ATTN: BRIAN BRITT

[proud gonzo]

I know you like to focus on the sound of the band, and you have a different philosophy than that of the former director. I understand that we disagree on the purpose of a marching band, and that's fine. But would you mind at least teaching your band how to properly swing their horns when they play Boomer so they don't look like a bunch of lazy little ****ers everytime the band is shown on tv?

So we're not as loud anymore--fine. So the lines aren't as straight during pregame--fine. So the fundamentals aren't as snappy--FINE. But when Oklahoma scores a touchdown, i don't care if we're behind by 2 TDs or ahead by 4, you take a huge breath, bend your knees, and you swing that horn like you goddamn MEAN it. Every time they show the band on tv I am EMBARRASSED that they're allowed to wear that uniform. They are not members of The Pride that once existed, and I refuse to call them that.

Mr. Britt, you are not the director of The Pride of Oklahoma. You're just in charge of the marching band.

[Okla-homey]

and MORE COWBELL dammit!

[Cam]

Mr Britt, you've just been served.

:hot: :pop: :hot: :pop: :hot: :pop:


I know you like to focus on the sound of the band, and you have a different philosophy than that of the former director. I understand that we disagree on the purpose of a marching band, and that's fine. But would you mind at least teaching your band how to properly swing their horns when they play Boomer so they don't look like a bunch of lazy little ****ers everytime the band is shown on tv?

So we're not as loud anymore--fine. So the lines aren't as straight during pregame--fine. So the fundamentals aren't as snappy--FINE. But when Oklahoma scores a touchdown, i don't care if we're behind by 2 TDs or ahead by 4, you take a huge breath, bend your knees, and you swing that horn like you goddamn MEAN it. Every time they show the band on tv I am EMBARRASSED that they're allowed to wear that uniform. They are not members of The Pride that once existed, and I refuse to call them that.

Mr. Britt, you are not the director of The Pride of Oklahoma. You're just in charge of the marching band.

[Veritas]

I can't tell if this is a serious post or not.

[soonerboomer93]

pgwned

[Rogue]

Band nerd meltdowns are the best! :D

[Rogue]

Swinging the horn is that big-a-deal?
Really?

[proud gonzo]

I can't tell if this is a serious post or not.


Swinging the horn is that big-a-deal?
Really?

yes and yes.

[SicEmBaylor]

I always get turned on watching a cute chick play the piccolo.

[proud gonzo]

I always get turned on watching a cute chick play the piccolo.
if anyone else had said that, i'd assume it was a euphemism.

[Rogue]

if anyone else had said that, i'd assume it was a euphemism.

Heh! SicEm is a symbolically subconscious stud-muffin.

[soonerboomer93]

if anyone else had said that, i'd assume it was a euphemism.

he likes a girl that's used to handling tiny things?



eh, i got nothin...

[soonerbrat]

if anyone else had said that, i'd assume it was a euphemism.

he likes seeing them blow on teeny tiny flutes.

[yermom]

i'm surprised they let them on the sacred ground today

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

But would you mind at least teaching your band how to properly swing their horns when they play Boomer so they don't look like a bunch of lazy little ****ers everytime the band is shown on tv?

I noticed that too, mainly from the trumpet section. Trust me, if ABC gave the saxophone section some decent TV time, you'd be whistling a different tune.

[Turd_Ferguson]

I noticed that too, mainly from the trumpet section. Trust me, if ABC gave the saxophone section some decent TV time, you'd be whistling a different tune.OUT

[proud gonzo]

I noticed that too, mainly from the trumpet section. Trust me, if ABC gave the saxophone section some decent TV time, you'd be whistling a different tune.meh. i saw them. saxophones < brass.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

You should punch him in the balls.

But seriously asking, as I don't know. Is the performance drop-off in games balanced any against performance on stage? Does the Pride even do stage stuff? Or has it just dropped off alltogether?

[proud gonzo]

they only perform as a marching band. not on stage.

[GottaHavePride]

I noticed that too, mainly from the trumpet section. Trust me, if ABC gave the saxophone section some decent TV time, you'd be whistling a different tune.

Negative, ghost rider.

The difference is in their faces. Every time the camera panned past the band, every single one of them looked bored. It's that "Oh, look, we scored another touchdown. Do we have to play Boomer Sooner again? *sigh* well, I suppose...." attitude.

If they don't care about the game why are any of them there? A beatdown that epic should have had them jumping up and down and bludgeoning their neighbors with their instruments in their excitement. Instead, they looked half-asleep.

I'd forgive them if they all looked hung-over, but they didn't even have THAT.

[Okla-homey]

Mebbe they should consider opening the Pride up to non-students. I would imagine there are lots of people around the OKC metro, perhaps even some ex-Pride members who are still youthful and spry who could help perk it up. Perhaps the enthusiasm they would bring would be infectious and spread to the current crop of slackers.

and before you go, "but, that isn't done. This is a student marching band," just know there are several college marching bands around the country that have non-students therein.

[proud gonzo]

To consider doing something like that, they'd have to admit that there's something in need of fixing. THAT is the problem.

[badger]

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a "big pack" of orange Tic Tacs in the office while your favorite NFL team in the whole wide world loses once again in a domed stadium named for some former governor with a silly name, because even though I wish Brett Favre never moved to New York, even though I wish Adrian Peterson never got drafted to the Vikings and even though the whole situation makes me very unhappy to think about the sadness of it all... there's absolutely nothing I can do to change it from this quiet Tulsa office on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Eff Aaron Rodgers.

And eff Ryan Grant.

And most of all, EFF TED THOMPSON.

Sad days when I'm debating becoming a CFL fan.

[badger]

Eff Aaron Rodgers.

And eff Ryan Grant.

And most of all, EFF TED THOMPSON.

Sad days when I'm debating becoming a CFL fan.

I've been an Aaron Rodgers fan, despite his occasional foot-in-mouth problems.

I've been a fan of Ryan Grant because of his improbable rise to being a solid NFL starter (much like seventh rounder Donald Driver).

As for Ted Thompson... well, the fine taxpayers of Green Bay are the real owners of the Packers, but unfortunately, they can't all fit into an owner's skybox and throw millions around. :D

My real point, however, was that being upset over something isn't going to change it... and can we change it? I don't know... so is it really worth getting upset over?

I have hated Aggie for awhile now and it was utter bliss to see them go down in flames at their Aggie home. However, for a younger crowd, who didn't have to endure RC Slocom ruining title hopes in 2002 (and yes, this was before meltdown in Pokedom) or Fran Fran faking a field goal and punt en route to touchdowns while their fans gloated all the way to... a loss, tee hee.

I'm not sure people can be instructed or forced to feel a certain way as you suggest. Perhaps another few season like the 90s with no bowl game or a year like 2005 where title hopes go up in flames at the home opener will do it...

... but then, you have to think of everyone else involved, like the fans (who were demanding that more points be run up on Nebraska in revenge for the 90s) and the players (who have worked so hard for a successful season despite a loss in Dallas last month) and the coaches, etc.

Should we really be that worried about a few hundred (or rather, about 50, since it's just trumpets) students that are not as enthusiastic as we score our 66th point in College Station?

I have stopped caring about such matters. Hell, just a few weeks ago we saw the OU-Baylor game in 2005 when we were playing "Boomer Sooner" as our team was getting ready to punt after not converting on third down. I don't think further instructions, lectures or rules would force me to be very enthusiastic back then at the prospect of playing Boomer Sooner at that very "meh" moment.

[Widescreen]

What you former band folks need to realize is that pretty much only former band folks notice that kind of thing. I'm busy watching the game and replays. When they show the band, I can't think of one time that I thought "wow, that looks like crap".

[Tulsa_Fireman]

I have.

I'm not a band guy, but when they're marching at the half, you'd expect a fairly tight drill. Not A&M tight, but tight. They ain't tight.

If it's loose enough for a goof like me to see it, then it must be bad.

[badger]

What you former band folks need to realize is that pretty much only former band folks notice that kind of thing. I'm busy watching the game and replays. When they show the band, I can't think of one time that I thought "wow, that looks like crap".

heh.

[Rogue]

The fireman tells the truth.

[SouthFortySooner]

..overheard while walking to the stadium from teh dorms, one pretty young girl to another, "this is what I love about football games, its chilly and I get to set under my OU blanket"... circa 1976

point is we all have our thang.

[norman sooner pride]

The band looked tired because they got like two hours of sleep Friday night - arrived at hotel in houston at 1 AM and had 5 AM wake up call



If they don't care about the game why are any of them there? A beatdown that epic should have had them jumping up and down and bludgeoning their neighbors with their instruments in their excitement. Instead, they looked half-asleep.

I'd forgive them if they all looked hung-over, but they didn't even have THAT.[/QUOTE]

[GottaHavePride]

The band looked tired because they got like two hours of sleep Friday night - arrived at hotel in houston at 1 AM and had 5 AM wake up call


I know. I've done it before. Wake-up call for the Rose Bowl parade was something like 4:30am. Plenty of time to be tired AFTER the game. ;)

[proud gonzo]

EXACTLY.

[OklaPony]

I know. I've done it before. Wake-up call for the Rose Bowl parade was something like 4:30am. Plenty of time to be tired AFTER the game. ;)


EXACTLY.

^^What they said^^

[froneal]

Just another complaint tacked on to the laundry list of things wrong with the Pride. I don't know if you guys know this, but on firebrianbritt.com there is a .pdf of a letter sent from Pride upperclassmen to Britt himself wherein they outline their problems with the band. Supposedly a meeting was held with whoever wanted to attend to discuss these problems, but I never heard what happened with all that. The complaints aren't just coming from stodgy old fogies.

I've noticed from people I've talked to, current and former Pride members, that the 3rd year of being in Pride is when the rose-tinted glasses come off and you start catching on to the inner workings. When you retread the same steps every single year, it quickly becomes evident why the Pride never gets any better. Britt doesn't think anything is wrong, so nothing changes. Then he hires staff and grad assistants that think exactly like he does and they just recycle the same tired old adages he spews out every week.

If the way the Pride plays now is "playing like a champion" then I'd hate to see what it'd look like supporting a team with a losing record. :mad:

[BudSooner]

Brian Britt=Boo Blake?

[Oldnslo]

I have.

I'm not a band guy, but when they're marching at the half, you'd expect a fairly tight drill. Not A&M tight, but tight. They ain't tight.

If it's loose enough for a goof like me to see it, then it must be bad.

ditto.

Watching the Pride these days is not at all unlike watching the Schnelly or Blake football squads. Good kids being led astray by guys who are either out of their league or in the wrong league.

[soonerbrat]

Just another complaint tacked on to the laundry list of things wrong with the Pride. I don't know if you guys know this, but on firebrianbritt.com there is a .pdf of a letter sent from Pride upperclassmen to Britt himself wherein they outline their problems with the band. Supposedly a meeting was held with whoever wanted to attend to discuss these problems, but I never heard what happened with all that. The complaints aren't just coming from stodgy old fogies.

I've noticed from people I've talked to, current and former Pride members, that the 3rd year of being in Pride is when the rose-tinted glasses come off and you start catching on to the inner workings. When you retread the same steps every single year, it quickly becomes evident why the Pride never gets any better. Britt doesn't think anything is wrong, so nothing changes. Then he hires staff and grad assistants that think exactly like he does and they just recycle the same tired old adages he spews out every week.

If the way the Pride plays now is "playing like a champion" then I'd hate to see what it'd look like supporting a team with a losing record. :mad:


so are you calling PG and GHP "stodgy old fogies"?

[Scott D]

better than calling them "cranky metamucil drinkers" ;)

[NormanPride]

The band looked tired because they got like two hours of sleep Friday night - arrived at hotel in houston at 1 AM and had 5 AM wake up call


Wuss. You shouldn't have gotten any sleep because those four hours should have been spent drinking. OH YEAH! The Pride is dry now. Sucks to be you!

It's not their fault, really. When you suck the fun out, it's hard to get pumped up for a blowout.

[froneal]

so are you calling PG and GHP "stodgy old fogies"?

And myself... :D

But those "not enlightened," so to speak, tend to blame "those crazy Internet people" for maligning the Pride, rather than taking aim at the band staff.

[KingBarry]

OH YEAH! The Pride is dry now. Sucks to be you!

OH, THE HUMANITY! Say it isn't so! RU kidding me? The Pride is dry?

I am speehless.

Can someone please elaborate on this please?

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Serious question...

How in the hell did Britt become the Pride director? Who did he know or did, what was so great about his resume that said he was the person for the job. From what I know, I don't think his resume was that impressive. Any info from *************'s? TIA.

[Scott D]

he paid close attention to the lessons from NWA's "The Art of Sucking ****" :)

[TheHumanAlphabet]

OH, THE HUMANITY! Say it isn't so! RU kidding me? The Pride is dry?

I am speehless.

Can someone please elaborate on this please?

Must be an 80/20 member...;)

Signed, THA a 98/2 member.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

he paid close attention to the lessons from NWA's "The Art of Sucking ****" :)

He must have been brown from the waist up... ;)

[GottaHavePride]

Serious question...

How in the hell did Britt become the Pride director?

The other finalists for the job were Nebraska's current band director - not a bad guy, but NOT up to the Pride's standards - and the guy currently at East Carolina University, who came across as an overly hard-core drum & bugle corps guy.

Britt said all the right things during his interviews. He is, if nothing else, a good politician.

Yes, I was in on some of the hiring process.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

The other finalists for the job were Nebraska's current band director - not a bad guy, but NOT up to the Pride's standards - and the guy currently at East Carolina University, who came across as an overly hard-core drum & bugle corps guy.

Britt said all the right things during his interviews. He is, if nothing else, a good politician.

Yes, I was in on some of the hiring process.

So basically, some one who knew the administration, may have sounded like coach and some one the admin was comfortable with vs.

the guy that brought us the vinyl band of the north or a guy that marches and play hard core bugle corps stuff which if he had any clue about the Pride would have said no thanks or at least changed is view of "band" as the Pride is a band not a corps...

So now we have a guy that has trampled on everything that was The Pride and has disembowled it...

[yermom]

Yes, I was in on some of the hiring process.

so it's all GHP's fault

that's how i read it anyway

fire Britt! and GHP!

[froneal]

The other finalists for the job were Nebraska's current band director - not a bad guy, but NOT up to the Pride's standards - and the guy currently at East Carolina University, who came across as an overly hard-core drum & bugle corps guy.

Britt said all the right things during his interviews. He is, if nothing else, a good politician.

Yes, I was in on some of the hiring process.

Don't forget he was highly recommended by Coach coming in, plus being a former Pride drumline section leader and later grad assistant for the Pride looked pretty good on his resume.

Britt is definitely manipulative and I have no doubt that he easily outshone and outschemed the other applicants handily. That isn't to say he has no skill as a conductor and musician; he does. But as far as leading a 300+ marching band, he needs to not be such a micromanaging, anal-retentive busybody.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

...plus being a former Pride drumline section leader ...

This explains everything... Since when has the drumline or percussion section ever participated in or looked like they were part of The Pride?


;)

[badger]

The other finalists for the job were Nebraska's current band director - not a bad guy, but NOT up to the Pride's standards - and the guy currently at East Carolina University, who came across as an overly hard-core drum & bugle corps guy.

I heard the same thing from others that were in on the hiring process, that while the other finalists for the job were good, that many were impressed with overall organization on how rehearsals would be run and maintaining the traditions of Oklahoma's pregame and other aspects of the band.

I think that there was a similar hiring process for the assistant director in 2006, whereas they brought in several finalists... and coincidentally enough, decided on the Pride alumnus as the top candidate.

I'm not questioning or faulting the process, I'm just pointing out the coincidence that the final outcome of the similar application process yielded similar results. Quite frankly, I'm just happy that they no longer play Boomer Sooner after every play (tee hee, think the hurry-up offense has anything to do with that? lol), especially plays that result in turnovers on offense, like fumbles, punts, INT's or on downs. Other than that, I have no problems with what is going on with music/marching, but then again, I don't pay much attention.

Somebody asked about drinking on trips - I spoke with current members and because of bowl game problems from last season, drinking outside of public restaurants is disallowed on trips. Not sure what the penalty is if you break this rule or how much this rule is being followed. If I had to guess, I would say that the penalty is membership termination, and the rule breaking is excessive. I also do not know how many have been found in violation of said rule or if any allowances or revisions to said rule have been made... but again, if I had to guess, I would say that there have been no violators caught (call it the "buddy system," haha) and that there have been no revisions/allowances other than the restaurant thing. Again, I am unsure, I'm just guessing.

This rules has been an ongoing process and like the Ruf-Neks throwing away their self-governing rules by frequent abuse, the same can be said for the current drinking rules. Your idiot freshman (and likely some upperclassmen) over the years have ruined it for the rest of you. In 2005 you would have membership terminated if you were caught drinking underage or on buses (there was frequent abuse of these rules and while my memory is not perfectly sound, there were no reported violators until the bowl trip, when they didn't kick the violator out, but grounded the violator to his hotel room). It was a long time coming. While I certainly didn't ruin it for you guys now, I didn't do anything to prevent it from progressing, either.

[Scott D]

pshaw badger, I still say we need the Wisconsin band director ;)

[badger]

pshaw badger, I still say we need the Wisconsin band director ;)

What do you know, I happen to have insider info on that, too... but the rest is guesswork that I will have to fill in.

In football terms, think of JoePa at Penn State, or Bobby Bowden at FSU. Old, established, legendary, legacy-filled programs that these longtime coaches built themselves. That's what the Wisconsin band director had.

Unfortunately, we also see what happens when coaching legends stay too long - the players are teenagers who do not give a shizzle about an old foggy's legacy. They can about getting knocked up every night, drinking until you're buried in your own urine and experimenting with... alternative medicine, heh heh. That is why JoePa's had so many players in legal problems and why Bowden had the "Criminoles."

Wisconsin's band was deteriorating from the inside out. Teenagers at one of the most liberal campuses in the country (U-Dub bombed a ROTC recruiting station to protest the Vietnam War once) are going to torment freshmen through hazing, drink themselves silly and disregard the rules as much as possible. They got away with it, because I speculate that just like Bowden and JoePa, the coaches were so caught up in their legacy that they thought players would respect what they've done in their fields. They didn't - they were more concerned with how much fun they could have in their personal college careers.

The first step the director took was laughable - it was a system to report problems that you had. First, you would talk to your rank leader, than your section leader, than the GA's then the director. In. That. Order. This was designed to ensure that freshmen would remain lemmings and not threaten the director's job by going directly to the university dean.

Well... so much for that.

Like OU, I am guessing that it was ongoing issues, not one certain trip that was the cause for stricter rules. What happened at Michigan this year was something that happened during every trip, every season, for many seasons running. So, somebody complained for once. That is the only thing that changed.

I think the OU rule change in around 2005 was because of bus drivers complaining, as well as members. If nobody complained, nothing would have changed. Same goes for the Ruf-Neks. If freshmen didn't come forward on the hazing allegations, the athletic department wouldn't have taken the organization over.

Eh, whatev. Times change. Soon beer will be outlawed again for Prohibition Part Two and we'll have the same effect in the general public, not just marching bands.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Dang,

I remember on Bus number 5 (or was it 7?), the coolers were lined up in the aisle so that you had to walk on the coolers to move. We didn't drink...until we got on I-35 with a drum roll and Boomer and then drank continually until we got where we were going of the Little Kings ran out....

Oh, no one ever used the bathroom on the bus after about 1.5 hours or so...