DCA Crowd

[Fran Haring]

... and yet corps B wins and has a better time recruiting because of their competitive success.

Not always the case. Speaking from first-hand experience here.

[JoeDz]

<snip> And if the crowd size keeps getting smaller each year, how long do you think that show sponsor is going to keep beating his/her head against a wall? How long will it be before the "20th Annual D&B Corps Contest" is replaced by the "1st Annual Tractor Pull?"

<snip>

Some director of a tracker pull team will come along with a list for the rules congress meeting.....

1 top 7 tractors will comprise the T7, an elite group that gets to "pull it" exclusively on weekends

2 tractors may be souped up with the addition of electric motors

3 tractors may pull the load in any direction

4 the use of American flags on tractors is discouraged and limited to decals only

5 tractors may have speakers on the cab to produce artificial noise during warm up

6 tractors will compete by horsepower A) <250 open class, and B) >250, world class and, of course, T7

Joe

[Andyroo]

Some director of a tracker pull team will come along with a list for the rules congress meeting.....

1 top 7 tractors will comprise the T7, an elite group that gets to "pull it" exclusively on weekends

2 tractors may be souped up with the addition of electric motors

3 tractors may pull the load in any direction

4 the use of American flags on tractors is discouraged and limited to decals only

5 tractors may have speakers on the cab to produce artificial noise during warm up

6 tractors will compete by horsepower A) <250 open class, and B) >250, world class and, of course, T7

Joe

But hopefully they'll never allow the tractors to "squat!"

[melligene]

My argument was never about the Statesmen and their crowd reaction, but the audience and their lack of a crowd reaction for other groups. I just witness great crowd reactions in the South, but do not see them up north. It is often because those audiences support those groups and do not travel north. If the top 5 came South, I believe they would also get a good reaction from the audience, but I think the audience would also cheer for the southern groups as well. Same think would be said if went out to the Midwest... they would be very inclined to cheer for the midwest groups.

Again, my argument isn't about the northern groups not being able to generate a crowd response without their fans, but that the Rochester loyals and other northeastern people (that make-up the DCA Finals audience) are not as inclined to cheer for other groups.

Your statement seems to characterise fans as favoring one particular Corps' over another by geographical region. HUH...? Been doin' this since is was 15 (now 67). Fans know what they like and react in kind. South, North, Midwest, West, Mars, Tibet, DUK, BF Egypt, they know what they like and the gate receipts will eventually (over time) show it.

Again.....it has little, if anything, to do with region. Fans are Fans and they will go wherever it takes them to get that Drum Corps' FIX.

Human nature says they will respond appropriatly. Just sayin.............

[Scerpella]

Not to derail the thread but....

Staff member Gary and I were referring to was in the pressbox right behind the lower deck crowd. IIRC some of the yells were done in the middle of phrases. And when I looked the guy was at the front of the pressbox which meant the crowd got to hear the encouragement a lot better than the corps did. Hell at one time he drowned out a softer passage.....

Jeesh..... and I'll probably be in the same hotel as the Hurcs again next year.

Oh yeah.... the ONLY coffee was at the OTHER side of the stadium...... and hot chocolcate was behind the end zone. Can't be in your seat to cheer if you're trudging to one or the other...

I have wracked my brain for a long time and I still don't know what IIRC is an acronym for. Please enlighten me.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Scerpella

[JimF-LowBari]

I have wracked my brain for a long time and I still don't know what IIRC is an acronym for. Please enlighten me.

I had to ask too first time I saw it....

If I Remember Correctly.... IOW (In Other Words) I suffer from CRS (Can't Remember S###!).

Just helping someone else in my age range.

[BOSMarcher]

No question, you're right.

But please don't forget about the silly little word that my post had in parentheses - PAYING.

If Corps A is the only one entertaining a crowd of "popcorn eaters," how many of them are going to come next year? And if the crowd size keeps getting smaller each year, how long do you think that show sponsor is going to keep beating his/her head against a wall? How long will it be before the "20th Annual D&B Corps Contest" is replaced by the "1st Annual Tractor Pull?"

Corps B may win and may have an easier time recruiting, but if their show is way over the head of the (paying) audience, who cares? Corps B can recruit it's brains out, but if there aren't any shows to perform at....

But then, I've stated my case about the importance of paying customers in other threads, so....

Of course, that wouldn't matter outside the Northeast... as the drum corps pay for all of those shows anyway. I'm not saying fans are not important... but that argument only really works in the Northeast.

[BOSMarcher]

We'll agree to disagree on this, then.

I've seen my share of shows in Rochester and elsewhere in the Northeast.... and I've seen many, many, many great crowd responses to corps other than the "home team" at a given show.

I'm still making reference to the northeast in general... so, this doesn't really disagree with what I've said. Being someone that has seen crowd reactions in different regions, I think my claim is fairly strong. It doesn't really matter, I just think it is an educated judgment.

[BOSMarcher]

Your statement seems to characterise fans as favoring one particular Corps' over another by geographical region. HUH...? Been doin' this since is was 15 (now 67). Fans know what they like and react in kind. South, North, Midwest, West, Mars, Tibet, DUK, BF Egypt, they know what they like and the gate receipts will eventually (over time) show it.

Again.....it has little, if anything, to do with region. Fans are Fans and they will go wherever it takes them to get that Drum Corps' FIX.

Human nature says they will respond appropriatly. Just sayin.............

You're right... people will like what they like... maybe its that I see Empire as a little too high school band for me. They are good, I just feel like I have seen it before and that they are better than what is being put on the field. The argument was made ealier that the DCA audience is more educated, and yet it seems to go crazy for the simpler shows. That doesn't seem educated to me...

Something that has to be taken into account is the fact that the demographics of the regions may be different (and in a lot of ways are). I think you see a much younger audience at the southern shows.

Do you think that it isn't about education, and more about energy? Let's face it, older audience members are going to be less inclined to leap out of their seats and cheer.

[fish66]

I have wracked my brain for a long time and I still don't know what IIRC is an acronym for. Please enlighten me.

my guess.."if i remember correctly".....