Marching Music's Major League?

[bawker]

Yeah...as I look around at the ONE show we have left in NC.....and the ONE show we have left in SC, that comment hit me the wrong way.

I dunno about you guys, but I don't go to shows to watch judges. I could care less if they are there or not.

100000000000% agreed.

What up with so few shows in NC?

[audiodb]

Almost no shows? There are 13 shows being held in California this year... more than any other state, including Texas (by a LOT)!

First of all, only 10 of those "13 shows" are contests. Three were exhibitions.

Now, for further perspective, bear in mind that California has 15 competing corps. No other state has more than seven, IIRC.

To further complicate matters, many of those 10 shows have entry limitations due to the number of interested corps exceeding what a show host can handle.

[knightsbari]

so less judges ... does that mean the scores were higher than they really should be ?

[skajerk]

Almost no shows? There are 13 shows being held in California this year... more than any other state, including Texas (by a LOT)!

And do you know how much it costs to arrange flights these days to California if you don't live in the southwest or along the west coast?

I'm sorry, but cry me a river...

You're being a little misleading, don't you think? With the size that CA is, not every corps on the west coast was at those shows. There were also three shows with only 1 World Class corps (PC) and are two shows w/o any. Not to slam on the Open Class or All Age corps, but we all know (at least from what I've seen on the west coast) it's usually the WC corps that draw the people to these shows.

I ask you take any part of the midwest or east and map out an area that covers the same ground that CA does, and tell me how many shows there are. I bet you'll find more shows then in CA.

[jordsterr]

I'd like to complain about the small number of shows in Ohio and close to Ohio. Oh wait....

ducking for cover

[nemesiscorps]

This weekend, there were only four DCI judges for the Southern California shows, and no judges on the field. I know DCI is trying to save money these days, but an organization that markets itself as music's Major League should at least provide a reasonable amount of judges for its regular season "competitions."

It's bad enough there are almost no shows in California these days, but taking away the judges from the few shows there are? This is getting ridiculous, and it is starting to feel like competitive drum corps is getting run into the dirt.

Lee

Not speaking for anyone else or any organization ... just me

I'm in full agreement with the OP, and I love the title of the thread. My question is… Does it really even matter anymore? “Marching Music’s Major League” is a joke, and certainly isn’t worth serious consideration as it relates to legitimacy.

Here's more “rehashed” food for thought as we consider “Marching Music's Major League."

This marketing slogan is DCI's self-proclaimed calling to have others consider this "elite" competitive circuit to be in company with entities such as the NBA, MLB, the NFL, the NHL, etc. Let's take a brief look at DCI's championship title history by the numbers.

Age/number of World Championship events: 35

Number of corps having won a world championship title in 35 years: 8

B.D. - 12

Cadets - 9

Cavies - 7

SCV - 6

Scouts - 2

Regiment - 1

Star - 1

Kingsmen - 1

Number of corps having won a world championship more than twice in 35 years: 4

B.D. - 12

Cadets - 9

Cavies - 7

SCV - 6

Number of “tied” world championship titles: 3

Number of World Champion titles awarded: 38 (Includes the B.D. ties with Regiment/SCV in 1996/1999 and Cavies/Cadets in 2000)

Number of years the world championship trophy has been traded or shared among the same four corps: 33 (Includes the B.D. ties with Regiment/SCV in 1996/1999 and Cavies/Cadets in 2000)

So… basically four corps (plus Regiment in 1996) have been trading a world championship title for 31 years… 31 years!

(Excludes Madison twice, in 1975/1988; Kingsmen once, in 1972; Star once, in 1991; and Regiment’s shared title with B.D. in 1996) I won't even get into the obvious pattern of the other competing corps seemingly "slotted" into the same groups for years at a time, regardless of what they do to improve their organizations.

Is there anyone that has been in this activity for more than 10 years that doesn’t know pretty much how virtually all of the competitive seasons will play out. At the start of the season, do we really wonder in deep anticipation of which corps will be on top? Is there any real expectation for another corps outside of B.D, Cadets, Cavies, or SCV to win the title? (I guess so, if you cite history showing 5 times out of 30 years that it actually could happen.)

Are there any real expectations that the future we will ever see multiple corps outside those four actually winning the DCI title? Even among those four, is the answer really that any one of these is so much greater than any of the other three… a so called “dynasty?” If so, why are they so much better? Within all of these organizations over the decades, we’ve seen new programs and directions in corps identities, new staffs, new kids, new volunteers, new management (and many of them have simply traded involvement in multiple organizations, just like in the major leagues), yet we always get similar results. Can we just acknowledge that this “Major League” doesn’t have a legitimate adjudication system? Where is the credibility… or should credibility simply be assumed and accepted?

Decade after decade, we go around and around with more and more of the same. Again… and again… and again, and this is done with no explanation or apology. And if anyone questions why, then they become the problem and the focus for ridicule, not the circuit itself. In the “real” major leagues, I can’t believe that anyone would ever accept this kind of ploy as a foundation to charge spectators for a competitive event (and it isn’t cheap!). Does it matter if there are five judges, nine judges, or 900 judges? Honestly, how can anyone take any of this seriously? Someone was right when they posted a suggestion to simply have these groups join the Broadway stage with BLAST!, that way we could simply enjoy the art without the crap woven into it. But the “crap” is the machine by which some people get paid, so here we are.

All one can do now is show enthusiastic support of the members themselves, whether it be live or in a forum such as this, or simply walk away from this “league” in understandable disappointment.

“Marching Music’s Major League” is more like a fantasy league where a minority group is living out their own desired results, for reasons only they can explain. Absent of ignorance, it is interesting how we’ve all accepted this. “Marching Music’s Major League,” oh really?

Is there any reasonable and factual defense?

[Gary Matczak]

I'm in full agreement with the OP, and I love the title of the thread. My question is… Does it really even matter anymore? “Marching Music’s Major League” is a joke, and certainly isn’t worth serious consideration as it relates to legitimacy.

Here's more “rehashed” food for thought as we consider “Marching Music's Major League."

This marketing slogan is DCI's self-proclaimed calling to have others consider this "elite" competitive circuit to be in company with entities such as the NBA, MLB, the NFL, the NHL, etc. Let's take a brief look at DCI's championship title history by the numbers.

Age/number of World Championship events: 35

Number of corps having won a world championship title in 35 years: 8

B.D. - 12

Cadets - 9

Cavies - 7

SCV - 6

Scouts - 2

Regiment - 1

Star - 1

Kingsmen - 1

Number of corps having won a world championship more than twice in 35 years: 4

B.D. - 12

Cadets - 9

Cavies - 7

SCV - 6

Number of “tied” world championship titles: 3

Number of World Champion titles awarded: 38 (Includes the B.D. ties with Regiment/SCV in 1996/1999 and Cavies/Cadets in 2000)

Number of years the world championship trophy has been traded or shared among the same four corps: 33 (Includes the B.D. ties with Regiment/SCV in 1996/1999 and Cavies/Cadets in 2000)

So… basically four corps (plus Regiment in 1996) have been trading a world championship title for 31 years… 31 years!

(Excludes Madison twice, in 1975/1988; Kingsmen once, in 1972; Star once, in 1991; and Regiment’s shared title with B.D. in 1996) I won't even get into the obvious pattern of the other competing corps seemingly "slotted" into the same groups for years at a time, regardless of what they do to improve their organizations.

Is there anyone that has been in this activity for more than 10 years that doesn’t know pretty much how virtually all of the competitive seasons will play out. At the start of the season, do we really wonder in deep anticipation of which corps will be on top? Is there any real expectation for another corps outside of B.D, Cadets, Cavies, or SCV to win the title? (I guess so, if you cite history showing 5 times out of 30 years that it actually could happen.)

Are there any real expectations that the future we will ever see multiple corps outside those four actually winning the DCI title? Even among those four, is the answer really that any one of these is so much greater than any of the other three… a so called “dynasty?” If so, why are they so much better? Within all of these organizations over the decades, we’ve seen new programs and directions in corps identities, new staffs, new kids, new volunteers, new management (and many of them have simply traded involvement in multiple organizations, just like in the major leagues), yet we always get similar results. Can we just acknowledge that this “Major League” doesn’t have a legitimate adjudication system? Where is the credibility… or should credibility simply be assumed and accepted?

Decade after decade, we go around and around with more and more of the same. Again… and again… and again, and this is done with no explanation or apology. And if anyone questions why, then they become the problem and the focus for ridicule, not the circuit itself. In the “real” major leagues, I can’t believe that anyone would ever accept this kind of ploy as a foundation to charge spectators for a competitive event (and it isn’t cheap!). Does it matter if there are five judges, nine judges, or 900 judges? Honestly, how can anyone take any of this seriously? Someone was right when they posted a suggestion to simply have these groups join the Broadway stage with BLAST!, that way we could simply enjoy the art without the crap woven into it. But the “crap” is the machine by which some people get paid, so here we are.

All one can do now is show enthusiastic support of the members themselves, whether it be live or in a forum such as this, or simply walk away from this “league” in understandable disappointment.

“Marching Music’s Major League” is more like a fantasy league where a minority group is living out their own desired results, for reasons only they can explain. Absent of ignorance, it is interesting how we’ve all accepted this. “Marching Music’s Major League,” oh really?

Is there any reasonable and factual defense?

Very interesting post,................and a compelling argument!