Below you’ll find a video, originally posted by Fox 8 Cleveland, of the Cleveland Browns “drumline auditions” yesterday. And oh my.
The drumline is one of several new additions to First Energy Stadium’s entertainment repertoire this year. Evidently, the putative percussionists will not only “keep the excitement going” during games; they’ll also be out and about generating untold decibels during tailgating.
Sounds potentially not-awful, except if the audition reel below is any indication, these aren’t exactly the folks I’d want revving me up while enjoying a cold one and playing corn hole, you know what I mean? With the exception of the larger man doing a sort of hip-centric sashay, there’s not much energy or enthusiasm to speak of on the faces / in the bodies of the hopefuls. The average age may or may not begin with the numeral 1.
Also, so this is significant — and I’m frankly not sure who this may offend — but if the Browns establish a drumline and there’s zero African-American presence, that strikes me as a missed opportunity of a very high order.
This might be playing into my own accidental racial dichotomies in which I tend to associate white drumlines with — more or less — military ceremonies, and black drumlines with, you know, cool choreography and bona fide entertainment, but this audition tape makes the Browns drum line look like something most of us were happy to be done suffering through after high school.
And look, this is probably only one group of a very large audition. And if there were a thousand white high school band kids who tried out, no fault on the Browns I guess. You just think they’d make a concerted effort to promote the auditions among diverse communities — notably those with successful drumlines already.
Except
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2013.
Hate all you want. Big daddy in the B.K. jersey has got the rhythm going on and the moves to match.
Obviously Mr. Allard hasn’t heard of the Canton Bluecoats? Or realize that the gentlemen he is singling out is one of the more reputable drumline instructors in the area? What are you basing your criteria on for “successfull?” One would think a journalist would do some research before jumping to conclusions.
I enjoy a good drumline, even a male-dominated one (LOL)
Sam Allard, you deserve to be fired from your job. This is just unbelievably piss-poor journalism.
In the meantime clevescene has no black reporters…ahh the irony
Why would you even print trash like this article
You’re a dipwad!! Did you ever consider that perhaps no African Americans showed up to audition!! Perhaps you’d like someone to go pull people out of their houses for a “better balance” JACKASS!! “of a very high order”
You sir, are a jackass. This drumline is being run by one of the top 5 drum and bugle corps in the country. This fine organization promotes engaged experiences for all walks of life. They are a diverse group and will promote such with their Browns Drumline. You should be ashamed and fired for your sorry excuse for journalism.
lol @ all the butthurt corps kids up in here
The video showed the fundamentals of audition. Rob Ferguson is an amazing instructor, talented composer, and inspirational leader. Sam Allard will be eating every word of this article when he sees this group perform.
I am totally tired of the race card being used at all times. We have Black Miss America, which no white girls can enter, but they can enter the original Miss America. We have So many “Black” organizations like NAACP and NCF (Negro College Fund). go on line and fill out a FASFA form, and most scholarships you read about are for those of color i.e., black – African American. Even the NFL, had to cowtail to the PC police and make a rule that all NFL teams must interview a Black person for the head coaching position, and if at all possible, hire them over a white coach, whether they be good or not, just for a quota thing. This is how Steelers got Tomlin. (But the Rooney’s did invent the new rule) This is why racism will never end in America, because whenever there is not at least one token black on anything, it is deemed racisit. Guess what we are sick of it and we are speaking out.
So obviously Mr. Allard is looking for a drumline full of Nick Cannons, because we all know the movie “Drumline” is the epitome of drumline entertainment. Yes, this video fails to capture anything visually entertaining. That’s why it’s called an audition. It is meant to weed out those who don’t know what their doing. Many of the individuals pictured didn’t make the final cut. The final result is a drumline jam-packed with entertainers that have loads of experience performing at the highest level of the activity, not just a rag-tag group of high school drummers. If entertainment is what you’re looking for Sam, be sure to catch this group during the home opener on the field just prior to kick-off.
So what’s next for the Browns then, a marching band? Anything at all to distract the fans from the product on the field.
Really dropped the ball on this article. Very disappointed.
Why would someone write an article that does nothing more than expose the writer’s ignorance.
I was tailgating yesterday morning in the muni lot and this group came drumming along…it experience was amazing! They had extremely large groups around them everytime they would stop with a quick show. It was something truly unique that I have never seen in the 20+ years I have been tailgating. It was really nice to see and truly did get everyone pumped up a notch while tailgating…cant wait to see them again during next tailgate..