Thank God we've got the Internet

[Bicycle Bill]

Didn't know where to put this — it could also go under Lifestyle as it is sports-related, or under Arts — so I stuck it here.



As you watch this, remember....
1)  It ain't easy to march in unison in a straight line and play instruments to start with, let alone play and go through these formations in perfect precision and timing.
2)  This isn't some group that has been together for years working this out.  These are COLLEGE STUDENTS — kids who are barely into their twenties who, in addition to the rest of their college studies, busted their collective asses a couple hours a day over maybe eight weeks since the semester started to be able to put something like this together.  

And what is their reward?  Halftime comes, and the TV broadcast cuts away to some talking heads in a studio a half-country away to show highlights of the first half and bring you up to date on other games being played because, after all, the sports gamblers have gotta keep track of all their bets and pools and who's covering the spread and shit like that.  As a result, if it weren't for the internet (and someone who knew what they were doing to record the performance and post it), only the people at the stadium would get to see it.

Fuck that!!  THIS is the REAL halftime highlight of a college football game!!!

-"BB"-

[RayThom]

The creative mind is as awesome as it is baffling.

Given the variables, that's near impossible to achieve choreography -- not to mention its ephemeral quality.

Well done.

[Bicycle Bill]

Try THIS one on for size.  This is an example of what the OSU band does even BEFORE the game starts!



And even more impressive — one of the drummers is wearing a GoPro.....   So for the next twenty minutes or so, YOU are on-field with the Marching Buckeyes.

-"BB"-

[Long Run]

2)  This isn't some group that has been together for years working this out. 

But they all have a story that begins, "This one time at band camp"

[MajGenl.Meade]

The band, just like The Ohio State football team, actually has been together for years - some of 'em anyway.
There's freshers, sophs, juniors and seniors in there. So that's 0-4 years experience.

All the routines are new each year but you can't dismiss the importance of prior years of experience in achieving such precision. Dotting the i is always fun and this "film scenes" half-time program is brilliant - all hail the band for the hard work that went into it.

[Big RR]

My guess is that it also incldues grad students--most college bands do and there is no NCAA rule for eleigibility, so doctoral students can be members for years (especially if they started out as undergrads).

[BoSoxGal]

Thanks for sharing, that was great fun to watch and brought me back momentarily to my days hanging out with the band geeks in HS.

[Sue U]

You know how Ohio State's band, The Best Damn Band In The Land, famously spells out "O-H-I-O" with a tuba (or local luminary) dotting the i every game? Looks like Stanford's band has their own version, spotted by our Steven Godfrey from the press box in Palo Alto.

Rose Bowl College Football Lookit

The Stanford band made everybody furious at the Rose Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years
College football's greatest tradition.

By Rodger Sherman Updated Jan 4, 2016, 10:05am EST

In 2013, Stanford went to the Rose Bowl, and its band made people upset.

In 2014, Stanford went to the Rose Bowl, and its band made people upset.

In 2016, Stanford went to the Rose Bowl, and guess what happened!

The rest of the story.

[Long Run]

And, of course, there was the Stanford band role in The Play: