Sprite Step-Off Update: ZTA and AKA to share 1st place

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

In my opinion, any animus should be directed to Sprite not the UA ZTA Step Team. This whole thing was a business promotional; our (D9 orgs) has $$ in their eyes; but when you sign on to what mainstream Corporate America is doing you sign on to their agenda--never forget that! As Milton Friedman once said, "There's no free lunch."

On a broader note, this brings up the costs of operating in an "integrated" society. We, as black people, tended only to look at the benefits of access to institutions and services enjoyed by others but not the fact that this also meant that we would be some "assimilation" on our end. You can't have one without the other. The real issue is how this dynamic is navigated.

Sprite and corporate sponsors don't give a flip about the ethos and cultural aspects of Stepping and its history. They care about the "Benjamins." Bad publicity from this debacle, which may impact their bottom line, is what caused the change of decision. "Hate" for ZTA's performance and the first decision is misdirected.

I agree that some comments (not so much on GC but on places like youtube) have been over the top. That goes back to what I was saying earlier about how race plays out in society.

Other than that, I don't know why people are acting brand new. BGLO teams are often critiqued for lesser reasons. BGLO teams are also critiqued if they had the precision down but, some people think that something was missing from the routine.

Don't get me wrong, the more I watch the ZTA show (the 2008 Matrix performance was better than the 2010 one), the more I think it was an overall tight routine. But, a tight routine when you allegedly had a choreographer or some equivalent doesn't get respect in many BGLO circles. That's all speculation, though, and I don't directly blame ZTA because there are no "laws" of stepping. There's just perception and respect, and that's what some people are going based on.

Does anyone know whether this is the same team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kajs9...eature=related

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Does anyone know whether this is the same team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kajs9...eature=related

Yes, it is.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Don't get me wrong, the more I watch the ZTA show (the 2008 Matrix performance was better than the 2010 one), the more I think it was an overall tight routine.

Good. So I wasn't crazy in thinking it was an overall tight routine, which is why I defended them. But I now understand the other ramifications (thanks to you and others) behind folx' consternation. It really isn't about hating. It is about knowing.

So who should really step up the game? SPRITE!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Good. So I wasn't crazy in thinking it was an overall tight routine, which is why I defended them. But I now understand the other ramifications (thanks to you and others) behind folx' consternation. It really isn't about hating. It is about knowing.

So who should really step up the game? SPRITE!

There are a lot of "issues" beyond stepshow regulations that people have raised. Some "issues" have been raised more eloquently than others. Some "issues" just seem more like anger and fear of "intruders." So, I can't keep up with it all.

I don't think anyone, who isn't just being mean spirited, thinks the overall routine sucked (regardless of where ZTA got it from).

The "show" goes beyond the routine and that's one of the critiques from a stepshow standard, as has been pointed out in the other thread and by mccoyred in this thread.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I don't think anyone, who isn't just being mean spirited, thinks the overall routine sucked (regardless of where ZTA got it from).

I don't know about that. I'm not trying to be mean-spirited, but I didn't particularly care for the routine. I think that's mainly because I didn't feel there was enough creativity among other things.

I just wish that for once people would stop trying to make it seem that anyone who thinks they should not have won is being racist or is hating on them. (this isn't in reference to you Dr. Phil, but to some other comments) It seems like some people are willfully ignoring the reasons that many have complained about the initial results with the ZTA's being the winners.