The 10Th annual Chicago Football Classic has come and gone with over an estimated 30,000 spectators in attendance. This years Classic brought back the Battle of the High School Bands which featured Julian, Corliss, and King College Prep with Julian winning first place. I wish it could have been inside Soldier Field since there was plenty of time to hold it inside and more room. The area for the bands to do their show was just too small outside Soldier Field. Also, we had Rich Central, Dunbar, Proviso Township, Morgan Park, and Marshall's band looking on with other spectators so the venue outside was just too crowded. I would like to thank Ms. Lori James for putting together the event as many band students on this site would like to have more of these BOTB's.
The game itself was electric with Southern University beating Mississippi Valley State. MVSU's band continues to get better but SU was just too much for them. I thought the seating of the bands were a little too cramped. The promoters should revert to putting the bands in the end zones. There is more room in the end zone. The crappy "5Th quarter" is laughable as well. Why put both college bands back on the field in opposite directions and tell them to play? Mr. Jackson of SU stormed out after three songs. It is pointless to the HBCU bands; who thrive on competition with other bands to not face one another. I still feel that the Chicago Classic is ages behind our neighbors in Indianapolis with the Circle City Classic. The bands are put in hotels near the stadium, the parade is in the street, and the seating for the bands is way better.
The Chicago Classic is ten years old now. I have covered this event for this site on now three occasions and it feels like the "For us By us" black people who put on this classic for Historically Black Colleges and Universities still do not know what they are doing. I was almost not let in the press box because the lady in there who was "running things" didn't have proper information. At the 2006 Classic I had to wait almost two hours to get my Media Credential because Mr. Everett didn't want to give it to me after I filled all the paper work like I was asked to and that made me miss the pregame activities. He also gave members UAPB's media staff a hard time. This man with shorts and a tshirt who is one of the promoters for the second year in a row did not look very professional out there. The staff over at the Circle City Classic made things seem so seamless and made the whole experience there great. But it was run by a white guy, my own people who run the Chicago Classic was just out of order! I hope we can do better!
Why put the High School bands on parade for this Classic only to have them march down the side walk? They did not do it that way this year but yet again they put the parade in a place that no one in the Chicago land area could really pay attention. Other HBCU Classics have their parade going down real streets with floats and also includes the college bands. On http://www.swacfans.com/ college band members who have participated in this Classic said they felt "whored" at how the promoters just have them up at 5am doing news and radio interviews, put them in hotels outside of the city with poor transportation to visit downtown Chicago, and the seating arrangements for the bands are still a problem.
I hope in 2008 the 11Th annual Classic is much better for all involved. a Swac/Meac match up would better like in years past instead of just moving a Swac teams home game to Soldier Field and calling it a Classic.
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