Unless the G7 does something really outlandish, the 2013 season should come off OK on the field. Behind the scenes? God only knows and He aint saying. 2014 could be very interesting.
The G7 have an inflated opinion of their ability to run the show, literally and figuratively. I attended a so-called TOC /G7 or 8 show this past summer. It was irritating at best. You could tell the corps hadn't really committed to doing anything special. (They were too busy practicing so they could beat each other's head in to work on extra stuff.) Some of the "novelty acts" were OK, but nothing more. And the announcers were painful, especially the bubble headed girl wandering the stands. If the G7 wants to offer more of that, they can keep it.
IMHO,DCI and its BOD has been very measured and diplomatic in its responses to the G7 threats and puffery. The G7 is still part of DCI after all. Let's hope that diplomatic approach doesn't result in a Neville Chamberlain moment, as long as we're quoting history. Appeasement at all costs won't work with some of these characters either.
Some truly ironic side notes:
Watch the Brass Roots documentary and hear Cavalier founder Don Warren talk proudly of the founding of DCI and the spirit of cooperation it took to make it work? And where are the Cavaliers today? For shame. Could the same Don Warren have sanctioned their participation in the G7?
Carolina Crown came up through the DCI Class A ranks to get to where they are today. Now they want to make it much more difficult for other aspiring corps to do the same thing. "We got to the mountain top. Now we're pulling up the ladder." For shame.
DCI helped a cash-strapped Phantom Regiment stay alive with a cash infusion a few years ago. Phantom eventually paid it back and has now added a G7 "thank you." For shame.
The Cadets continuously rely on that DCI "cash float." Unless Gibbs and Fieldler ante up that extra bingo money in a big way to help, there could be trouble in YEA land. YEAh, right.