The 2006 Cavaliers.

[truman]

I don't know how I'm not hearing these "harmonic complexities" you speak of. Whenever I hear a Saucedo original, I get the aural version of my eyes glazing over. I might as well have been listening to white noise after it's done. I just can't figure out what all the fuss is about.

I agree...I agree...I agree...Iagree...I agree...

Oops, sorry, my machine was stuck there for a minute! :P

[truman]

I, for the life of me, still don't understand the dominance debate! Sure the score was .35 overall but again I point out that was because of one judge (Visual GE) the odd judge out of the entire judging community in that caption and the percussion scores because they weren't even close. In the way of visual, musical and, minus finals, GE, the cavaliers won every caption. I'd say that's rather dominating! Oh and BD won guard but with how amazing that guard was this year there was no question there. So to recap, guard and drums went to other corps by a long shot. The rest, in my opinion was Cavalier dominance.

Face it, they were not the best corps in the GE caption. They were not the best corps in the Music caption. The did not have the best color guard, but did win the visual caption anyway. One of three captions is not dominance. That is not a debate, nor is it my opinion. IT IS THE FACTS ACCORDING TO THE ONLY OPINION THAT REALLY MATTERS, the judges at Finals!

[mobrien]

I'm not suggesting that corps should only play music by old dead white guys. There are plenty of living composers of various ethnic backgrounds that can provide us with music that will stand the test of time and be suitable for drum corps performance.

Some of us obviously feel that Marsalis is one such composer. You obviously disagree. Oh well, can't please everyone.

Take it for what it's worth, but a lot of the negativity toward Cavaliers on this thread is coming across as "sour grapes" encased in a white plastic helmet. B)

[uncle z]

Some of us obviously feel that Marsalis is one such composer. You obviously disagree. Oh well, can't please everyone.

Take it for what it's worth, but a lot of the negativity toward Cavaliers on this thread is coming across as "sour grapes" encased in a white plastic helmet. B)

trudat!

[truman]

Some of us obviously feel that Marsalis is one such composer. You obviously disagree. Oh well, can't please everyone.

Take it for what it's worth, but a lot of the negativity toward Cavaliers on this thread is coming across as "sour grapes" encased in a white plastic helmet. B)

Take it for what it's worth, but the thread topic itself is coming across as a rub your nose in it type of thing.

Any thread like this that claims that the Robots not only won, but were far superior to everyone else, and posts that actually state that the judges should have given them MORE credit than they did, will invite those types of responses.

[ScribeToo]

Take it for what it's worth, but the thread topic itself is coming across as a rub your nose in it type of thing.

Any thread like this that claims that the Robots not only won, but were far superior to everyone else, and posts that actually state that the judges should have given them MORE credit than they did, will invite those types of responses.

Truman, I think your posts are thoughtful and intelligent -- so please don't think I'm jumping on you but I have to disagree because the same could be said for the Regiment love fest we had here immediately following finals.. where 3/4 of the threads on the front page were about how awesome Regiment was this year (and I'll agree.. they were awesome.. I loved the show).. Are you saying it's okay for Regiment fans to post how great they were and expound on why they were so great but God help you if you're a fan of any other of the top corps, though. If you do the exact same thing, you're "rubbing people's noses" in your corps' success.

And for the record.. is it possible that YOU are referring to one year.. 2006.. and the OP is referring to the "big picture" of dominance in the activity this decade? Just a thought, since he's subsequently posted that the word "dominance" comes into play because they have been consistently "dominant" so far this decade -- and we're past the point where anyone could surpass them in total championships for the years starting with 200.

Doesn't that = dominant?

*edit to add*

If I've missed it, please point to me where people have said repeatedly that the 2006 Cavaliers should have earned anything but what they got (and yeah, I know there are a few, but I want to see the prevailing sentiment).

I see a LOT of people saying, "Regiment should have taken this" or "Blue Devils should have taken that" but what I DON'T see is a volume of fans posting that "Cavaliers should have taken all captions." I don't think anybody really thinks (or at least not many think) that.

IMO, other corps deserved the captions the Cavaliers didn't win. The fact remains, though, that they won -- and consistently throughout the year. Slim margins? Sure.. but with the exception of .. what.. three shows.. they kept winning. Three shows short of undefeated.

Let me ask you this (and I do it because it's happened recently, though with greater spreads).. if the spreads remained exactly as they were but the winning corps had gone undefeated this season, would you consider them the "dominant" corps this year?

Stef

Edited September 8, 2006 by ScribeToo

[truman]

Truman, I think your posts are thoughtful and intelligent -- so please don't think I'm jumping on you but I have to disagree because the same could be said for the Regiment love fest we had here immediately following finals.. where 3/4 of the threads on the front page were about how awesome Regiment was this year (and I'll agree.. they were awesome.. I loved the show).. Are you saying it's okay for Regiment fans to post how great they were and expound on why they were so great but God help you if you're a fan of any other of the top corps, though. If you do the exact same thing, you're "rubbing people's noses" in your corps' success.

If I've missed it, please point to me where people have said repeatedly that the 2006 Cavaliers should have earned anything but what they got (and yeah, I know there are a few, but I want to see the prevailing sentiment).

Sok Stef, but tell me, did any of these posts state that no other corps had a chance?

the opening line of this thread is this:

There was no way anybody was going to come close to this corps...

When it was pointed out that .35 is close, the reply BY THE OP was...

Ne we all know scores are used to measure placement .....wether its .3 or 3.3 the fact is that they were untouchable that night,

and

no matter how we like to create faux drama and suspense, the Cavaliers came into Madison and dominated

faux drama?

.3 or 3.3 doesn't matter?

And for the record.. is it possible that YOU are referring to one year.. 2006.. and the OP is referring to the "big picture" of dominance in the activity this decade? Just a thought, since he's subsequently posted that the word "dominance" comes into play because they have been consistently "dominant" so far this decade -- and we're past the point where anyone could surpass them in total championships for the years starting with 200.

Doesn't that = dominant?

Yes it does Stef, they are the dominant winners of this decade. I don't think the was the OP's intent though, judging by the original tiltle of the thread, and his closing comment:

To the 2006 Cavaliers, corps, staff, members...thank you, this is drum corps, this is exciting, this is entertainment, dominance, innovation, and I hope it just keeps coming !!!!

Let me ask you this (and I do it because it's happened recently, though with greater spreads).. if the spreads remained exactly as they were but the winning corps had gone undefeated this season, would you consider them the "dominant" corps this year?

Stef

Undefeated doesn't matter to me.

I have seen enough of the top three live this year to answer this way...

In terms of wins, they were dominant when it mattered, in Madison.

Caption sweeps to me indicate that a corps was dominant in all areas, no weakness.

In terms of innovation, design, and OVERALL performance, THEY WERE NOT IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.

Edited September 8, 2006 by truman

[ScribeToo]

Sok Stef, but tell me, did any of these posts state that no other corps had a chance?

I'll buy that. I just tend to think that there wasn't a laser focused intent on the part of the OP when he posted this. He just wanted to start a congratulatory thread with his own, personal thoughts about the 2006 Cavaliers show. Right, wrong, unprovable or indifferent, they were his thoughts. That's all I'm seeing. No rubbing of noses -- especially since he's not any kind of historically gigantic Cavaliers fan..

Undefeated doesn't matter to me.

I have seen enough of the top three live this year to answer this way...

In terms of wins, they were dominant when it mattered, in Madison.

Caption sweeps to me indicate that a corps was dominant in all areas, no weakness.

In terms of innovation, design, and OVERALL performance, THEY WERE NOT IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.

I was with you til the end -- but my disagreement with you on that is based solely on my opinion. Judging by what I personally saw and experienced over the summer, I thought they were.

Thanks for responding!

Stef

[justaJ0e]

Gotta start by saying "GREAT JOB" to all the Corps!!!!

I want to add my thoughts as to what set the Cavaliers apart but I have to add the disclaimer that all my comments are based on what I saw on the ESPN2 broadcast as well as seeing a quarter finals showing at a theatre (all produced by the same company). I was not fortunate enough to get to a live show. :(

For me, what set the Cavaliers' show worlds apart from the others in the top 10 was that their show FEATURED the Corps. It seemed to be based on precision marching and playing and drill work all designed to show the CORPS as a single performing unit.

With the other Corps I tended to get the impression that at best their was a dance recital or play going on in the middle of the Corps show or worse, that the horns and drumline had been relegated to the background and were really just there to provide back-up music for the little dance pageants that were being put on.

I find it hard to believe that show design has actually come to this but that IS the impression that the 2 broadcasts I saw left me with. I specifically recall during Phantom's show (which was shown in it's complete length in the theatre), actually feeling bad for the Corps members because I KNOW that they all spent the same amount of hours marching in the heat and drilling over and over again all summer long to perfect their show yet, it seemed like 90% of what I was getting to see was just clasp shots of dancers "interpreting" the music.

I guess the Cavaliers must have left that stuff out or maybe the producers had just gotten tired of showing that stuff because what I got to see with the Cavaliers was actual shots of a Drum Corps marching formations. Still a few too many "artsy" close-ups for my tastes but I at least think I got a good look at the show.

All and all there is just no substitute for seeing it live and maybe that is why DCI continues to let this production company do this to the broadcast ... to get us to turn of the TV and go buy a ticket to the stadium! :)

Excellent show Cavaliers and at the least excellent "sounding" shows by all the Corps!

Don't know how you will top yourselves next year ... BUT I'M HOPING TO FIND OUT! :D

[RegimentContra94]

Some of us obviously feel that Marsalis is one such composer. You obviously disagree. Oh well, can't please everyone.

Take it for what it's worth, but a lot of the negativity toward Cavaliers on this thread is coming across as "sour grapes" encased in a white plastic helmet. B)

I've got nothing against Branford or Wynton, if that is who you are refering to. Wynton has composed some great jazz. I'm discussing Richard Saucedo's original compositions for drum corps.

I didn't care for the Cavaliers long before I marched Regiment. From where I live, it would have been just as easy for me to march in Rosemont as in Rockford. I've said time and time again that visually, the Cavaliers are untouchable at this point. Gaines' designs are brilliant in they way he incorporates the visual with the theme, however, the original compositions are not even close to the same level as the visual design, in my opinion. They could play better music, keep the same visual integration and put together some truly amazing shows. It is possible to be a Regiment guy and think logically about the Cavaliers. It's difficult, but possible.

Edited September 8, 2006 by RegimentContra94