1972

[donincardona]

Dear Mr. Siglow:

The point I was trying to make was your specific reference to the drum parts being watered down in Chicago. I do not remember any drum parts being watered down as you say they were and I did not believe Dave Saccente was alluding to that. Hell, we always used Nationals to make changes in the drill. We made drill changes down in Miami in 1974.

By the way, how have you been?

Repectfully,

Steve

no one from the cabs would ever admit to watering down drum charts. i wouldn't eather but let's all be real. EVERY CORPS has watered down drum, horns and drill. it's part of competing. it's an unwrttin rule not to talk about it. we did it in the past and i know the skyliners did it in 1970. so what if the cabs did. i guess it worked for them. i think sky won in 72 but they were wound up real tight that night. they had problems off the line and didn't recover till after the traffic jam. i don't think the cabs had the show to die for in 72 and the overall execution didn't seem to be there. there was a lot of bs with the judges that night and so it went that cabs won. i don't agree but so be it. let's face it the cabs win so much they think that they should win every show. they are one of a few corps that feel a sense on entitlement. in 1965 when they lost the a.l nationals to rochester there were guy's from cabs crying. grown men so i understand all of their feelings. let's not talk about watering down charts cause all corps have done it. we're all guilty. that was the best top 5 corps ever in the finals at dca so all should hold their heads up high. and i don't want any cabs picking apart what i'm saying. you won and that's that.

[cabalumsw]

no one from the cabs would ever admit to watering down drum charts. i wouldn't eather but let's all be real. EVERY CORPS has watered down drum, horns and drill. it's part of competing. it's an unwrttin rule not to talk about it. we did it in the past and i know the skyliners did it in 1970. so what if the cabs did. i guess it worked for them. i think sky won in 72 but they were wound up real tight that night. they had problems off the line and didn't recover till after the traffic jam. i don't think the cabs had the show to die for in 72 and the overall execution didn't seem to be there. there was a lot of bs with the judges that night and so it went that cabs won. i don't agree but so be it. let's face it the cabs win so much they think that they should win every show. they are one of a few corps that feel a sense on entitlement. in 1965 when they lost the a.l nationals to rochester there were guy's from cabs crying. grown men so i understand all of their feelings. let's not talk about watering down charts cause all corps have done it. we're all guilty. that was the best top 5 corps ever in the finals at dca so all should hold their heads up high. and i don't want any cabs picking apart what i'm saying. you won and that's that.

Hey Don:

I am glad you finally agree with me!

The Skyliners were wound up real tight that night. they had problems off the line and didn't recover till after the traffic jam.

Exactly what we were told by some of our staff who were scouting Skyliners performance before we went on. If you saw our performance at Prelims, you would have seen a marching machine. I saw Skyliners behind the outfield fence watching our performance at Prelims. We all knew it was going to be a dog fight and we met the challenge. Jim Costello told us if we did the same job we had done at Prelims that morning, we had an excellent chance to beat Skyliners at Finals based on exactly what you said. Was there BS behind the scenes, so be it I had nothing to do with it. As Frank Nash said, the guys on the field have no control over the guys with the pads. I would have to say our marching and maneuvering execution won it for us that night, despite what you thought of our show that year. My brother in law, who was a Skyliner and Cabs fan, even conceded that we were like a machine at Finals and thought we won.

As far as expecting to win every show, don't you think every corps aspires to do that?

Edited September 3, 2007 by cabalumsw

[donincardona]

Hey Don:

I am glad you finally agree with me!

The Skyliners were wound up real tight that night. they had problems off the line and didn't recover till after the traffic jam.

Exactly what we were told by some of our staff who were scouting Skyliners performance before we went on. If you saw our performance at Prelims, you would have seen a marching machine. I saw Skyliners behind the outfield fence watching our performance at Prelims. We all knew it was going to be a dog fight and we met the challenge. Jim Costello told us if we did the same job we had done at Prelims that morning, we had an excellent chance to beat Skyliners at Finals based on exactly what you said. Was there BS behind the scenes, so be it I had nothing to do with it. As Frank Nash, the guys on the field have no control over the guys with the pads. I would have to say our marching and maneuvering execution won it for us that night, despite what you thought of our show that year. My brother in law, who was a Skyliner and Cabs fan, even conceded that we were like a machine at Finals and thought we won.

As far as expecting to win every show, don't you think every corps aspires to do that?

while the entire event of dca still get's me riled it was what it was.

yes all corps do try to win every show.........that's true. i guess that i got upset at chicago when the cabs proteseted rochester's win. we won and that was that. it's all water under the bridge now and can't be changed. peace my friend

[Ole'Chas]

while the entire event of dca still get's me riled it was what it was.

yes all corps do try to win every show.........that's true. i guess that i got upset at chicago when the cabs proteseted rochester's win. we won and that was that. it's all water under the bridge now and can't be changed. peace my friend

Exactly..remember the 0.05 pt Cabs lost in the '77 finals to the Suns? Didn't matter what went on in that judge's chamber...what's done was done. Life went on and continues to.....

[cabalumsw]

while the entire event of dca still get's me riled it was what it was.

yes all corps do try to win every show.........that's true. i guess that i got upset at chicago when the cabs proteseted rochester's win. we won and that was that. it's all water under the bridge now and can't be changed. peace my friend

I vaguely remember the protest. Did it have to do with illegal rifles? I really cared less about the protest. I accepted the loss and did not feel our performance was up to par. As many have said, 1972 was a fine year for DCA and we all gave the fans their money's worth. Peace to you as well!

Edited September 3, 2007 by cabalumsw

[donincardona]

I vaguely remember the protest. Did it have to do with illegal rifles? I really cared less about the protest. I accepted the loss and did not feel our performance was up to par. As many have said, 1972 was a fine year for DCA and we all gave the fans their money's worth. Peace to you as well!

it was abot drum accesories. we used all of ours and the cabs didn't. dca that year was the best ever and probably will be for a very long time. i know for me i really enjoyed that year. the ups and downs. all the rivalries and friendships. it was great. all memories now. a lot of people are gone now but thier memories will live on.......at least for me as long as i am alive. jersey city on a late warm summer night. what a great time.

[DaveDrum]

Dave:

Another question. You were in the drum line that year. Do you remember George Tuthill and Jack Pratt watering down our parts in Chicago? I have no recollection of that but I have heard that one too from someone who was not even there! I must have been sleeping from all the rehearsing we did.

Hi Steve !

The only watering down I remember was sitting by the pool in Chicago at three o'clock in the morning cleaning our equipment for inspection the next morning. We should have went to bed.

To this day, I attribute the success of our Drum Line over the next few years to the addition of Jack Pratt to our staff. George was a great writer but he was a lousy teacher. George and Jack worked much like Shelmer and Devlin in Boston, and for the same reasons. Jack had a way of breaking down charts and helping you understand the phrases that made us a better unit. He also killed us with his unbelieveable work ethic. You can't deny that after rehersal you were physically wiped out, but Jack always knew when to call it a day and save one more run-through for the performance. We got better and better through the seventies culminating for me with a perfect execution score in the '76 finals. What else was there. It was a great run. :)

[Geneva]

Hi Steve !

The only watering down I remember was sitting by the pool in Chicago at three o'clock in the morning cleaning our equipment for inspection the next morning. We should have went to bed.

To this day, I attribute the success of our Drum Line over the next few years to the addition of Jack Pratt to our staff. George was a great writer but he was a lousy teacher. George and Jack worked much like Shelmer and Devlin in Boston, and for the same reasons. Jack had a way of breaking down charts and helping you understand the phrases that made us a better unit. He also killed us with his unbelieveable work ethic. You can't deny that after rehersal you were physically wiped out, but Jack always knew when to call it a day and save one more run-through for the performance. We got better and better through the seventies culminating for me with a perfect execution score in the '76 finals. What else was there. It was a great run. :)

I have to throw in a plug here for Jack Pratt as a former Geneva Appleknocker. He got his start in drum corps under the tutelage of Norm Peth with the 1949 Winnek Post Drum Corps (later known as the Appleknockers).

[Rocketman]

yes you are right. you took what i was saying wrong. i never said the hurcs wern't good. but i will say that if one m&m judge didn't put us 12th and gave us the score we deseved then who knows what would have happened. but i will never beleive the cabs won. i still think sky did.

Are there recaps somewhere we can access?

RM - 72 =

ampssuck

[Geneva]

Well, I was there as a spectator in 1972 and the quality which I witnessed in the top five has remained emblazoned in my drum corps memory banks all those years. I have been fascinated to note in this thread that there are many others with the same memories.

But, memory is a funny thing. We tend to make pleasant memories more grandiose over time remembering the pleasant aspects and forgetting the bad. So when I was at DCA this past weekend and spied the Fleetwood stand, I immediately went over and purchased all three volumes of the 1972 DCA. I had not heard the recording in over thirty years and I was curious to see if my memory was playing games with me compared to the actual recording.

And you know what? The performances were that great! Man, that truely was when drum corps was drum corps!! From the rich baritone strains and electric drumming of the Cabs "Captain From Castile" to the Skyliners punching holes through the stadium with the world's most powerful lead line (and OMG the baritone line), to the Bucs classic "Russian Sailors' Dance" OTL rocketing them into orbit with the prestissimo finale, to the perfection and musicality of the Rochester Crusaders, to the Hurricanes' masterful performance of "Fanfare For the New" and the rudimental rage of their drum line, this was definitely a championship for the history books. All of you participants should be proud. Alas, modern day drum corps does pale in comparison. Where has the thrill gone?