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Heated 10-15 Competition


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It turns the entire activity into a competition among participants to see who can collect the highest-ranking member jackets during the course of their brief careers. That's the cancer; it will eventually kill many drum corps. Far from diminishing competition, an all-comers Saturday night will enhance it. There will be lots of fire in each of the various competitive clumps of corps, reaching down into the 15-20+ ranks. That's a recipe for more competition, not less. You'll get an extra night to see if Colts can catch Madison, or if Spirit can overtake BDB.

 

Edited by 2muchcoffeeman
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5 minutes ago, Mega said:

The number of corps for Finals is set-up for a reason.

That reason no longer exists. That reason is an artifact of the analog-media era. People buy tickets and Flo subscriptions to watch a full day of corps on Friday. I've yet to see evidence they wouldn't do the same on Saturday.

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Having not seen any of the shows live yet I think the fight for 10th thru 12th will be a nail bitter all the way to semi'-finals.  Mandarins, Scouts and Colts will be fighting to get in and Crossmen, Blue Stars and Blue Knights will have to go full throttle to stay in the top 12.  

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2 minutes ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

It turns the entire activity into a competition among participants to see who can collect the highest-ranking member jackets during the course of their brief careers. That's the cancer; it will eventually kill many drum corps. Far from diminishing competition, an all-comers Saturday night it will enhance it. There will be lots of fire in each of the various competitive clumps of corps, reaching down into the 15-20+ ranks. That's a recipe for more competition, not less. You'll get an extra night to see if Colts can catch Madison, or if Spirit can overtake BDB.

 

While I agree with you on many points, I don't know that performers hopping from corps to corps will kill the activity. Sure it might cause the stagnation of placements at times and we see the same corps in the top 12, but I believe that might be changing recently. I personally stuck it out with my corps the entirety of my career and was able to be a part of one of the coolest movements in the corps history. Everyone is different. 

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8 minutes ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

That reason no longer exists. That reason is an artifact of the analog-media era. People buy tickets and Flo subscriptions to watch a full day of corps on Friday. I've yet to see evidence they wouldn't do the same on Saturday.

competition drives ticket sales and media subscriptions, in addition to new champions. see 11 for competition, 13 and 16 for new champions, and competition 15 and 17

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now for the current rankings, as a wise man with a heavy Jersey accent once told me before a big show:

 

neighborhoods will develop as the year goes on. But you always have that group or two that truly catches fire late and shakes everything up.

The example he loved to give was Boston 2000. Sitting what maybe 8th after Allentown? A week late, prime time live. Boston 16 could qualify recently too and there are tons of others historically

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11 minutes ago, Mega said:

The number of corps for Finals is set-up for a reason.

 

4 minutes ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

That reason no longer exists. 

As far as I recall, the reason for gravitating toward a 12-corps final was to make sure all conceivable title contenders could perform their full routines head-to-head in a single evening, for the best possible conditions under which to determine a champion.  You may certainly contend that the optimal number might be different today (in either direction), but "the reason" still exists.

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29 minutes ago, snare_guy_83 said:

2007: Blue Stars 14th & Scouts 15th

2008: Blue Stars 8th & Scouts 12th

 Good find !..  The last time it appears was 10 seasons ago. It looks like the Spirit of Atlanta, and the Colts that both made Top 12 Finals in 2007,  were ousted by Blue Stars and the Madison Scouts that both made TOP 12 Finals the  following season ( 2008).

Edited by BRASSO
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6 minutes ago, Sanguinarian22 said:

While I agree with you on many points, I don't know that performers hopping from corps to corps will kill the activity. Sure it might cause the stagnation of placements at times and we see the same corps in the top 12, but I believe that might be changing recently. I personally stuck it out with my corps the entirety of my career and was able to be a part of one of the coolest movements in the corps history. Everyone is different. 

I agree - I don't think it has, or will, kill the activity.  While some members do move about due to personality, structure, a ring, self-betterment, seeking that next challenge, etc, others are content to stay with their "home" corps.  Those who leave are pursuing their dreams and provide their talent to the higher corps despite high age-out numbers.  Those who stay are also pursuing their dreams, leading those members who may be new to the activity and helping inspire them to reach their next level.  It's the same as why some choose to stay in open class while others move to world class.  ...and sometimes it takes a few times before you truly find your "home".  Whatever the reason, to stay or to go, these members each play a unique and important role in their corps.  

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