THANK YOU DCI!

[audiodb]

Maybe a commercial slot used for recruiting may have been effective, but (snip)

Aha, you've hit upon a key distinction.

I am not part of the chorus clamoring for actual show footage of division II/III corps on ESPN2. But I think there should be some brief reference to it's existence at some point. A recruiting commercial could easily include a sentence stating that there are other corps besides just division I, and/or show a map with 46 dots on it so that people quickly realize there are other corps, without devoting more than four seconds of precious broadcast time to that tangent.

Or, conversely, I don't think it's unreasonable to devote one of the human-interest segments to division II/III one of these years. A three-minute blurb once a decade wouldn't be too much to ask, would it?

Listen, I get the point, 10-4. But the original post was snide, and frankly I don't see what was so egregious about putting the best possible products forward.

Agreed.

But leaving a sarcastic rip about how D2/3 are slighted... well, you didn't see one mention of Academy, now did you? Their only crime was being a first year D1 in 13th, and they got as much press as Jersey Surf, Spokane Thunder, or the Yokohama Scouts.

Well, I don't agree with that approach either. Did they ever even list the 13th-22nd corps? Again, I'm not suggesting any footage, but I think one of those "Yamaha leader board" segments ought to have flashed a list of the ten non-finalist placements real quick, so that people see this is a "major league", not just 12 corps.

[MikeD]

Bad scenes can make it past the final cut in any sort of production. That, alone, does not mean it is a good segment.

I was commenting on this:

DCI should have pulled the plug on that sleep inducing segment before it aired ...

Good or bad, it was DCI's decision to include that segment, as they produced the show that was broadcast.

[hornline]

Enough with the complaining, for goodness sakes! Look, DCI is on ESPN and they have to fit the broadcast in a short amount of time. Lets be honest here. It is their chance to show drum corps the the general public.

I marched in every division. I began in div. 3 and worked my way up to winning a ring in div. 1. I even marched senior corps. I appreciate all division. But, if dci is going to expose the activity to the public, of course they are going to show the div. 1 finalist. By the way, have I mentioned that dci is on ESPN! Come on people.......dci has come a long way. Some of us complain about everything these days. Can we ever be greatful for what we have. We have a great activity which has come a long way in the last 10 years.

I believe the broadcast was good. The explanations and behind the scenes footage is great for the general audiance. For those of you who complain about only showing part of the shows.......Buy the dvd! They don't have 3 hours to show the broadcast. Some of us have unrealistic expectations for what is to be a sampling of finals on the broadcast.

I for one thank dci for all that the organizations does!

Edited September 6, 2007 by hornline

[Carl306]

Is this really something that needs to be complained about?

Get over it already...

[ThatsWhyISay]

Is this really something that needs to be complained about?

Get over it already...

Carl306 you are right. <**>

Let's just get over it and forget about it. Let's get over the hundreds of kids that march d2/3 or non top 12 corps and just act like they do not exist! GREAT IDEA! At the very least these kids dererve a 2 min blurb about their hard work. I know some division one members who really (if division one was better) deserve to march division 7...

Is this (DCI) about the kids that pay and rehearse and give up so much or is this or alot of STUPID Indy clips and focus on select corps.

YES, the "big boys" deserve the spotlight but not everyone buys tickets to see "them" they come to see everyone!!!!!!

[jjeffeory]

Do you complain about the meal as a guest at someone's table?

Complaining that something you didn't pay a dime for isn't to your liking is in poor taste.

The broadcast is basically an infomercial for drum corps. It isn't designed for the hardcore fan. If you want to watch [insert Div I, II or III] corps here, buy the DVD.

Good comments. HowEVER, people paid for this. ESPN2 is a cable channel. Also, people buy things from the show sponser.

It's okay to complain about things. It's called feedback. It let's the marketers know what to tell the producers to make.

Oh and having someone invite you over for dinner knowing you don't like liver is in rather poor taste too. Or inviting vegetarians over for a steak, hotdog and brats, BBQ and not having any vegetables isn't great either.

You are right though, complaining about something you didn't pay a dime for that isn't isn't to your liking is rude. I did like the broadcast, but it could have been a little better. It's okay, they did what they could and what they wanted to with this product.

[dcsnare93]

<snip>

YES, the "big boys" deserve the spotlight but not everyone buys tickets to see "them" they come to see everyone!!!!!!

Though this broadcast is targeted at individuals who are not familiar with drum corps - thus they probably have never even purchased a ticket, or attended a show. Just like the NBA, NFL and MLB, DCI chose to highlight its "big boys" to perhaps appeal to the largest audience. Sure it would be nice to have a blurb here or there, but the broadcast served its purpose nonetheless.

On another note, it was clear the broadcast was going to focus on finals and be a recruiting tool -- and compressed into an ESPN-driven 2 hour time format. So, I don't see the big deal about non-finals performing corps not being highlighted. There was barely even time to do that. For now I'll settle with the fact that this niche activity even got airtime on ESPN.

The broadcasts will probably never appeal to your hardcore drum corps fan, and frankly, it's not really designed to.

Edited September 6, 2007 by dcsnare93

[Harvey]

DCI is showcasing what the top corps directors have been gunning for for many years now: The Super 10. There have been many times that specific corps directors have talked about having just 10-12 super corps being the sum total of DCI, and that is exactly what they are using their $$$ to spotlight on TV.

It's time all of the other corps directors finally realized this and took their game elsewhere........

[Tom Brace]

Like I've said for months...Div. II/III are irrelevent to the current direction of DCI. I need no more proof than last night's finals broadcast on ESPN2.

I think DCI has basically said to the corps...prove to us you are worthy to be part of the broadcast. Finish in the top 10 on SEMIFINALS night. Finals night jumps don't count...sorry Colts. Yes, the 11th and 12th place corps did get a wee bit of air time.

Overall...I thought the broadcast was ok. I didn't find it as polished as last years. The BD human interest story was scripted weeks in advance and it tried to pull from the past and into the future with the 17 year old bass drummer.

We also now know that 50th anniversaries are more important than 40th anniversaries, sorry SCV.

Also, do the show's producers ask each corps director...ok...you get 4 minutes and 30 seconds of air time for your show...what do you want shown? I think not. I think the producers look for the segment that is going to tell the story the best...each chapter being a corps performance. Note...how many ballads did you hear this year? Flower Duet never occurred for those of you ESPN2 viewers out there. So, as I said to my wife over and over again...we will have to buy the DVDs if we want to see that again. "What about Madison," she asked? "We have to buy the DVD package." "What about that cool part of the Bluecoats show where the guard is in the endzone and the drop your weapons part?" "We have to buy the DVDs." "What about Cavies closer?" "We have to buy the DVDs."

Anyway, those are my reactions.

[dcsnare93]

Someday, someone should publish a book on the numerous DCI conspiracy theories. It just might rival the Bible in size

Perhaps, only 10 were showcased because that is all time allowed? Sure, some segments could have been cut, but then you lose the back story (which is what average Joe wants).