[2013 Predictions]

Crown will leave DCI to create a 'music in motion' theater experience and partner with a fairly famous Canadian musical group. They finish second in the tony's to a show depicting French high society following world war one from view point of a horse.

[Congratulations Blue Devils]

Through multiple interactions with Blue Devils through the years, and when I see former members on this website list all their world titles in their signature lines, along with wearing championship rings on their gloves during performances, plus various other things that have been mentioned before on this site and in other places, why does this surprise you?

This. If you are in the club it's hard to see it from the outside my friend. This is specifically why I marched or taught with multiple organizations. Everyday of every season I saw it in their approach to the activity.

[Congratulations Blue Devils]

Hey guys, I never post, but check DCP occasionally. I really find it troubling that so many fans are willing to disregard the fact that BD this year, and for many of the recent years, is not entertaining to large numbers of people. I totally understand and agree that they're good, clean, etc. but if you take the entertainment out of drum corps, then what is it? Why would I or anyone else spend money to sit outside during the summer to not be entertained? A show built for the sake of winning is not worth performing. Saying "don't hate the player hate the game" is not a concept that drum corps is about.

DCI is about fun, education...growing up. I learned how to be a man through drum corps. I used skills from it every day in my life. From what I see of BD (I live within an hour of Concord mind you) is that they are about making a franchise...a brand name if you will (aka System Blue). To further this end they have to bring home championships. So what do you get? A show designed to score high based on the current structure of the activity. They are in it for titles and very few other reasons.

Look, I marched with Crown and with Cadets during the 90s and have been a fan of the sport since the mid-80s. Even I would place BD above them (except for brass) but when I'm watching the DVDs or introducing new people to the activity, I will skip over a BD show. People won't get excited by dancing with a bird cage or French commentary or hula hooops or any of the strange things they put into their incredibly well executed, difficult show. I know some will argue that they understood it (or at least claim to) and while that is definitely true you can not deny the fact that all year and for many years past this has been the 1 knock against BD in otherwise perfect armor. You can not view this activity or anything in life from a single perspective. Setting drill would teach you this.

I think DCI needs to understand the changes that have happened in other sports to make the game more entertaining:

- Hockey - Removed the 2-line pass foul and added space behind the net to increase scoring

- Baseball - Moved fences in, raised the pitchers mound to make them more effective

- Football - Imagine if there weren't downs or play clocks like in the 1920's

BD you bore me. Please take your shirt off and play when a man loves a woman again. I long for the days when it was not about being a Blue Devil, it was about learning how to be a better version of myself through being a Blue Devil. Congratulations on another yawner title in 2012.

[Burning Questions]

I'm going to have to say this years has been all about Crown for the first half (granted I'm a crown Alumni). It'll be amazing to see if someone else can throw their hat into the ring and start competing for the title.