OldStyleCorps Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 (edited) Do not see the need to " BLAME " either group. They TRIED to do something, that did not work out for this year/season. End of story. Edited March 21, 2010 by OldStyleCorps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixtysomething Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Do not see the need to " BLAME " either group. They TRIED to do something, that did not work out for this year/season. End of story. And THAT is the most logical and reasonable post so far. Allen stated the reason. Why is there always someone looking for (as Fran correctly called it) "a grassy knoll"? There just isn't that much intrique in the drum corsp world. Usually its just someone's fantasy on DCP. Let's move on......the season approaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOSMarcher Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 (edited) i know i'm an old guy but let me explain something to you. in 1969 we went to atlanta for the A.L. NATS. it took us 2 years to recoup that money. in 1965 we went to portland oregon and it a few years to recoup. corps stopped going to the A.L. NATS because of how much it cost. now i know it seems grossly unfair for the top corps not to go south or west and you all come to the northeast. i get it. but corps just will not do it because of the cost. i don't have any answers and nobody else does either. it's a tough thing. i guess that's why in my time DCA never grew. it was cost prohibative. ... and yet it could still be the reason why DCA is not growing as fast as it could. I understand the cost thing... I just feel like if the other corps can do it, surely the northern corps can. If I were a corps outside the south I would like to be able to spend my money on better staff and equipment, as well. I think there a reason why the Northeast has had a hold on the top spots for so long. Part of it is tradition, but the other part is that they are able to spend their money on other things than travel. Somehow telling me that it takes to long for northern corps to recoup from traveling further doesn't hold as much water is it used to... I know nothing is making anyone come to the South or Midwest... I am looking forward to the day when those groups [southern and midwestern] can shift the power out of the same location it has been in for a while. That will be a good day for DCA! Edited March 21, 2010 by BOSMarcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 ... and yet it could still be the reason why DCA is not growing as fast as it could. I understand the cost thing... I just feel like if the other corps can do it, surely the northern corps can. If I were a corps outside the south I would like to be able to spend my money on better staff and equipment, as well. I think there a reason why the Northeast has had a hold on the top spots for so long. Part of it is tradition, but the other part is that they are able to spend their money on other things than travel. Somehow telling me that it takes to long for northern corps to recoup from traveling further doesn't hold as much water is it used to...I know nothing is making anyone come to the South or Midwest... I am looking forward to the day when those groups [southern and midwestern] can shift the power out of the same location it has been in for a while. That will be a good day for DCA! what i said is truth. i know it's hard to swallow and i'm not saying it's right. i feel your pain. i would feel the same as you do but it is what it is and you or i can't change it. MBI did very well and is a power house and i know it cost them a ton to do it. i don't have the answeres and niether does anybody else or it would have been done by now. how exactly would you solve the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 One of my uncles used to have a sign in his house that said, "Money isn't everything . . . but it's way ahead of whatever's in second place!" That sign came to mind as I read this thread. The cost of moving a corps cross-country has to be staggering. Kudos to the Renegades and others who do it every year to get to DCA Finals. Like Don's earlier explanation about Cru, we (Hawthorne) were still paying off Portland '65 three years later. A major reason we skipped New Orleans in '68 was because Portland still wasn't paid off. Atlanta and Houston were also big expenses that didn't go away quickly. Empire has made at least one European trip in the past few years, and we in the Hawthorne Alumni were considering it, but for the high cost. With new uniforms this year, Empire has enough financial burden already without the CA trip. Renegades just got new uniforms last year, and they make that cross-country trek every Labor Day Weekend at great expense. Neither corps needs to put themselves in fiscal jeopardy for the trips that were considered, just because the fans want it and feel it's the right thing for the corps to do, or that they somehow owe it to the fans because it had been announced. Both Empire and the Renegades are doing the fiscally responsible thing by calling off their trips. Their long-term financial health is more important than mutual/exchange trips, no matter how fan-friendly and pleasing they may have been. There is no fault or blame to be found here, just some disappointment at what might have been. When you think about it, isn't an awful lot in life like that?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 One of my uncles used to have a sign in his house that said, "Money isn't everything . . . but it's way ahead of whatever's in second place!" That sign came to mind as I read this thread.The cost of moving a corps cross-country has to be staggering. Kudos to the Renegades and others who do it every year to get to DCA Finals. Like Don's earlier explanation about Cru, we (Hawthorne) were still paying off Portland '65 three years later. A major reason we skipped New Orleans in '68 was because Portland still wasn't paid off. Atlanta and Houston were also big expenses that didn't go away quickly. Empire has made at least one European trip in the past few years, and we in the Hawthorne Alumni were considering it, but for the high cost. With new uniforms this year, Empire has enough financial burden already without the CA trip. Renegades just got new uniforms last year, and they make that cross-country trek every Labor Day Weekend at great expense. Neither corps needs to put themselves in fiscal jeopardy for the trips that were considered, just because the fans want it and feel it's the right thing for the corps to do, or that they somehow owe it to the fans because it had been announced. Both Empire and the Renegades are doing the fiscally responsible thing by calling off their trips. Their long-term financial health is more important than mutual/exchange trips, no matter how fan-friendly and pleasing they may have been. There is no fault or blame to be found here, just some disappointment at what might have been. When you think about it, isn't an awful lot in life like that?? There is no "Grassy knoll", there is no conspiracy, no hidden adgendas, no "dirt" to dig up. There is just a prudent decision by two healthy and successful DCA corps to do as John said. just sayin.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) There is no "Grassy knoll", there is no conspiracy, no hidden adgendas, no "dirt" to dig up.There is just a prudent decision by two healthy and successful DCA corps to do as John said. just sayin.... #### Straight!!! <$1 to non-DC friend of mine>..... Can you imagine the B-wording and pain if either corps HAD made the trip and then had financial problems getting on the field for 2011? And try not to think about Cru and Brigs while talking about NY corps not being on the field for (hopefully just) a season. I'll take safe long term planning any day...... Edited March 22, 2010 by JimF-3rdBari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOSMarcher Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 what i said is truth. i know it's hard to swallow and i'm not saying it's right. i feel your pain. i would feel the same as you do but it is what it is and you or i can't change it. MBI did very well and is a power house and i know it cost them a ton to do it. i don't have the answeres and niether does anybody else or it would have been done by now. how exactly would you solve the problem? Maybe some financial incentives to help corps that are traveling to different shows, provided by DCA (if they are out of region). The problem is that championships will not be moved outside the Northeast until another region can prove there will be an audience large enough for championships. That will be very difficult until some top ranked corps come and perform. Don't get me wrong, other regions are doing well. The South now has two groups in Finals out of three... as well as two Class A titles, but it is happening very slowly. I realize there is not a great solution besides telling every corps they must compete in one out of region show, but that would have its own problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Maybe some financial incentives to help corps that are traveling to different shows, provided by DCA (if they are out of region). The problem is that championships will not be moved outside the Northeast until another region can prove there will be an audience large enough for championships. That will be very difficult until some top ranked corps come and perform. Don't get me wrong, other regions are doing well. The South now has two groups in Finals out of three... as well as two Class A titles, but it is happening very slowly.I realize there is not a great solution besides telling every corps they must compete in one out of region show, but that would have its own problems. you do realize most money DCA "makes" goes back to the corps right? It's not like DCA is sitting on piles of cash they refuse to spend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taters Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Ok so being an insider on this whole thing....The cost of this whole project on both sides was exorbitant. While members were going to cover the flights everything else was going to be subsidized in one way or another. Trust me I was in charge of trying to find housing and even dorms are as much as hotel rooms these days let alone gym floors. One location wanted to charge 110.00 an hour to rent the gym...multiply that by four days and we have not even touched on the cost of buses. This project is still a good idea, but I felt it needed a two year cycle of planning, and may have been a little pre-mature. The economy certainly has not helped and it is very slow to recover here in CA, and as a result the Gades a?? ..yep..we were looking forward to partying with our friends. Is it the end of this possibility??...nope and I dont want to announce that this something that might be on the table for next year...that's not my place, but I would not write off the idea of this happening in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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