camel lips

Pretty much what Fran Alluded to. Without some travel from some of the top corps outside the NE there was no growth in the activity. Its a proven fact now. The activity is dying. The activity had its chance and they blew it. So many chances to grow the activity to other regions and have it flourishing with new corps and new markets...instead..this is what you have.

Right there with you Hairbear. Watch many a year sitting on the sidelines... Hard to convince membership just one more year and you were in when the handwriting is on the wall when you see a product on the field that you KNOW is no where the quality that you put out a good percentage of the members of your corps can see that too. But it is what it is.

Alot of noise in this thread. Not much talk about expanding DCA out of the NE market.

There are still units out there trying to do their thing on a shoe string budget. Competitive? No. But they are being active.

When I first read that they were considering voting on the electronic issue I knew the activity was not going to survive. Not too many C2 models out there waiting in the wings that can come in and magically have a full creative staff loaded upfront with the backing to have a full horn line guard equipment and a electronic ensemble and staff to run it. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that one out. Your run of the mill SR corps of yesteryear could have started up on a volunteer staff with a shoestring budget with membership paying dues and get by a season or two and be somewhat competitive as a bottom feeder. They could fund raise to buy equipment and build and start to become stronger and climb the ladder. Today??? Not so much.

Exactly ! If your striving to have a competitive circuit which DCA is attempting to have . At some point you can not appreciate effort and it becomes painful to watch.

Call it what you want but when you have nearly a 4 point spread between 1st and 4th at some point the performance standard starts dropping off pretty fast and its noticeable from a fan standpoint too. Sometimes dramatically. You use the word "watchable" . That's like saying you have a very nice corps there sir.

The other big turn in the room that no one wants to talk about is the identity of these groups. Once upon a time you could tell who the group rounding the bend was because of the corps proper uniform. Nowdays with costuming its anyone's guess who is fixing to tell the field without a program or a announcement. Ditto on the programming. You could count on say Empire to come out with a certain style of Program that was recognizable and programmed to their identity. Ditto to Cabs and many of the other groups. Nowdays?? Good luck with that.

C2 gone MBI gone Empire Gone . Renegades Gone! You only really have 2 other groups that are even attempting to put out a competitive product . The rest are just show fillers doing what they do . one of those programs decides to pack up their shine box and go to another setting and DCA is done .

I would not say it looks nothing like it did 14 years ago. Looks alot like it did when I was there. Definite face lift. As hilarious as the Brown Shirts were the last year about Not coming in and out they were really clueless that you could virtually walk in from the back side and other exits they were not "guarding" . I laughed so hard at one of them that would not let me back in with my ticket..went around the back side and then waved to him later on from the inside. He just looked at me with this glazed over look like what just happened?? LOL

As terrible as the field was for marching and the Cops were to fans ... that bar was amazing . Prices fair and no better place in the stadium to watch the corps .

Yep!

2K?? Making that 3K that Winston Salem drew in during the middle of the season look like Gold 🙂 LOL

Sound files missing ???? And people said just a few years back the electronic issue was just about amplifying the pit . LOL

Of course they did . The crowd is not a drum corps crowd anymore . its band mom and dads sitting there watching their kids waiting for scores to come in . Expecting a different reaction from them would be totally ludicrous.