Bluecoats Win! Biggest Upset in Drum Corps History

[Geoff]

why should i be bitter... i'm just calling the shots as i see them.

Because you marched in BD in 02??

[WMUBrass]

the cleveland cavaliers came back from a 2-0 deficit to the detroit pistons. that dissapointed me.

[Long Time Fan]

In the modern era of DCI, I would add the Cavaliers tying the Cadets in 2000. The Cadets were undefeated and untied until Finals night. Looking at what the Cavaliers have done since, it does not seem so spectacular, but you have to put yourself back prior to that night when everyone was accepting that the Cadets had this one sewn up in College Park. The Cavaliers had gained two titles prior to that '92 and '95. 2000 was the beginning of the Cavalier run.

I think this is a lot like what may now be happening with the Bluecoats. When we look back a few years later, we may say that this was just the progression of their rise. But it won't dimminsh the fact that everyone was shocked last Saturday night when this actually happened.

[wishbonecav]

An upset has to be a wicked surprise.

With that in mind:

88 Scouts (biggest...ever...period)

96 Westshoremen win DCA (flipflop from prelims by .1 over Caballeros and .8 over Empire),

87 Bluecoats @ DCI Canada (their national coming out party...it was pretty awesome)

84 Regiment over Garfield @ DCI Midwest by a tenth (the night of the tumbling contra line)

86 Bushwackers win DCA (1st show win EVER...third -to-first...beat Steel City Ambassadors and Cabs)

if the 'Coats can work some magic at a national show outside Ohio where the GE Music judge doesn't decide the show on his/her own, you can add 'em to this list a second time.

[nero14]

if you take dave M's amazing brass control and balance knowledge and combine it with george woz's (2003-present) fire and passion and combine that with 50 hornline vets and a contra line whose closest rival could only be phantom's "rhapsody in blue" line from a couple years ago (imho), if you DONT contend for the top then something went wrong-

if you have mike Mcintosh (2004-present) on your team and let him recruit and develop your percussion for 4 years and you dont have an incredible battery- something went wrong-

and when you take their very creative and clever drill writer (2003-present) and let him push the book every year- and you dont have an extreemly powerful visual book- something went wrong-

if you add shanefield and brett kuhn to your team and your GE scores are not through the roof- something went wrong

also- you gotta give it up for Doug Thrower the brass arranger- great guy all around, incredible musician and arranger, and has the ability to totally redefine the bluecoats sound every single year- something hard to find even in the top 8 i think- he really threw the gauntlet down this year

in other words- its not an upset- its the result of an amazing staff, a high level of dedication to the corps by the members as well as their extremely high talent level- (somebody told me how many vets there were this year and i was seriously blown away), and the new image which i think took hold much faster and with much more success than many people on here would have predicted- all the elements in the bluecoats equation add up to them having a very high degree of success this year- it would be an upset, to me, if they ended up out of the top 3.

i have great seats for the murfreesboro show in 9 days- and i'm so pumped!

BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[migs]

88 Scouts (biggest...ever...period)

Without knowing that Madison had won seni-finals by a country mile, that night was the greatest of my Dcrum Corps spectating life. I didn't fancy Madison to win and still think Blue Devils were probably the better corps on the night but what a night to be a drum corps fan.

Add, as well, Garfield taking 2 1/2 points off Madison and over 2 off Phantom to go from 5th to 3rd in 1982.

[X DM]

Is this the biggest upset in DCI history? Or name your top five upsets.

NOTHING comes close to the Racine Kllties coming out of the blue to win the 1964 VFW Nationals ( considered the national championship in the pre DCI years). Even at their OWN show in Racine Wisconsin on July 3rd of that year they were 4th:

1st..... Boston Crusaders

2nd....Chicago Royal-Airs

3rd....Cavaliers

4th.....kilties

The Kilties finished in 7th.....SEVENTH...... place at the World Open that year

But they beat ALL these Corps ( and dozens of others ) in both the Prelims and Finals to win the 1964 VFW National Championship.

For perspective, this would be like the Boston Crusaders or the Blue Knights winning this years DCI Prelims and then the Finals.

Edited July 4, 2007 by X DM

[pokes39]

Whooo Hoo-

Go Bloo...

All I can say is that I've been following for a while- and knew back in 2000 that they'd be a force to recon (sp?) with.

The ground work was laid long ago- and it's now taking shape. Having worked with staff I know they won't let up and will only go forward - regression will not be allowed. The kids have shown us what they can do with the book they've been given. It says it all. Can't wait for the future.

BCCG Mom '00, 04, ?

[Brassop]

I am fairly sure that at a very early show in 1977 ([perhaps Memorial Day Weekend), the Bridgemen (4th at DCI and a title contender) were beaten by Boston (17th at DCI) and I know they beat us, too (the Crossmen...11th at DCI).

Spirit of Atlanta, who was 23rd in 1977, beat Madison in an early show in 78 and finished 6th at DCI. The Bluecoats win was very similar to the Cadets in 1982, who went to DCI midwest prelims and beat Phantom and Madison, and then beat SCV later on and finished 3rd at DCI behind BD and SCV, with BD being the only corps they didn't beat during the season.

The wildest thing I ever saw was the drumline of the Oakland Crusaders from Canada. In 1977, at the first DCI tour show, they finished dead last in 9th, with a score in the 40's, but won high percussion at that show, beating all of the rest...Blue Devils, Madison, 27th, Crossmen, Anaheim Kingsmen, Spirit, Argonauts, and the Ventures. They did improve in brass by year end, but not enough.....the corps WON HIGH PERCUSSION at DCI prelims, but came in 14th overall, and thus did not make finals. Some of us chanted "Oakland" when the announcer was getting ready to announce high percussion at finals, as Devils won, but were handily beaten by Oakland in prelims.

GB

Yep and Yep:

6/30/77

Gadsden, GA

1 Blue Devils 82.15

2 Madison Scouts 75.00

3 27th Lancers 71.55

4 Crossmen 67.00

5 Spirit of Atlanta 60.55

6 Anaheim Kingsmen 59.65

7 Argonne Rebels 59.60

8 Oakland Crusaders 54.35

1977 prelims recap: http://www.fromthepressbox.com/19770817div1prelims.htm

[Brassop]

Didn't they go from 20th (?) to 4th in '74-'75

Yep:

1974 prelims recap: http://www.fromthepressbox.com/19740816div1prelims.htm

1975 Finals recap: http://www.fromthepressbox.com/19750816div1finals.htm

That had to be a rush to be in corps like Blue Devils, Spirit of Atlanta, 27th Lancers etc. that experienced a meteoric rise from one year to the next!