marched with Pete back in the 80s and he is a classy guy who is obviously very skilled.

Troopers 2007!

[audiodave]

I'm an 80's drum corps fan who usually complains about some current drum corps stuff.

All I can say is that I thought this year's broadcast was the best one in many years.

Sure...I'd love to sit and watch the shows in their entirety for 5 hours (like I did in 1979)

but i know it's not possible anymore. Airtime is too expensive.

I think DCI had it right with their selection of music celebs - Blue Man Group, 311, Chicago Symphony.

Great cross section of musicianship to expose to the potential new members.

The show was on ESPNHD, giving me great picture quality, and Dolby Digital sound.

I had no complaints this year, only praise.

GREAT JOB DCI.

Edited September 6, 2006 by audiodave

[MadScout80]

I think that most of the things you DCPers are complaining about are pretty unimportant and irrelevant to the audience that this was made for.

I think it is OBVIOUS that this is the cream of the crop, but that similar groups must certainly exist at all levels. That there has to be a "training ground". There is in every other sport/activity that ESPN shows. I've never assumed that the only cheerleading squads I could join were the 12 or so that were shown on their National Championship broadcast.

And I think it is OBVIOUS that the shows are longer than 3 minutes and have been edited.

Full shows on small TVs with small speakers would bore the non-hardcore viewers and have them flipping channels.

Selfishly, I would have liked to see full shows, but I don't presume that what I want is the best way to package this to reach the target audience.

The people who put this together do this for a living and are smarter about it than 99% of us. It was a great production. DCI is doing a lot of things right these days.

[MadScout80]

The show was on ESPNHD, giving me great picture quality, and Dolby Digital sound.

But it wasn't recorded in High Definition. Is the quality of a non-HD show higher when it is broadcast HD? I think maybe marginally so (anyone know for sure). But it sure isn't anywhere near what HD looks like. HD has really spoiled me. Even last years DCI DVDs don't look crisp and clear to me. DVD resolution is not HD resolution.

And I don't know about the sound. Was it more than stereo? Just cause a show is on an HD channel doesn't me it utilizes all the potential of the channel.

[ScribeToo]

And I think it is OBVIOUS that the shows are longer than 3 minutes and have been edited.

Hold onto your hat. I agree with you!

I also want to point out that throughout the broadcast, Rondo and Delucia referred to the performances shown as "highlights." They would say, "In this highlight, you'll see.." or some other such thing.. constantly re-iterating (albeit somewhat subconsciously if you weren't paying close attention to every single word spoken) that this was just a PORTION of the show you were watching.

And to whoever asked if the length of the shows were mentioned.. Yes. It was. At least once. I think it was during either the Hopkins or Gibbs pre-show speech snippet.

DCI has got it right. The program was excellent. I think it was a stroke of genius to show the critiques and the explanations of scoring as the show went on. Educating a new audience.. brilliant!

I also want to point out that while Rondinaro is a professional broadcaster.. the rest of the broadcast team only do it for THIS program. I don't expect any of them to be smooth in their delivery or screen presence after only a relatively few years in front of the camera once a year only.

Stef

[rut-roh]

A small thing, but I liked that the broadcast team went back to wearing jackets and ties! Those golf shirts were so unprofessional and lame.

[2CoolVK]

DCI has a great section up on DCI.org to capture new eyes that saw the broadcast last night. It addresses many of the issues that have been criticized about the show last night. There is info on how to join ANY junior corps, audition dates are listed for corps that supplied them, there is a history of the season where you can track the competitve progress of the season and there's details about next years Championships in Pasadena. DCi did a great job of funneling people to the site and making sure there was plenty of good info for them when they got there.