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Post by hewhowaits on Aug 24, 2024 8:12:47 GMT -6
When I marched there was a school out of Dayton, Col White, that marched maybe 20 people on the field in what was Open class that may be AAAA today. They took 2nd over a band pushing 200 on the field out of 3 total open class bands, and I got to watch that live from the backside. They deserved it that day. Many years later, I still remember that day, but who has heard of Col White? During the time that it's reasonable to estimate that you were in high school, the school was known as The Colonel White High School for the Performing Arts. The school closed in 2008.
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Post by AvonDad on Aug 24, 2024 12:43:44 GMT -6
During the time that it's reasonable to estimate that you were in high school, the school was known as The Colonel White High School for the Performing Arts. The school closed in 2008. I completely forgot it was a performing arts school. We normally went on early at competitions and our new director made us set in the back on the bleachers and try and score the rest of the bands. He said if we didn't know what the judges were looking for, how could we get better. He was a judge before coming to our school. I still think "Marching and Maneuvering" and don't "caterpillar" when I watch shows as that was drilled into us. I graduated back in 85.
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Post by aiden on Aug 25, 2024 1:09:13 GMT -6
I mean.. in the first half of the season, what are the rankings even based on? A lot of schools don't do any public performances, let alone competitions until late Sept/early Oct. Maybe y'all have access to spy videos or HornRank satellite footage, but even if you had practice or halftime footage, is it worth much at that point? Maybe it makes sense to have a pre-season list, and then wait until mid-Oct to pick up weekly rankings? For example, I know a certain SC school that keeps a TIGHT lid on show footage until their first competition, so there's really no way to have any idea where to slot them. is it Wando?
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Post by crunchycookie3 on Aug 25, 2024 10:57:50 GMT -6
This is an interesting thread, because I think it would be hard to find anyone who wouldn't change anything about the rankings at present. Here's some changes I would propose to the current rankings system:
-An expansion of the number of voters. In statistics, the larger a sample size is, the closer you get to a true reading on the population, which I would hope would be the goal of these rankings. I may be in the minority thinking this, but the ranking system as it stands right now feels to me like a relatively small group of people vote on the bands--sometimes at direct odds with contest results--which then leads to frustration on the part of band members. To me, this is a side-effect that should and could be minimized by reasonably expanding the contributors to provide for more viewpoints at the table. -Eliminating pre-season polls. As previously discussed with regard to CTJ, the band world (particularly BOA) is incredibly volatile and ridiculously hard to predict. So, ranking bands before there are any videos out and any scores posted already implies that there is bias in the band world, and their shouldn't be! Truthfully, the results last year proved that judges in BOA are much more willing to look past previous success of a program in order to reward newer programs that achieve at just as high, if not higher, levels. -Not allowing bands to make a debut in the HornRank top 32 until they have a scored show. This is how rankings for DCI work! While Bluecoats won the whole season undefeatedly, they did not debut in the rankings until their first scored show on July 2nd, nearly a week after shows had already begun across the country. This would allow for some fresh faces in the top 32, particularly in the early season. Furthermore, it is the BOA TOP 32!! Some groups like Tarpon Springs will undoubtedly place in the top 32 by the end of the season. I understand that strength of schedule is a factor (or at least is listed as one) in the results as it currently stands, though ranking groups with this metric, particularly pre- and early season, feels a bit premature. -Allowing members to submit an 'honorable mention' band each week. Not a new idea, and if you read around it's evident this idea has been proposed ad nauseam in this thread, but it's certainly an idea with merit!
Lastly, I understand that HornRank Top 32 is modeled after the AP Top 25 polls for college football. But, why? I think there's no reason why this system cannot be its own thing that places less emphasis on legacy and predictive power (which is nearly impossible in BOA, mind you) and more emphasis on rewarding performances that have already happened. Just my two cents!
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Post by coleeich on Aug 25, 2024 17:03:49 GMT -6
I tend to agree with the first statement especially regarding the number of voters. I’ve felt for years now that the number of people should be expanded. I do see some challenge in how to control the vote to ensure it doesn’t just become a popularity contest, but I am sure there is a solution. If nothing else, I would hope the voters could consider expanding the vote to members who have consistently contributed to the forums. I am not a voter currently, and I have seen state affiliation be listed as a reason for excluding certain individuals. I do believe when it comes to a vote for something like this, many individuals would be able to set aside *most* internal biases to be as fair and accurate as possible. I sure know I would, and I am confident there are others as well. I love promoting Oklahoma bands, but I do not unrealistically believe Mustang for example is better than Avon. Likewise, if state bias is a concern, then perhaps we could control by including a certain number of voters from each region or even from each state. Just ideas, but I do think there needs to be some reworking done in the way the ranking is accomplished.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 25, 2024 18:53:21 GMT -6
All very good points for sure. And yes, we absolutely do need more contributors.
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Post by Allohak on Sept 1, 2024 18:48:16 GMT -6
FWIW, about to send the pre-season info out to about 50 people. Things said in this thread have definitely not been ignored and looking forward to some extra little treats thrown in throughout the fall. Band season is well and truly upon us!
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Post by ilikeguard on Sept 2, 2024 13:52:42 GMT -6
If, for some reason, I were to be a voter…there is a possibility I may have been multitasking and may have put one band twice and written the wrong state for another. If I were a voter, and if this did happen, I would hope that the person tallying the votes would understand what I meant and that I am only human. But it’s a good thing this is all hypothetical 😁
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Post by philodemus on Sept 2, 2024 15:31:08 GMT -6
So, as long as we're talking hypotheticals...
Suppose one were trying to figure out how to even start to vote... like, how to search for relevant information, particularly so early in the season... how--hypothetically--would one do so?
Hypothetically, the whole thing might seem pretty daunting.
I mean, hypothetically, I always assumed there was some Super Secret vault of bootleg, illegal videos that the voters passed around. But, hypothetically... it would appear there is not?
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Post by Allohak on Sept 2, 2024 20:08:41 GMT -6
So, as long as we're talking hypotheticals... Suppose one were trying to figure out how to even start to vote... like, how to search for relevant information, particularly so early in the season... how--hypothetically--would one do so? Hypothetically, the whole thing might seem pretty daunting. I mean, hypothetically, I always assumed there was some Super Secret vault of bootleg, illegal videos that the voters passed around. But, hypothetically... it would appear there is not? can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any illegal videos...
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Post by LeanderMomma on Sept 3, 2024 13:44:42 GMT -6
So, as long as we're talking hypotheticals... Suppose one were trying to figure out how to even start to vote... like, how to search for relevant information, particularly so early in the season... how--hypothetically--would one do so? Hypothetically, the whole thing might seem pretty daunting. I mean, hypothetically, I always assumed there was some Super Secret vault of bootleg, illegal videos that the voters passed around. But, hypothetically... it would appear there is not? can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any illegal videos... 🤐🤐🤐
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