ISU press conference about band situation

[agrabes]

OK, still an extremely dumb concept. Can you imagine if offensive line walked around five wide refusing to move all the time because they were taught not to "break rank". You're a band. Your task of playing during the game is over. There is no need to be "in rank" anymore.

It's really not though. Imagine you are in the ISU marching band marching to or from Kinnick Stadium. You are required to march in step and play your instrument half the time. Do you think it's a good idea to just let a Hawkeye fan walk right in the middle of your formation? Nothing good can come from that.

Even when they (the ISU band) are marching to and from Jack Trice they don't let people into their ranks. It's tradition for marching bands to march as a parade to and from the stadium for games. This is not just a group of people walking around. The Cyclone fans at Jack Trice don't have anything harmful in mind, but they may be trying to screw around with people and make it harder for them to march to the stadium or at best are just clueless and are holding up the band and splitting it apart during the march to the stadium. This doesn't apply just to hostile environments.

I have absolutely no problem with the Iowa marching band trying to close its ranks and keeping people out. That's probably the one good thing they did that day.

 

[Jerms]

Morons still blame ISU from two years ago:

No security can protect Iowa from their own stupidity.

 

[Sigmapolis]

I guess I may be a little hazy on watch marching bands do. Do you routinely find yourself marching through large, hostile groups of people? How often are people trying to infiltrate your "ranks"?

Here I thought you typically marched on entirely empty fields or street ways. Guess I was wrong.

You typically try to avoid crowded situations, yes.

We were always very strategic getting in and out of Kinnick or other stadiums -- avoided bunched crowds, had known routes, no drum cadences or playing school songs, no chanting or cheers, and keep close to one another when going through tailgating lots.

Even then, you are unavoidably have to go through some crowds in the lots or the concourses, and the bands naturally draw a crowd/build up stopped traffic around them. But we were taught to do absolutely nothing to antagonize or make a tense situation worse.

The Iowa band, either through a willful effort to gloat about their win, miscommunication about which route to take out of the stadium, or just pure incompetence somewhere in their leadership, decided to basically do none of those things above.

 

[MeowingCows]

Iowa is victim blaming.

The Iowa band rammed through the crowd wielding instruments that likely assaulted innocent people attempting to exit the stadium.

Hearing the UI fight song is an aural assault, at the very least.

 

[Cyclones423]

Some band geek hating going on, come on guys, a marching band operates similar to a military unit, you may think it's stupid, but us dorks took pride in that stuff. You can "disagree" with it all you want, but it's what we were taught.

 

[Alswelk]

Wasn't the case when i was in it at least. After 4 years at ISU and another 2 in a DCI corps, Id be pretty deaf by now if hearing loss from being in a marching band was an issue.

I do have some hearing damage (mostly my upper-frequency cut-off is lower than it should be) but that may have more to do with the (bad) rock bands I played in than with marching band. Although my dad (a 30+ year HS band director) definitely has experienced hearing problems.

 

[CloneFan4]

It's really not though. Imagine you are in the ISU marching band marching to or from Kinnick Stadium. You are required to march in step and play your instrument half the time. Do you think it's a good idea to just let a Hawkeye fan walk right in the middle of your formation? Nothing good can come from that.

Even when they (the ISU band) are marching to and from Jack Trice they don't let people into their ranks. It's tradition for marching bands to march as a parade to and from the stadium for games. This is not just a group of people walking around. The Cyclone fans at Jack Trice don't have anything harmful in mind, but they may be trying to screw around with people and make it harder for them to march to the stadium or at best are just clueless and are holding up the band and splitting it apart during the march to the stadium. This doesn't apply just to hostile environments.

I have absolutely no problem with the Iowa marching band trying to close its ranks and keeping people out. That's probably the one good thing they did that day.

Once again, as it has been hammered home a billion times already, this is not a normal situation. You are in a crowd of thousands of people. Know when there is a time and place for something and file out respectfully and politely to those surrounded. They're just as frustrated and have just as much right to open space in front of them, even if they aren't a band member. This isn't that ******* hard of a concept to grasp.

 

[Cycsk]

Interesting that the band was lined up to head out the correct exit, but the first group veers left. Also interesting is that the drum major (or whatever he is called) has to run to catch up with the band that is already moving toward the wrong exit. Now, that is Gary Barta-style leadership at its best. See where the boneheads are going, then run to get in front of them!

 

[BCClone]

You'd be surprised how often people try to sneak through during parades and such.

A parade is something where you have the right of way and are performing. This situation is just walking back to your bus and being an *** and shoving your way through because you think you are more important than others. This is a walkway for the fans also, it’s not a parade. Maybe going in waves would be a good decision

 

[mctallerton]

You typically try to avoid crowded situations, yes.

We were always very strategic getting in and out of Kinnick or other stadiums -- avoided bunched crowds, no drum cadences or playing school songs, no chanting or cheers, and keep close to one another when going through tailgating lots.

The Iowa band, either through a willful effort to gloat about their win, miscommunication about which route to take out of the stadium, or just pure incompetence somewhere in their leadership, decided to basically do none of those things above.

We honestly have been very blessed for the last 30ish years, outside of a five year window.

 

[JP4CY]

So the non-investigation is open? Got it!

 

[somecyguy]

For cripes sakes....when one avenue is blocked, try a different direction, eh Gary?

 

[Cyballzz]

This guy makes Bruce Van De Velde look like a ******* genius.

 

[JP4CY]

No security can protect Iowa from their own stupidity.

Iowa and ISU use the same security company.

 

[FinalFourCy]

This thread is going where it needs to go now. What’s the problem? THE BANDS.

Apparently the intelligence of band members has really decreased since my days.
Next we'll have to endure how the doorway assaulted them as they could comprehend the difference between breaking rank and walking though an opening.

 

[keepngoal]

Per Barta: so Iowa didn't conduct an investigation last week.

This is about saving face to the hawkeye band which is upset ...

 

[Sigmapolis]

No band director teaches to keep rank when the band is going through something. The reverse is romanticized by band members, yes, but most band members should be smart enough to know the difference and realize when they're the ones trying to get in the middle or infiltrate.

Nope.

I was told this directly by Iowa State's band director every year we went to Iowa City. The older band members (e.g., drum majors, section leaders, guides) reiterated this to me when I was an underclassmen, and I told my foundlings the same when I was a guide.

Do not let them in there if you can reasonably prevent it. Nothing good will come of it.

We just never tried to march into a packed crowd.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

It's really not though. Imagine you are in the ISU marching band marching to or from Kinnick Stadium. You are required to march in step and play your instrument half the time. Do you think it's a good idea to just let a Hawkeye fan walk right in the middle of your formation? Nothing good can come from that.

Even when they (the ISU band) are marching to and from Jack Trice they don't let people into their ranks. It's tradition for marching bands to march as a parade to and from the stadium for games. This is not just a group of people walking around. The Cyclone fans at Jack Trice don't have anything harmful in mind, but they may be trying to screw around with people and make it harder for them to march to the stadium or at best are just clueless and are holding up the band and splitting it apart during the march to the stadium. This doesn't apply just to hostile environments.

I have absolutely no problem with the Iowa marching band trying to close its ranks and keeping people out. That's probably the one good thing they did that day.

Yeah well they kind of fu**** that up when they decided to march directly into a crowd of people. That was NOT the bands space, that was a public exit that they forced themselves in to.

 

[Alswelk]

A parade is something where you have the right of way and are performing. This situation is just walking back to your bus and being an *** and shoving your way through because you think you are more important than others. This is a walkway for the fans also, it’s not a parade. Maybe going in waves would be a good decision

The correct decision would've been to go out the east gate. I really don't understand the decision making process that led to them trying to go out the west side while fans were trying to leave as well. That failure in decision-making is the root cause of the whole issue - and the narrative should be centered around why it happened.

 

[ArgentCy]

This guy makes Bruce Van De Velde look like a ******* genius.

That is not easy. Impressive job Gary.