A: Competitive Inertia

[GUARDLING]

Well, then you have a disagreement with even DCI itself with this... as even they think Drum Corp is " a sport ", or at least a " quasi- sport.

If DCI did NOT think Drum Corps was a sport or quasi sport then they certainly would not have done the following:

...... market themselves to a sports network as such ( ESPN )

....... brand themselves as the marching music's " Major Leagues " where it host ( Rondo ) calls it " the Super Bowl "

....... bring a Indiana State reasercher out to hook up a heart rate monito to a quad player to demonstrate the heart rate beat to

that of " a finely tuned sport athlete "

...... hire a long time sports announcer as its booth host ( Curt Gowdy)

........ brought on college coaches (Bob Knight ) and football players ( Steve Young ) to compare to sports

........the " sport " of Drum Corps is a competition, afterall, that takes place on a sports competition field ( football )

So again, if you believe that " Drum Corps is not a sport" ( or quasi sport ) it certainly is at odds to what DCI itself believes on this.

Well some might argue it's not art either. Also do all " Sport " programs need to follow the rest in their rules? Especially since we are so removed in what we do to other examples? We need our own rules that work for us. After all wasn't it the reason ( or some of them ) that DCI was formed to begin with. To decide for their own, governed by their own, ruled by their own, not how it was at 1 time.

Edited August 12, 2015 by GUARDLING

[MikeN]

DCI did the whole "Summer Music Games" as a marketing strategy, and then dropped the idea many years ago. Quoting it as Holy Gospel is, at best, inaccurate, as DCI has since moved on to other ways to define itself.

Mike

[BRASSO]

1st DCA corps have done this for decades..lol many many decades but you now are making up an issue to non existent problem or a definition to fit the cause ( not sure )

I have no idea what this incoherent run on sentence means, so I stopped there, and have no desire to waste my time figuring out the incoherence of it.

[GUARDLING]

I have no idea what this incoherent run on sentence means, so I stopped there, and have no desire to waste my time figuring out the incoherence of it.

Well you could have said it different and i would easily explain. Just because the idea or obsession of yours holds no ground at all no need to be rude Dan. You knew exactly what it meant, who ya kiddin!

For the non rude who choose not to be on the ugly side of the activity :

Yes dCA corps have taken members from DCI for many many decades after DCI championships. difficult?

Next : You made up an issue to a non issue..Hard?

Edited August 12, 2015 by GUARDLING

[BRASSO]

DCI did the whole "Summer Music Games" as a marketing strategy, and then dropped the idea many years ago. Quoting it as Holy Gospel is, at best, inaccurate, as DCI has since moved on to other ways to define itself.

Mike

DCI was probably pragmatic, MikeN, as its marketing as such with ESPN was not a successful effort by any means. I do agee with you that of late it does appear that there is substantial evidence that DCI no longer marketing itself to sports networks of any kind anymore..... ESPN or otherwise.

Edited August 12, 2015 by BRASSO

[ShortAndFast]

Current MM's are free agent signings on one-year contracts. Trying to enforce a noncompete, or a multi-year contract, in an already dwindling activity that is primarily funded by those free agents would be folly. It'd be like plugging a leak with a sledgehammer - the problem isn't near as big as the solution would warrant.

(Although now that I say that, a true "multi-year" contract would be an interesting exercise - instead of 3k for one year, pay $4K and get *two* years in a corps, $2K of which is refundable if cut in year 2, nothing refundable if you leave?)

Mike

A multi-year contract would be an interesting strategy for a mid-tier corps that wants to improve their retention. I suspect the challenge is that most 18 year olds aren't really in a position to commit themselves for the next 2 or 3 summers.

[GUARDLING]

A multi-year contract would be an interesting strategy for a mid-tier corps that wants to improve their retention. I suspect the challenge is that most 18 year olds aren't really in a position to commit themselves for the next 2 or 3 summers.

That also is a problem. Drum corps does not have many of the multi year after year after year members any more, Some , have a few , but very few compared to past decades

As I said I saw this with a winter program. It worked for some and didnt for some. I saw kids willing to lose money to move on. They want what they want and thats pretty much it

Edited August 12, 2015 by GUARDLING

[BRASSO]

A multi-year contract would be an interesting strategy for a mid-tier corps that wants to improve their retention. I suspect the challenge is that most 18 year olds aren't really in a position to commit themselves for the next 2 or 3 summers.

Corps, if they had the money, could even totally waive fees entirely for " free agent superstars " from other Corps.

Without a sensible or reasonable transfer policy in place, I can easily envision a creative, clever Corps in the near future offering parents of MM's in other Corps a free waiver of all fees to march their Corps. Its probably already being done behind closed doors, I'll bet. And why not ? Absent any rules like they have in amateur team sports, Corps with resources ( like BD ) could just go out and find the season's best drummers, dancers, soloists, etc and just tell them " come march and help us win another Title. Its free. We won't charge you a penny. We've got well heeled boosters that'll even give you walk around cash while you're on tour with us too ". ( on the other hand, maybe they don't have to waive the fees, as they come in their pilgimmage and pay up anyway )My guess, this is already happening behind closed doors in a few cases, ie ( waiving fees for superstars ). And if it is, so what ? Under the current rules, there are no rules prohibiting things like this.

Edited August 12, 2015 by BRASSO

[HornTeacher]

The whole activity might be a sport. Then again, it might not. However, I'm not holding my breath until the time at which I see it added to the list of practiced and conducted competitions by the International Olympic Committee.

[c mor]

They all have them. We could give hundreds of examples. I'm surprised you need any examples of sensible and reasonable transfer policiies that all youth sports leagues have. If you played youth sports of any kind in your youth you should be able yourself to provide countless examples where it is prohibited by league rules to move from team to team, no matter what the parents wanted, nor payed for.. Millions of parents over the years have become accustomed to these nominal restrictions to unfettered transfers too... and it certainly can't be seen that such adoption of transfer policies have hurt parents, participants, fans, competitiveness of the activity,nor the growth of the activity either.

All I know is, when I played little league baseball, I wanted to be on the orange team because that's who my brother played for when he was in.

I played on the orange team all 5 years of my baseball career.

I do remember now that my parents saw how much I enjoyed drum corps and marching band. They moved to a school district for me to be with the better high school band after my freshman year at the cross-town rival.

Edited August 12, 2015 by c mor