Could it happen this year?

[Dale Bari]

But that's a chance that they know they're taking, and I'm sure that the corps wouldn't take it unless they felt it was worth it.

Besides, with membership determined by prelims anyway, they've got their membership already. Let them try for their championship. too.

Sure, it's their call. I'm not opposed to them making that call themselves. I said so above. Just that, let's remember, they're not annointed the Class A title (though it's a good bet that they'll win it) after Prelims.The original question and subsequent points all assumed that this corps has ONLY 2 options: win Class A or take 10th place.

In fact, it's conceivable that they could be 9th (or higher) in Prelims, and 9th (or higher in Finals). Does 9th confer any advantage over 10th for this corps? All arguments posed for staying in A Finals hold whatever the low Open placement (and they won't be challenging for Top 5 for sure) is. The only catch is how sure are they about winning the A Title. If 2 or more A corps are around that same score for making Top 10, the one that's in might rather take the sure Top 10 spot than take their chances gunning for the hotly contested A title.

[Grenadier eh]

We have seen both sides of the coin beginning in Open Class and winning the Class A championship. As far as economics is concerned Open class is the ticket. You have a vote and are able to have some leverage with show contracts.In this period of time with transportation costs what they are you have to micro manage everything.

As far as the A Class championship it was great to the first corps out of the US to win it but it certainly doesn`t pay the bills. My 2 cents at par I think!

[camel lips]

2nd place is nothing but 'the best of the losers'. Right?

I'd still go for 10th in DCA instead of class 'A' Champs.

Just my opinion.

In the winning is everything thought

Yes,,2nd is the best of the losers and 3rd would be the corps that was not even good enough to be the best of the losers,,,then it just kind of trickles down from there.

Quick without looking it up,,,who was the 5th place corps in 2001?

[Sayre Kulp]

Probably Minnesota Brass.

[Sayre Kulp]

I was wrong. Bush was 5th in '01. MBI was 6th.

(only .35 off though ~ not too bad, if I do say so myself)

[Jeff Ream]

It differs from corps to corps. Which is why it's maddening that DCA has a one-size-fits-all solution, which is the top ten saying that success is emulating them. There are multiple measures of success in this activity, and different corps strive for different measures, and if a corps' goal is to get that Class A crown then they shouldn't be "punished" for being "too good" if they don't want to be.

it's a catch 22. the only way to get it changed is to get votes for the other viewpoint

[pvt_cairns]

Here's a thought. If Class A are allowed to compete in Open class finals, why the 2 divisions? What's the point? It seems a bit counter productive to me to seperate the divisions on sheets all year until the end when it really counts. Either seperate the two, or disolve the classes, but stop beating around the bush. Someone will always get robbed. Either an open class corps will be peeved because an A class corps took there place, or and A class corps will be mad because the second or third best Class A corps won the division. Does anyone else see that as stupid? There are divisions for a reason, it's to seperate based on size. If we're going to allow the Class corps to compete with open class at finals, what's the point?

And as for the comment comparing DCA to major and minor league baseball. I see you're point, but it's a bad comparison IMO. DCA divisions seem to be divided by size, not quality and experiance like DCI. Being that it's an all age activity, I'd assume that there is as much experiance at the A class side, as there is on the Open class. Minor league ball players are trying to be good enough to be in the majors, that dosen't seem to be that case with class A. They're already at the major league level, there are just less of them. I've only been with DCA 2 years, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited July 25, 2008 by pvt_cairns

[darkman]

In the DCA 2007-2008 Rules Book Section 1.2.1 number 3

The top three (3) [now 4] scoring corps in Class A (from Championship prelims) will compete in the finals performance for the Class A Championship, providing neither corps finished in one of the top ten (10) placements from preliminaries.

Under Section 1.4 number 9

Final Contest - The final contest will be composed of ten (10) highest scoring corps from preliminaries regardless of class. Order of appearance shall be determined by the finalist’s score from prelims.

So it doesn't matter...

if a Class A corps makes it in the Top 10 in Finals- they have to compete in the Top 10...

[Dale Bari]

Here's a thought. If Class A are allowed to compete in Open class finals, why the 2 divisions? What's the point? It seems a bit counter productive to me to seperate the divisions on sheets all year until the end when it really counts. Either seperate the two, or disolve the classes, but stop beating around the bush. Someone will always get robbed. Either an open class corps will be peeved because an A class corps took there place, or and A class corps will be mad because the second or third best Class A corps won the division. Does anyone else see that as stupid? There are divisions for a reason, it's to seperate based on size. If we're going to allow the Class corps to compete with open class at finals, what's the point?

And as for the comment comparing DCA to major and minor league baseball. I see you're point, but it's a bad comparison IMO. DCA divisions seem to be divided by size, not quality and experiance like DCI. Being that it's an all age activity, I'd assume that there is as much experiance at the A class side, as there is on the Open class. Minor league ball players are trying to be good enough to be in the majors, that dosen't seem to be that case with class A. They're already at the major league level, there are just less of them. I've only been with DCA 2 years, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

There have been folks on here who have explained the exact rationale for Class A in DCA, but if I may try to distill that down to a sentence or two: Class A was created to give start-up corps and corps that struggle to maintain members a way to have a goal that's attainable. The Classes are only separate for the purposes of who gets into Finals, and even then it's not a lot of separation: The Top 10 scoring corps (of ALL corps) in Prelims are Open Finalists. Then, the other corps that qualify (between 35 & 65 members, inclusive) and DECLARE that they are in Class A by the deadline (June 1), also have a chance to qualify for the (now) Top 4 of that Class for a separate Finals competition.

Other than that, there is no separate competition, there are no separate sheets. For every show during the season until Prelims, all corps compete on the same level.

I think the major/minor league baseball analogy is valid from this point of view: most Class A corps are new corps. (The main exceptions are Govenaires, which is the oldest corps in terms of sheer age - though not in DCA competition - and White Sabers.) They are trying to gain (or regain) major league form. Most Open corps are long-established corps, with decades of experience. (The main exceptions are Renegades & Corps Vets - and Music City.) As with any analogy, it isn't perfect, but it works. (Although, it also conjures up DCI's current catch phrase "Marching Music's Major League", which gives me the willies.)

[Smoothy]

First of all, the poll is painfully biased with that parenthetical mumbo-jumbo and the "also-ran" BS after the 10th place option. Secondly, if the judges would allow an A Class corps into Open Class finals, there will be hell to pay for those said judges. Lastly, if you make the Sunday show, who cares where the judges put you. You've made your trip worthwhile by doing an extra show for the crowd. Scoring is so over-rated in this entertainment field.

Edited July 28, 2008 by Smoothy