77 Bridgemen Part II
Brian Foley
situation, and what the end results were? As a DCI fan of its history, im
really curious, but I only know a sketchy description of the scenario.
Thanks
Brian Foley
Magic Baritone '98 - '99
SW Hopeful '00
sai...@one.net
Brian...
I was there but was suffering (and indulging) in our own problems. Ask Terri
D. I think she was the only sober Guardsmen at that time.
Michael
Guardsmen 75-77
Racine Kilties 99-
Terri Dittrich
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Terri, still not sober from '77 (just kidding)
sarni...@my-deja.com
I believe management, by the end of the day, had found a judge to issue
an injunction barring DCI from disqualifying Bridgemen from finals. The
corps performed at finals and I'm sure their score and placement was
announced. Shortly after finals (days, or weeks), DCI won their case
and Bridgemen's records (score and placement) were removed.
In a story that was in Drum Corps World (it might have been Drum Corps
News), Bobby Hoffman claimed that the two people in question where
brought to DCI's attention by the Bridgemen staff because the new
ageout rule was vague, and there was some question from the corps
perspective of their eligiblity. Hoffman said that two weeks before
prelims, Don Pesceone OK'd everything, then reversed himself, with
support from the board, at prelims. I recall that Pesceone claimed not
to have known anything about it until prelims.
As I recall it, the two were only a matter of days, or weeks overage,
not a few years as has been the case in other situations (I'm not
refering to Muchachos or Crossmen here. There were a few Canadian Corps
in the early 70's and late 60's that were known for having really old
21 year olds).
It really was an ugly situation, and my feeling is that DCI didn't
handle it well at all.
All I know is I have that finals performance on tape, directly from the
master tape Ken Kobold made. Maybe one of these days when I get the
stuff I need to convert it to mp3, I'll get it up. But don't hold your
breath. Time and money.
John
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
El Conquistador
member genuinely interested in the past.
I do know that I was in Denver that night and would love to get ahold
of a recording or better yet a video of that performance. That was my
first year in drum corps and the Bridgemen, needless to say, left a
huge impression.
"WELCOME BACK MY FRIEND TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS"
On Mon, 13 Sep 1999 11:58:07 -0500, SWE...@hotmail.com (Brian Foley)
JCSeymour
They have(or had) the whole story of the Bridgemen on their site, if it is
still up and running the 77 show is on the Bridgemen . IMOM it is a
excellent purchase.
JCSeymour
Kevin Gamin
member genuinely interested in the past. >>
He's not the only current member interested...There's a contra player from
Glassmen who shares my love and interest for drum corps, past and present. We
even took time during a camp last spring to listen to Spirit '80, Bridgemen 77,
78, AND 80, plus SCV 87! I also recently purchased the 5-CD set from BAC that
features corps from the 50's. I'm looking to expand my "library" all the time,
so if you have recordings that you think I should hear or know somebody who
does, let me know. I'd do the auction in DCW, but money is a problem for the
time being...
Kevin Gamin
Toledo Glassmen
Member, 1992-1996
Volunteer 1997-1998
Spectator 1999
William A Roderick
changed,
and Bridgemen was not a DCI member the year before (76). DCI was asked
for clarification during the season, and they (DCI) knew about the
"overage" members. Tom Prat (Bridgemen
visual tech) explained to me that they could not talk about it pending
the outcome of the court case (which we all know Bridgemen lost).
Bill Roderick
Don Davis
throrough reading. Also the main page
members.tripod.com/DrumCorpsHistory/Drum_Corps_History.htm has mp3's of VK's
1993 drum solo and BD's 77 "Channel One Suite".
CHEZ
as were the 1975 muchochoes and 1978 crossmen .
I think I got those years correct.
back in the 70's dci wanted proof of age .
any proof -----you could go to 42 street in n.y.c. or any major city in
the u.s. and buy a ID saying you were 18 ,19 0r 20 if you wanted to. I
believe they cost about $20. for a period of time dci accepted these ID's.
i am not saying the disqualified corps used such ID's but it is a shame
these were once deemed acceptable.
if dci wanted to crack down on such offenses why not do it during the
season . drum corps is for the kids participating in it. why make all
members of these corps go through all the hard work , sweat and tears for
nothing.
the problem seemed to be the inconsistency of dci changing their minds .
either let these members march ALL SEASON or tell them them they are
ineligible from the get go. let the corps fill those spots.
i am sure the for mentioned corps would have been just as good and
entertaining with a few different individuals.
do you think these corps just added these members at the end of the year
for finals . I think not.
junior drum corps has age limits . for reasons .-( most of these are for
good purposes )-some are stupid .
but the important part is that every corps plays with the same rules.
i was ashamed all these disqualification's took place . the only blame
should be on the people running dci at the time for letting it go as far
as finals to make a decision.
love the old days
>as were the 1975 muchochoes and 1978 crossmen .
>I think I got those years correct.
Crossmen were dq'd in 1976. Apparently Eastern corps had a VERY long learning
curve. I don't recall the '76 Crossmen as burning up the entertainment lists,
although '75 Muchachoes were electrifying and '77 Bridgemen were certainly a
big time crowd pleaser.
>
>back in the 70's dci wanted proof of age .
>any proof -----you could go to 42 street in n.y.c. or any major city in
>the u.s. and buy a ID saying you were 18 ,19 0r 20 if you wanted to. I
>believe they cost about $20. for a period of time dci accepted these ID's.
>
>i am not saying the disqualified corps used such ID's but it is a shame
>these were once deemed acceptable.
>
Eastern corps were rife with SEVERELY overaged members in the 60's and 70's
(and, I have some real suspicions about the early 80's). I'm sure DCI accepted
any ID that looked legitimate. I find it hard to believe that you actually
think the shame was in DCI accepting the ID's rather than the corps and the
members USING them.
>if dci wanted to crack down on such offenses why not do it during the
>season .
Crossmen were dq'd at a competition in Sevierville, Tenn. Someone who used to
post here was in the corps and wrote about how horrible it was to have to
finish the corps commitments but no longer competing. I'm not sure that there
is a good time for the cracked down upon. Better not to play that game.
drum corps is for the kids participating in it. why make all
>members of these corps go through all the hard work , sweat and tears for
>nothing.
Well, the problem would seem to be that they weren't all kids, now were they??
And if the penalty isn't severe, why wouldn't a corps use a really great 24
year old or 34 year old or...Jeff Kevits, where are you???
>
>the problem seemed to be the inconsistency of dci changing their minds .
>either let these members march ALL SEASON or tell them them they are
>ineligible from the get go.
Crossmen were inspected for overage members from early on in their season.
There was no doubt that overage people were not supposed to be in there.
let the corps fill those spots.
>i am sure the for mentioned corps would have been just as good and
>entertaining with a few different individuals.
A few different individuals? Word was that more than 10 percent of Crossmen
were no longer in the drill the day after the dq. There were no people lined
up to those spots. Crossmen gambled that they would get by and make finals
(which they had a real chance at, especially since finals were in Philadelphia
that year). They lost.
>
>do you think these corps just added these members at the end of the year
>for finals . I think not.
And your point is?? If they march overage all year, it is somehow better???
>
>junior drum corps has age limits . for reasons .-( most of these are for
>good purposes )-some are stupid .
And exactly which are good and which are stupid??
>but the important part is that every corps plays with the same rules.
>
Well, yep, I'd agree. And at the very least, in 1975-77, three corps were not
playing by those rules.
>i was ashamed all these disqualification's took place . the only blame
>should be on the people running dci at the time for letting it go as far
>as finals to make a decision.
B----S----
The blame lies squarely on the corps administration that allowed them to march
and on the members who selfishly jeopardized the season of their entire corps.
The Crossmen alum who posted a detailed account of the Crossmen dq a cuple of
years back claimed to have warned the director that the person would be
protested and was told "don't worry, we can handle it, be happy".
If that is true, that director should have been sued by all the people who paid
for a tour that they never completed let alone for the emotional distress.
The beloved Bones is based on lying, fraud, and disception. Happy anniversary!
There were similar posts about the real Bridgemen story, which wasn't nearly as
accidental as the official story.
These were tough lessons, ultimately costing drum corps two very sorely missed
corps, but there were aggregious abuses of the age limits and a "youth
activity" needs to have some semblance of youth. A bald spot, kids and the
wife in a station wagon, and a case of beer aren't an image that sponsors want
in their youth groups!!
Scott
over-age. We started the season with four people. All the empty spots
were in the other corps on that tour.
Scott