Cabstuba04 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 DCI is still very much a necessary evil for us all-agers outside of the Northeast. With only one local top-ten DCA big-dog headliner in my area, we need those DCI junior corps to attract fan$. That is, until DCA truly has the national fan ba$e and as many top-tier corps with fan$ from all over that DCI has...Sad little side note: DCI and DCA could very well have an equal number of top-tier corps in the near future. The sad part is, it may not be because of DCA expansion and growth but DCI atrophy... I'm afraid your right.. Every year it becomes more difficult to produce that top flight corps. Membership issues..Money issues...Scheduling issues... So although I am all for DCA expansion I am very concerned about keeping the ones that we have...Not as easy as everyone seems to think it is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Sad little side note: DCI and DCA could very well have an equal number of top-tier corps in the near future. The sad part is, it may not be because of DCA expansion and growth but DCI atrophy... Dude,.................DCA expansion is happening before your eyes,............ though you refuse to acknowledge it........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 (edited) Dude,.................DCA expansion is happening before your eyes,............ though you refuse to acknowledge it........ I'm not denying that DCA is expanding. I'm saying that DCI may be shrinking faster than DCA can expand. I would love it if DCA also had 25 or so nationally known corps in the top class. I would love it if it was feasible for the Renegades and the Bushwackers (just picking two random corps) to appear in the same mid-season show on a regular basis, along with a few other as-of-yet unrealized corps of the same caliber. I'm just expressing a fear that the equity in numbers might be somewhere in the teens instead, and that the day we see 18 corps in Open Class for prelims at DCA is the same day that we see 18 corps in World Class for DCI prelims. I would love it if drum corps fan$ in my area followed DCA with as much interest and excitement as they did DCI. I would love to see more than just two midwestern Open Class corps. I would love to see four or five of them, along with a throng of fan$ following them all summer as they entertain in close head-to-head competition. I would love to see a huge DCA Central championship in mid-July or mid-August that attracts as many fan$ and as much excitement as the DCM championship did in its heyday. I also have a general fear for the future of the activity in that, just as we're seeing growth in DCA, especially in the small corps, we're seeing DCI corps fall to the wayside, especially the small corps. Edited June 4, 2008 by CallipygianKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayre Kulp Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Sorry to quote myself, buuuut...Can you imagine the kind of arch-nemesis that the Renegades would create for themselves? They have one! The little Chinese chicas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Bari Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 WEll first you have to have a lot of small corps become bigger corps.The 35 member rule is restricting the development of the smaller corps to become bigger corps.Some corps are just struggling to keep the doors open much less meet the 35 rule. Logically, this point is pure mush. Yes, FIRST, you have to have small corps period. But DCA has the smaller corps (16 declared A vs. 12 Open). If you're having trouble getting to 35, then getting to 66 is impossible. The 35-rule in no way is stopping Class A from getting bigger. Lack of competitions for some corps is a much more relevant problem than the 35 rule. Getting more local competitors/shows and herding the fans into the stands will be a much better use of resources than campaigning to repeal a rule. Back in 1987, when DCA pulled in 23 corps to Prelims, the 7-10 place finishers were not all that big (even 5th place Reading wasn't too large), and the corps further down were downright puny. I doubt some of them ((Hamilton Knights, anyone?) would've made it over the 35-member threshold. It was noted then that Steel City was the only full-size corps that year. We had 64 brass, and Cabs line was in the 50's. Cru may have had around 50, and the rest were all below 50. I don't think that will be the case in 2008. At the bottom end, depending on the allocation, any corps at the 35 minimum probably has mid-teens in brass, at least. I'd have to dig out my DCW, but I feel certain that at least a couple of '87 attendees were smaller. Assuming the last two pass evaluations this year, DCA will have 28 corps - ALL bigger than their counterparts out of the 23 corps from 21 years ago. As I have said many times before, are there problems? Yes, but they are mostly good problems to have. DCA is seeing record HIGH numbers of corps wanting to participate. DCI is seeing record LOW numbers of corps wanting to participate. Does anyone want to trade problems with them? (BTW, doesn't DCI's desire to add sr corps under its umbrella smack at least a little of desperation?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Bari Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I'm saying that DCI may be shrinking faster than DCA can expand... Normally, Matt, you make good points. But, this one, uh ... what does it matter? Is there a minimum number of corps that must exist, otherwise the universe will collapse? DCA has to make up for the corps that DCI loses? I have periodically noted with interest that DCA has recently set and broken records for its size relative to DCI, but that in no way means a whole lot. It is an indicator of the relative directions the 2 circuits are heading, but it isn't an indicator of the actual health of either circuit. However, that fact taken with the parallel fact that DCA is seeing more corps than ever, does indicate something, something good. Your original point a few posts back was actually a little more meaningful: if DCI and DCA switch places in size, it is due more to DCI attrition and less to DCA growing. And, while it may be true, it's still not so relevant. Everyone is looking at the relative sizes of the two classes in DCA. Yes, it is obvious that having only 12 Open corps is not great. Yes, it is a fact that few corps that came up through Class A (one - Corps Vets, to be exact) are now Open Class. Now that Class A seems to be growing just fine, the next step in this expansion process is DCA's attempt to focus its attention on the ways to increase the total Open and the Class A-to-Open numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 (BTW, doesn't DCI's desire to add sr corps under its umbrella smack at least a little of desperation?) Either that, or it's a realization that all-age corps actually is a quality product worth trying to get into their court. All the more reason for DCA to act faster in becoming better known nationally, lest these corps are wooed away by the national marketing machine and fan base of DCI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Normally, Matt, you make good points. But, this one, uh ... what does it matter? You're right, it doesn't matter. That's why it was a side note that really was meant to not have much bearing on the conversation at all: Sad little side note: DCI and DCA could very well have an equal number of top-tier corps in the near future. The sad part is, it may not be because of DCA expansion and growth but DCI atrophy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Perhaps you should include how the Houston show has been on the same day as other REALLY BIG events in other corps' home towns.This particular song is getting rather old, dude. I thought DCA determined show dates. I've always found it weird that the two big non-NE shows (MN, and GA) end up being on the same weekend as well. For us stuck in the middle (of the universe), and yet close to nothing. Personally I think all show dates should be finalized one year in advance. At a minimum you'll be able to tell attendees of the current years show when to come back next year. But current trends are to finalize much later in the current season. Forcing some corps to only publish the known part of the schedule, with additions later. Making it harder to recruit since some people need to know one year in advance to submit the days off to be able to commit to a DCA style corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00Sop Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Yes, it is a fact that few corps that came up through Class A (one - Corps Vets, to be exact) are now Open Class. Ahem [raising hand]. Make that two. MCL: Class A - 2005, Open Class 2006-present. More will come. Rome wasn't built in a day. Many of the corps in Class A are young organizations. As they solidify their bases, they will come.... MCL is only 5 years old. We have gotten this far due to a little good fortune and a lot of good people. Back to stealth mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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