Top 10 or Class A Champion

[JimF-LowBari]

GROUNDHOG DAY

<singing> "... I got you babe..." Ta Taaa Ta Taa...

Back on topic: IMO, answer is what ever works best for your recruiting efforts.

[CallipygianKing]

I agree with CallipygianKing that there should be a vote for the CLass A champion.The Class A championship corps generally has a good working knowledge of how DCA works and could be a valuable member of the voting block regardless of geographics.

I said that? I was talking about this hypothetical Class A corps that gets into the top ten. That corps should have their vote and the option to still try for the Class A championship instead of Open Class if they so choose.

On one of the other threads discussing this, someone pointed out that the Class A champion doesn't automatically get a vote because the ten best corps in DCA are the ones meant to be the voting members (as per the last rule change on membership). Let's say that this year the scores end up splitting Open and A evenly. That means that the corps that's at the top of Class A is actually in 13th place in prelims, and if they're given a vote that means they're bypassing two better corps. Looking at it that way, it sounds fair enough to me.

[CallipygianKing]

I would have a hard time thumping my chest about a "championship" and/or waving it in the face of other groups that beat me in head to head competition the night before.

There have been several class A champions. No class A corps has ever made open class finals.

To me the greater accomplishment is obvious, whether you call it a "championship" or not.

I doubt that anyone with even a basic understanding of how the system works would wave their Class A Champion medal in the face of, say, members from the 6th place Open Class corps and say they're better. Flaunting the championship comes down to what Jim said:

IMO, answer is what ever works best for your recruiting efforts.

When you're from a part of the country that the typical drum corps fans don't really know what DCA is, if they've even heard of it at all, then using the word "champion" is often a better recruiting tool than "10th place". Especially outside of the NE, DCA is still a niche of a niche activity, and if a small corps can take the c-word and use it to their advantage to earn a little more respect in their part of the country and, even better, use it to draw more people into their organization, then I feel it's wrong to take that opportunity away from them if that's what they want.

Yes, the greater accomplishment is obvious. But sometimes it's not the greater accomplishment that is best for your corps, but the greater opportunity.

[JimF-LowBari]

When you're from a part of the country that the typical drum corps fans don't really know what DCA is, if they've even heard of it at all, then using the word "champion" is often a better recruiting tool than "10th place". Especially outside of the NE, DCA is still a niche of a niche activity, and if a small corps can take the c-word and use it to their advantage to earn a little more respect in their part of the country and, even better, use it to draw more people into their organization, then I feel it's wrong to take that opportunity away from them if that's what they want.

Thanks Matt, I was thinking of "One size DON'T fit all" here but didn't have enough caffine to explain it without using ramble-ese. I remember going to DCA with a corps who was just trying to survive until the next season so we had a different mindset than a corps trying to make top 10 or win. Now along two Classes we have the Northeast/non-Northeast ways of looking at things to make it all more complicated than I ever could image "way back when".

To that I say: COOL!!

[BOSMarcher]

I think FInals should be treated like DCI used to have it. Prelims are kept sepperate (but at the same time), with Class A and Open Class competing against each other. We can still do the seeding the same...

BUT

On Finals night Class A corps have the chance to beat Open Class corps. There would still be 10 Open corps and 4 A corps. That way the Class A corps has the chance to place in the Top 10 and receive a championship, without creating a logistical nightmare. The only change would be that A Class corps cannot place among Open Class until Finals... as opposed to Prelims, like it is now.

... what do you guys think about that idea?

[Smoothy]

I want to play on Sunday. That's all.

[J.C.]

... what do you guys think about that idea?

It would make the following scenario possible this year, and even worse scenarios possible in the future:

Prelims results in 12 open class corps awarded the top 12 scores.

On finals night the 11th and 12 place corps sit in the stands while the 13th-16th place corps compete for 10th.

And what again is good about this idea?

[Gary Matczak]

I think FInals should be treated like DCI used to have it. Prelims are kept sepperate (but at the same time), with Class A and Open Class competing against each other. We can still do the seeding the same...

BUT

On Finals night Class A corps have the chance to beat Open Class corps. There would still be 10 Open corps and 4 A corps. That way the Class A corps has the chance to place in the Top 10 and receive a championship, without creating a logistical nightmare. The only change would be that A Class corps cannot place among Open Class until Finals... as opposed to Prelims, like it is now.

... what do you guys think about that idea?

I don't like it,..................BTW,........... DCI USED to have it where everyone had a shot at the title,...............remember?,............................ when quarterfinals really meant quarterfinals?

[melligene]

O.K. ...........where did I put my Ibuprophin.........Advil..........something....anything......

AHA......got it........ANTI SPECULATION DRUGS (a.k.a Labbatt Blue)

[dancingfrog]

After marching with top caliber corps, I marched with a parade drum corps and taught their winter guard. I had the greatest time. It was not becuase I was kicking butt in DCA, but it was because of the corps I was with. Class A or Open Class, it's often all about the corps and not what division you are competing in or how many awards you win.