Saturday, December 31, 2016
B4: College Football Playoff National Championship - Alabama vs. Clemson
Alabama:
Clemson:
Thursday, December 29, 2016
80 Minutes, 80 Bands - 2016-17 Big Band Bowl Battle
- After last year, with a record number of dual Sudler matchups, the 2016 postseason boasts just three, with the possibility of a fourth should both Alabama and Ohio State win their playoff games. (And as always, the Sudler caveat)
- Conversely, the possibility exists for the first
- No fewer than six bowls match former conferencemates.
- The College Football Playoff games return to New Year's Eve, but at least this time they'll find some college football familiarity falling on a Saturday.
- Unfortunately, the corollary is the complete dearth of college football or major televised American parades on New Year's Day.
- My favorite byproduct of the playoff persists: Elimination of the ain't-shit bowls (Looking at you, GoDaddy) from the new year. We do, however, have a "New Year's Six" bowl taking place way back on 12/30.
B4: 2017 FCS Championship
Youngstown State:
James Madison
B4: 2017 Allstate Sugar Bowl
Auburn:
Oklahoma:
B4: 2017 Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
USC:
Penn State:
B4: 2017 Outback Bowl
B4: 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Western Michigan:
Wisconsin:
B4: 2016 CFB Playoff Semifinal: Playstation Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State:
Clemson:
B4: 2016 CFB Playoff Semifinal: Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl
Washington:
Alabama:
B4: 2016 Taxslayer Bowl
Georgia Tech:
Kentucky:
B4: 2016 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
LSU:
Louisville:
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
B4: 2016 Capital One Orange Bowl
Michigan:
Florida State:
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
B4: 2016 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Nebraska:
Tennessee:
B4: 2016 Hyundai Sun Bowl
Horizon High School:
North Carolina:
B4: 2016 AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Georgia:
TCU:
B4: 2016 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
South Alabama:
Air Force:
B4: 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma State:
Colorado:
B4: 2016 Belk Bowl
Arkansas:
Virginia Tech:
B4: 2016 Birmingham Bowl
USF:
South Carolina:
B4: 2016 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas A&M:
Kansas State:
B4: 2016 Foster Farms Bowl
Indiana:
Utah:
B4: 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl
West Virginia:
Miami:
B4: 2016 New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Pittsburgh:
Northwestern:
B4: 2016 National Funding Holiday Bowl
Minnesota:
Washington State:
B4: 2016 Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
Boise State:
Baylor:
B4: 2016 Military Bowl Presented by Northrup Grumman
Temple:
Wake Forest:
B4: 2016 Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
Army:
North Texas:
B4: 2016 Camping World Independence Bowl
NC State:
Vanderbilt:
B4: 2016 Quick Lane Bowl
UMCP:
Boston College:
B4: 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl
Miami:
Mississippi State:
B4: 2016 Hawai'i Bowl
Hawaii:
Middle Tennessee:
B4: 2016 Dollar General Bowl
Ohio:
Troy:
Sunday, December 18, 2016
B4: 2016 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Louisiana Tech:
Navy:
B4: 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Eastern Michigan:
Old Dominion:
B4: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Idaho:
Colorado State:
B4: 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
A bus carrying Wyoming band members was involved in an accident en route to the bowl; thankfully, no injuries were reported.
BYU:
Wyoming:
B4: 2016 Boca Raton Bowl
Memphis:
Western Kentucky:
B4: 2016 Miami Beach Bowl
Central Michigan:
Tulsa:
Saturday, December 17, 2016
B4: 2016 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss:
Louisiana-Lafayette:
B4: 2016 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Appalachian State:
Toledo:
B4: 2016 Cure Bowl
C. Florida:
Arkansas State:
B4: 2016 Las Vegas Bowl
Houston:
San Diego State:
B4: 2016 Gildan New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico:
UTSA:
B4: 2016 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
NC Central:
Grambling:
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
The Champ is Here!
@marchingchamps @CollegeMarching 👀👀👀 Can we finally get a meeting between us and @TBDBITL ?— SU Human Jukebox (@SU_HumanJukebox) December 2, 2016
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Willie Go/Strong Candidate
Flinging this turd against the wall early so I can claim it later: Charlie Strong fired, Willie Taggart snatched up, Strong to USF.— Curtis (@80mins) October 7, 2016
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Disbanded?
Stanford's marching band, the court jester of the marching world, has been suspended for 18 months following violation of university policies. The band was found responsible for new violations that included alcohol abuse and unauthorized travel, and violating sanctions from a previous Organization Conduct Board ruling. The suspension will keep the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band from appearing in this season's Sun Bowl, and if the terms are not altered, will keep them out of the entire 2017 football season. Perhaps the most damning is the board's statement upon sanctioning that the band's recent violations are “incredibly troubling and indicative of a systemic cultural problem,” and that “[they] do not feel that the current leadership or membership is capable of creating the necessary cultural change”.
I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end of the Stanford band as we know it.
Stanford has put a transition committee in place that will include a new music director and a new organizational framework. The LSJUMB is student-led by design, and is the last of the scramble bands remaining among Power 5 conferences. They've had a few high profile troubles recently, not the least of which was the last Rose Bowl, and it's possible the administration is fed up. In a statement, the university spokewoman affirmed that “Stanford treasures the band and its irreverence, its scatter-band tradition and the tree and the dollies [...] No one expects those elements to change.” but I think chances are good change is indeed on the horizon.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
#WinningSaturday to #GivingTuesday
Win #10, the final win of the regular season, came over C. Florida in the long-dubbed, now-recognized (and trophied) War on I-4. I'll fully admit that my views on the rivalry have evolved. I don't like C. Florida. I-4 is a punk ass state route that calls itself an interstate, Orlando is in non-coastal Florida (so what's the point?), their mayor is a mouse, and while I don't follow MLS, I root against Orlando City just because. So yeah, it felt glad to beat them, raise the overall series leader to 6-2 (2-2 since becoming conferencemates) and put the newly minted trophy in the trophy case that Knights love to talk about.
But yeah, swag my Bulls out. SB Nation just did. Sure, at times our defense thinks we're still auditioning for the Big 12, but with the Gulf Coast Offense averaging nearly 40 points a game, we've almost always been able to afford it. The team finished 10-2, brought home a co-division championship (shut up, I'm counting it) and burst into the rankings in the two major polls (but no love from the CFB playoff committee). Yet it's somehow been reasonably quiet - which I don't mind one bit. Granted, I don't think that any search firm worth its salt will overlook Willie Taggart as a candidate for some high profile jobs - reportedly Oregon's already sizing him up - but my hope is that having finally come home to USF and the Tampa Bay area, combined with unfinished business and a talented QB/RB tandem that may be able to be convinced to stay, given USF's relative obscurity, he may give it another go.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Staccato Notes/BOTR Game of the Week 2016 Week 12
It's been weeks on weeks since the last game of the week, but it's returning after a few short non-sequitur notes.
-Colorado's had quite a run this season, and I continue to root for their success. Because Jim Leavitt.
-Speaking of USF, I need someone to go ahead and kneecap Temple. There I go rooting against Philly football again.
-Barring that, however, we're looking at an all mid-Atlantic championship game in the American if we get Temple vs. Navy. Cresap's War redux, if you will.
For this week's game of the week, Ohio State travels to East Lansing in what this season's precedent would predict will be a shellacking of Michigan State. TBDBITL is making the trip, however, so halftime with both bands will be something to look forward to.
In the SEC Network What to Watch For, it's cupcake week in the SEC, which is surprisingly fertile ground for band matchups. My eye is drawn to the Plains, where In-state ag rival Alabama A&M will travel to Auburn and bring the Marching Maroon and White with them. The game kicks at 7, and halftime will be available via SEC Network+.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Wake Up
I headed west to Winston late in the Morning with Solid Verbal (and later The Old College Try) riding shotgun. My first stop was the Publix in Winston, which has been there for about six months. Buffalo chicken fingers Pub sub and a six pack of Blowing Rock Brewing's High Country Ale. I got to the stadium about 2 1/2 hours before game time and could already hear the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black's horns and drums at work for the Deacon Walk. If you're familiar with the layout of BB&T Field and its environs, most of the common parking is by the LJVM Coliseum, Wake's basketball arena, and you cross through a tunnel to get to the stadium. I could hear SOTOGAB loud and clear upon parking, and headed immediately over to catch what remained of Deacon Walk and the concert by the Deacon statue.
I really try not to be condescending when discussing Wake's size, but some things can't be denied or ignored. Wake Forest is the smallest school by enrollment in the Power Five conferences, and their stadium, in kind, is the smallest in the Power Five. The atmosphere, while lively, is probably on par with many in the Group of Five or high level FCS programs. And while I do genuinely enjoy what SOTOGAB has to offer, I like big bands and I cannot lie. While I could've, I didn't directly count membership, but I'd say they're 60 members soaking wet at best. While I know I've seen them march more - and play more in their pep band, in fact - they had just two sousaphones, which is one of my key shorthands for band size. Still, they packed a decent punch even from the game, where I was across the field and still about 80 yards from them.
After their concert, I headed back to the car for a bit more of my sandwich (I scarfed half and rushed through a beer upon my arrival) and realized that while my plan was not to tailgate, even having thrown a chair in the back of the van would've probably been a better look than standing awkwardly by the side of the car, though I ultimately decided to take it over to the memorial pillars in front of the Coliseum. I enjoyed some of the area's other offerings at a leisurely pace: The school-sanctioned tailgate area, a beautiful fall day on North Carolina's Piedmont, and eventually SOTOGAB warmups and the march to the stadium. I headed in as they did.
As coincidence would have it, i was in section 9, meaning the last time I walked through that tunnel was the rainout of NightBEAT back in July. The weather was far more on my side last Saturday, and my seat wasn't too bad either: Home side, side 2 6 yard line, about 5 rows from the action. I picked it up on the secondary market, though admittedly, I waited a bit longer than I should ave, price-wise. The game was a good one between two middling ACC programs. I rooted for the home team, and was pleased to see them win and gain bowl eligibility. The crowd immediately surrounding me was energetic, if not pessimistic, and they certainly felt a bit of inevitability when #accrefs struck. Virginia had a running back who was capable of taking advantage quite a bit both from handoffs and as a receiver, and Wake had some of the most lethargic QB/RB exchanges I've ever seen, but they were able to generate enough offense - helped by the defense, including a couple of key late takeaways. Wake scored the go-ahead touchdown deep in the 4th and was able to hold on for the victory.
Spending a fall day at a random act of football, the way nature intended, had me considering again if I want to consider a partial pass to Wake Forest football. While there's no actual allegiance, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. I know next season will include a USF game on my turf (we play at ECU in odd years) and likely some action up in Boone, as a friend's son will be playing at App State. Still, Wake will always be an option for delightful filler.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
A Glass of The Finest
Wake Forest is my closest Power Five school, at a distance less than half that of the next closest, a couple of shades of blue in Chapel Hill and Durham. If I were the sort to handpick allegiances (no), rock with private schools (hardly) or root for the contrarian choice (debatable), I might hop onto the Deac wagon, and barring that, season tickets sometimes seem tempting. Still, as many times as I've been in their venues, it has never been to root for the Demon Deacons. Rather, Wake has always been where I've gone to catch the other team, be it my own Bulls or Retrievers, my friends' Seminoles, or my part-time Terps. This weekend, I'll actually be clad in (their) black and gold, rooting for the home team with lukewarm enthusiasm.
Oh, and seeing the band.
There's always been a bit of a cruel intersection with two of my primary gameday passions. To be fully immersed in the tailgate lot often means missing some of the band's pregame traditions, and occasionally the pregame show itself. Tomorrow, I'm flying solo with no plans to tailgate intending instead to immerse myself in the Deacon Walk, pregame concert, and other traditions of the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black. I've been alternately critical and praiseworthy of SOTOGAB, due at least in part to my admitted big band bias, but I certainly enjoy them and I'm looking forward to spending some time with them.
While I had briefly considered doing what a reasonable person would consider "the most" and stopping by the A&T game vs South Carolina State before leaving Greensboro, I instead settled in on spending a complete gameday with the Deacs. The plans as of now are as follows:
-A Pub sub. There's now a Public inm Winston-Salem and the one-time Floridian in me has not yet taken advantage.
-Something brewed of the local variety: Winston's own Foothills or Small Batch,or perhaps something a bit further up the hill like Appalachian Mountain Brewing.
-Wake Forest's school-initiated tailgate zone. Not always my scene, but I'm interested to see what they've got going on.
-Deacon Walk, followed by SOTOGAB's pregame concert. In the tradition of slappoing -gating on the end of things, let's say I'm bandgating.
That's the plan, and beyond that, it's shaping up to be a gorgeous fall day in the Triad. Can't wait!
Monday, October 17, 2016
The Clash
The show leaps right into the action without a bunch of exposition or explanation as to what exactly drum corps is. It's a little surprising, since I think corps fans often feel the need to explain first, but they're either counting on the likely audience already being familiar (I'm sure most of us are) or the story carrying well enough without the audience knowing a mellophone from a baritone (and so far, it does). It focuses on the two most decorated corps in the activity, though knowing how last season went, I'm certain the Bluecoats are watching like:
Despite the false dichotomy, I've really enjoyed the show so far. I'm interested to see if we see much of the other corps as the season wears on. They seem to be playing the show to sports crowds as well, giving us easy-to-recognize venues like the Rose Bowl and Lucas Oil Stadium, where Blue Devils and Cadets began their respective seasons. One thing I hope to see and hear more of as the show continues are the actual corps. There has been a lot of scoring thus far, even as the corps are playing; I don't know if that's a stylistic choice, or done in part to avoid copyright issues.
If you're not already watching, Clash of the Corps airs at 11pm ET on Fuse, and can be found afterwards on Hulu and the Fuse app and website.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
All Hail
Now this is some first-class hospitality. Thank you, @RUMarchingBand. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/MUFle9AJup— Michigan Alumni (@michiganalumni) October 9, 2016
They serenaded the visiting Michigan fans with their own fight song, The Victors.
Odd though it may seem, the individual pieces, if not the combination, are consistent. Rutgers' band knows The Victors because they've fallen in step with a tradition in their new conference: Playing their opponent's fight song as part of the pregame. And while this use seems unorthodox, I'm told that the home band playing for opposing fans isn't unheard of. Still, in the seventh and eighth scoreless quarters against division rivals, I'm sure it was salt in the wound of the home fans, and a plume in the shako of Michigan fans who witnessed the thorough demoralization of the Scarlet Knights, who earned their first first down in the fourth quarter. Still, given the lyrics to the Michigan Fight song, there may have been no more fitting of a tribute:
Hail! to the victors valiant
Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes
Hail! Hail! to Michigan the leaders and best
Conqu'ring heroes, indeed.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
BOTR Game of the Week, 2016 Week 5
Thursday, September 29, 2016
High Notes, 2016 Week 4

The funny thing is, I don't think I've every explicitly noted football, except when it was paired with the band performance.
One of this week's high notes changes that. in the late-but-not-too-late hours of Saturday night, I got to witness a bit of Pac-12 After Dark, as the Stanford-UCLA game was at a reasonable 8pm local time for us east coasters (though I'm not gonna lie, I still stayed up for the far less reasonable Arizona State-Cal game). The ending was great by all accounts, unless you're a gambler and lost out on Stanford's front door cover. Still, that the Cardinal found a way to win on a late game drive down the field was the sort of thing those of us with an east coast bias tend to miss out on.
Call me basic, but I've long loved a good fall festival, and North Carolina is not in short supply this time of the year. My kids and I went to two here in the Triad, though from their standpoint, I took them to a couple of fields they delighted in running around.
Finally, this weekend marked the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, and in a clip I sadly only saw in Instagram's story (so it's gone now), Howard University's Showtime Marching Band was there, fittingly, to help celebrate.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Taking a Knee
The protests have now hit the band world.
In a week where both Terence Crutcher in Tulsa and KeithnScott in Charlotte lost their lives to police, members of at least two college bands joined in the spirit of protest. In Chapel Hill, members of the Marching Tar Heels protested. As a formidable mass in the student section remained seated, fists raised, at least two Marching Tar Heels took a knee and did not play.
The night before in Dallas, five members of SMU's Mustang Band took a knee but continued to play during the anthem. Of particular note in this instance, SMU was using the game to honor five Dallas police officers, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patricio Zamarripa, who were killed in an ambush during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest following police related killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling in a tragically bloody stretch this summer.
Much as NFL and other franchises have each handled protesting players differently, it remains to be seen how bands will address protests from within their ranks.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
BOTR Game of the Week, 2016 Week 4
FSU:
USF:
For the What to Watch on SEC Network+, there are no confirmed Band on the Road games from that slate, so I'll default to the early catch: Kent State at Alabama. The Marching Golden Flashes aren't coming to Alabama, but getting to catch the Million Dollar Band is certainly no consolation.
High Notes, 2016 Week 3
Saturday, September 17, 2016
MOB Mentality
Rice's Marching Owl Band is a scramble band. Most are familiar with Stanford, the only such example from the Power Five, with Cal having changed its ways a half century ago and the Virginia Pep Band being banned from athletic events back in 2003. Such bands remain popular in the Ivy League, and their MO across the board is to provide social commentary and poke fun at the opposing team or area. Oh, and sometimes play some music. Tonight, as Baylor played at Rice, the MOB made clear references to the ongoing scandal at Baylor, which identified a massive university failure to appropriately address sexual assault and uncovered wrongdoing within the football program which, among other things, cost former head coach Art Briles his job. While many would consider referencing such a serious situation with frivolity in a halftime show in poor taste, the MOB went right after it, with on field formations giving nods to (Title) IX and (ousted Baylor president and chancellor Kenneth) Star(r).
Years ago, when it was improbable but still mathematically possible that Penn State and Stanford would meet in a bowl shortly after the Jerry Sandusky scandal, I wondered aloud: If the two were to meet, would the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band go there? While we never learned that specific answer, Rice may have shown us tonight that there's nothing off limits.
Friday, September 16, 2016
BOTR Game of the Week, 2016 Week 3
Oh, and the band matchup, between a pair of Sudler-winning programs, isn't half bad either.
Ohio State:
Oklahoma:
In this week's What to Watch - highlighting a halftime you can actually see via SEC Network+, another Ohio band goes on the road as the Marching 110 of Ohio University head south to Neyland Stadium to take on the Pride of the Southland. SEC Network+ coverage opens at 1pm; my strategy has been to open the feed and keep an eye on the game clock as the second quarter winds down.
In Flight
There's been quite the flight out of the state that boasts of being first in it.
Back in March, the North Carolina legislature passed HB2, a bill that, among other things, requires individuals to use the bathrooms that correspond with their sex as listed on their birth certificate, regardless of gender identity. The bill's original passing garnered criticism from many, including many in the sports world, but in the past couple of months, leagues have been voting with their dollars, hitting the state majorly by moving events elsewhere.
The NBA took flight first, moving the 2017 All-Star Game originally scheduled for Charlotte. New Orleans is the beneficiary (sound familiar, Hornets fans?) despite Atlanta dirty macking on the game as far back as April. But two more shoes dropped in the past week: The NCAA pulled out all non-campus-based tournaments and championships; of most impact to me was the first and second rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, scheduled for here in Greensboro. But in the most meaningful move yet, the ACC pulled its championships from North Carolina, including the football championship from Charlotte and the women's basketball tournament from Greensboro. That even this league would pull from North Carolina is particularly telling; the ACC was founded here in Greensboro and has called the state home for 63 years. Four of its prominent institutions, including perhaps the nation's biggest basketball rivalry, are located here. Their willingness to take this stand speaks volumes. No word yet as to where either is headed, though sources (and I've got my own, not just Brett "Sources" McMurphy) say football is in talks with Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
While I'm sad that I'll miss out on the events, I'm happy to see these leagues take a stand.
Game Recognize Game
Right now, none of that matters.
The Southern University community, like much of Baton Rouge and southern Louisiana, was devastated by catastrophic flooding through much of the month of August, and while the waters have receded, the community - in a state heavily affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 - continues to assess damage and rebuild, both physically and emotionally.
An olive branch - or more specifically, a buckeye leaf - was extended from Ohio, as the Ohio State band sent the Human Jukebox a bass drum head, signed by all of their members, as well as a note from director Chris Hoch, letting Southern know they had their back in the face of adversity. See the video below.
Argue all you will about the talent of either band - and again, there's very little to argue - but this was an amazing showing of bandsmanship.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
High Notes, 2016 Week 2
In the grander sense: SEC Network+ coverage? You've got yourself a fan.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
BOTR Game of the Week, 2016 Week 2
This week's game of the week is Reality of Missing Out (ROMO?) for me. Three years ago, when the Battle at Bristol was announced, I reached out to one of my football roll dogs, James, and postulated that with the sheer number of tickets available, even the expected ticket gouge at this level of event would be tempered by supply. Plenty has happened since that time, however; most notable James moving to Alabama and me becoming the fraternity/sorority life advisor, which gives me responsibility for Panhellenic sorority recruitment this weekend. Still, there's no doubt in my mind that the event is quite the spectacle, and I find the band matchup - both the Pride of the Southland and Marching Virginians are making the trip - intriguing, if not a daunting prospect for both bands. Crank it to the cheap seats, y'all.
I've decided to start adding a segment to the Game of the Week: What to Watch. While I've never been accused of an SEC bias, their current band stance gives them the additional attention it should. I'll start giving a heads up on the SEC halftime to watch, since one actually can watch it now!
But a funny thing happened. Thanks to the aforementioned sorority recruitment, I'm not posting this until halftime has already passed for the morning and afternoon games. So the call I expected to make, Texas A&M-Prairie View A&M, has already passed. Talk about a clash of styles! I watched it, and while the feed is a fixed, high angle camera, I'll take it. Both Ole Miss and Vanderbilt were hit with weather delays, so the Vanderbilt Spirit of Gold (and likely visiting Middle Tennessee Band of Blue) haven't yet taken the field. In the evening slot, my What to Watch is the Auburn University Marching Band, with an outside shot of Arkansas State's Sound of the Natural State visiting.
High Notes 2016 Week 1
I'll use the holiday weekend's bookends as Week 1's high notes. While there were games on Thursday and Friday, the weekend began at 7:30am Eastern with Georgia Tech and Boston College meeting in Dublin Ireland. Hey, I suppose Ireland's got an Atlantic Coast too. What's notable is that the Screamin' Eagles and Marching Yellowjackets did a joint halftime show across the pond, making it quite the Band on the Road trip.
On the other end of the weekend, FSU and Ole Miss did battle in Camping World Stadium (formerly the
Sunday, September 4, 2016
It Just Means More
This isn't about "I told you so," but rather excitement that my prediction came to fruition.
This past Thursday night, while watching the stateside opener of major college football, host of [Memphis] Tigers Tonight and Twitter friend John brought to my attention that the WatchESPN feed had a separate SEC Network+ feed for Tennessee's Pride of the Southland (and visiting Appalachian State's Marching Mountaineers) halftime show. After a bit of research, I learned that it is now standard operating procedure for SEC Network games to have a separate SEC Network+ (online only) broadcast of halftime, available via WatchESPN. There didn't seem to be much fanfare; the first "announcement" I came across was via lsufootball.net on Twitter. Still, scanning the SEC Network TV schedule for any Saturday will show, unmistakeably, the halftime show as separate programming about an hour into each game.
This isn't ESPN's first venture in showing halftime, but it's the most significant. Last summer, ESPN began televising halftime of MEAC games in ESPN3, but those were few and far between. They've shown bowl game halftimes in varying amounts,but those games are special by design. This current move means three halftime shows each Saturday, the regularity of such we be never seen in the ESPN era. While this is great in a vacuum, it may very well multiply in college football's arms race. Consider that the Big Ten Network is a rival on multiple fronts: the conferences, the networks (ESPN and Fox) and the fact that the Big Ten, a conference that takes marching seriously and holds 10 Sudler trophies among its 14 schools, is being upstaged by another conference. It's not unreasonable to consider that they could follow suit. At the risk of quoting myself again, from June 2012's "Band from Television":
Someone's going to hop on this, and whether it's the Big Ten, SEC, Longhorn, or some other network, it wouldn't surprise me if the others follow suit to keep up with the Joneses.
No argument here.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Week One
Whether you're enjoying it from your couch, your yard, your car, or a stadium near you, happy opening week!
Monday, August 29, 2016
Rammer Jammer
I'm far more sophisticated as a sports fan, tailgating fan, and RV enthusiast these days.
As the full title outlines, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania captures all of the madness that is University of Alabama football. Alabama native and lifelong Bama fan-turned Columbia man and New Yorker Warren St. John follows - nay, joins - the RV corps that supports the Crimson Tide at each football game. The book takes you into the lot with a colorful cast of Crimson clad fans, as well as games - home, away, and Birmingham - booster meetings, ticket brokerages, and a studio set or two. Eleven years ago, it was where I first heard of the eponymous cheer, met PAAWWWLL Finebaum, and in many ways got engrossed in a fan culture outside of my own USF Bulls, then not even a decade old. For St. John, the journey met both the journalistic need of the book itself, but also scratched an itch as a lifelong Bama fan. For me, it was the first book in a series of welcome tailgate escapes for me: To follow would be Clay Travis' Dixieland Delight, Adam Goldstein's Tailgate to Heaven, and the YouTube series Tailgate32, among others. In fact, in the larger sense, it sparked in me other literary escapism in the form of the road trip, as Tar Heel Traveler, America Unchained, and American Pie are also among reads since that time.
But now, over a decade later, I read the book with fresh eyes. No longer a mere enthusiast, I follow college football with a fervor that extends beyond just my program. Tailgating too is a passion, and I've got gear befitting of someone who gets into as often as I'd like to, which is to say far more often than I actually do. And perhaps the most recent edition to the many boxes this book checks for me, Serendipity led me to the RV Family Travel Atlas podcast, which I've been listening to for months now, adding yet another layer of familiarity to St. John's quest.
Ever since the first read, I've had distant dreams of a similar trek. Revisiting it has reinvigorated the desire. I'd recommend the book to everyone, but be forewarned: It may be contagious.
Dress those Lines
How could I not amplify the latest project from College Marching?
College football uniforms have long run the gamut from traditional to avant garde. On the bleeding edge of design, programs like Oregon, Baylor and UMCP seem to have a new design each week. Throwbacks and fauxbacks, uniforms honoring our armed forces, breast cancer awareness, BFBS (black for black's sake, for the uninitiated), and all chrome everything are just a few of the trends we've seen in uniform design. Why not honor those who are there supporting the team, through thick and thin, from the pregame until the last note sounds - because they're the ones sounding it?
In their current series, College Marching is reimagining college football uniforms in the style of each school's marching band. The Big 12 dropped today, and the other Power 5 leagues will follow in the days leading up to opening weekend. Some might be as likely to roll off the looms at Nike or UnderArmour as Fred J. Miller and DeMoulin, while others - most notable Texas and Texas Tech - take on a far more creative interpretation. Regardless, all of the renderings are top notch. Be sure to follow along as the series continues!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
NPS 100
I live in Greensboro, NC, and I've often said this city is at its peak in mid-March, when the ACC basketball tournament is taking place across town from the reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. It was at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park - where I made this weekend's centennial pilgrimage - that I first learned the ACC-ubiquitous *dut diggy dut dut, dut diggy dut dut, dut!* Go [Team Name] is actually based in a Revolutionary War-era snare call for attack.
Military music is the most obvious point of connection with the National Park Service units. The Marine Band has regular summer missions on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The Navy Band was involved in the rededication of the the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina, and each of the premier ensembles have a role in military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. At Arlington and other NPS units where Taps is sounded, I'm reminded of my own connection to the bugle call, as my college pep band director is its foremost authority. The University of Maryland at College Park even put an NPS unit - Fort McHenry - on their helmets, while partnering with WVU to reenact the bombardment that birthed out National Anthem.
Happy anniversary, NPS!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Band on the Road Project 2016
You love your team. You love them more with a soundtrack.
For some, the series needs no introduction. Band on the Road, now in its sixth year, documents marching band travel to away and neutral site games over the course of the season. As in any year, the database is completely open source, so while I've laid the groundwork based on bands' public schedules, anyone with insider information should feel free to add any travel that is missing.
Last year, the database underwent a pretty big change, and It's stayed the course for 2016. Where there were once separate lists for each game week, there is now one list, in calendar format. I've stuck to the Power 5 leagues, plus Power 5 adjacents Notre Dame and BYU, again out of scope, not slight. And I've included all HBCU classics, regardless of division, where once I had simply included the Division I HBCUs.
Without further ado...
Monday, August 22, 2016
Cooking with Gas
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The new grill and its majestic floral backdrop. |
Purchased this summer and up and kicking in time for a Fourth of July party, I've since become decently proficient, if I do say so myself. I actually gave it a trial run before having folks over for the 4th; after all, with limited gas experience, I had to make sure I knew what I was doing. Turns out I had nothing to worry about; if anything, I took a step down in difficulty switching to propane. While I've often been the sort to fire up the grill frequently, there's something to be said for the easy on, easy off of gas. I'm not hauling this bad boy to the tailgate lot anytime soon, but it'll be the face of homegating from here on out.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
A Tale of Two Shows
I had opined philosophically - on multiple occasions - about how Wake Forest's BB&T Field was the ideal location for NightBEAT, but hadn't fully experienced it in reality until a week ago. As previously stated, there is a formidable case for leaving the event in Winston full time. One of the first things I noticed this year - which may have been in place last year, but our schedule kept us from realizing - is that NightBEAT is far more of an event in Winston-Salem than it is in Charlotte. It's a similar argument to keeping the ACC men's basketball tournament in Greensboro instead of larger metros: While events can get swallowed up in larger cities, the smaller ones can truly roll out the red carpet. In Charlotte, the event wasn't even in the area's premier stadium, while it certainly is in Winston (sorry, Bowman Gray). Heading west on I-40 into Winston, highway display signs guided "event traffic" along their way. I even wondered aloud for a moment of we were headed to the "event" of which they spoke, having never received such guidance in Charlotte, and it quickly became evident that we were.
The CrownEVENTS team has never skimped on making sure this was not just a drum corps show, but an event. This year was no exception: The Voice's Katie Basden provided pre-show entertainment, the Commandant's Own Marine Drum and Bugle Corps returned in exhibition, and the show featured a flyover - reportedly the first in DCI history - from the Bandit Flight Team from Raleigh. As a North Carolinian of over a decade, this is where I proudly puff out my chest and note "First in Flight". Wake Forest's stadium has a jumbotron; I haven't been in a non-finals show with one since 2004-05 in the Citrus Bowl, and I don't recall that having been used for commercials, previews, and different angles on the corps for those who chose to look. We were seated at about the 2 yard line on side 2; until the kids are older and can sit more still, we opt for the cheap seats. In ACC parlance, we made it through a Notre Dame conference football schedule - just five of the eight corps - before the heavens opened with a rainstorm that ultimately called the show. While we missed Crown, the Cadets, and Blue Devils, we did get to catch this year's conversation piece and current clubhouse leader, the Bluecoats.
The next night, I was a single rider, driving solo up the road to Salem, VA for the Summer Music Games of Southwest Virginia. The two stadiums are night and day: NightBEAT took place in the fairly recently renovated stadium of a Power 5 team in an urban area; the Salem show was in a stadium most often used for high school football nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've made the trip a few times, and Salem Football Stadium has long been one of my favorite places to watch drum corps for the scenery alone. It's also often been my chance to catch DCI's mid-majors - while I'm certainly not lamenting having a Tour of Champions show in my relative backyard, Salem's always been a chance to see what else the summer has to offer. True to form, this year's show only featured the Cavaliers of the G7 corps, while treating me to West Coast road warriors in the Mandarins and Oregon Crusaders, as well as the Blue Knights, Crossmen, Jersey Surf, and Spirit of Atlanta. I think between two nights, I might have caught every cymbal line marching DCI this summer: Santa Clara and Madison on Sunday, and Jersey Surf, Mandarins, Spirit, Oregon, and Crossmen on Monday. As a crash squad enthusiast, seven out of eleven distinct corps is not a bad haul.
I realized that before Sunday's show I had gone over a year without seeing an actual field show: With only lots and practice last DCI season and the anomaly of no live football games last season, I hadn't seen a band/corps perform a full show in uniform since last year's Crown Preview.
Remind me not to let that happen ever again.
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