DCA's Lack of Competitive Parity - Food for Thought

[drumlaw80]

I respectfully think that having the same corps win the title year after year after year is not a good result for marketing any competitive "world championship" event to the general public.

Please understand, I'm not saying the Bucaneers' recent consecutive DCA titles were not well-deserved, they certainly were. But from an overall DCA/drum corps activity-marketing aspect, some semblance of competitive parity is much healthier and better for any competitive league as a whole. Similarly, the worst thing that could possibly happen for the NFL is for the Steelers, for example, to win the next eight Super Bowls ... the viewership and fans would simply begin to die off. Have we begun to see that decline a little bit in the attendance of DCA? If so, do you think the fact that there has literally been no question as to who was going to win DCA in 6 years had anything to do with it? Please understand, I am not bashing one corps -- just taking a look at the overal aspects of our marketing, and how out activity not being "competitive" in terms of a champion over the course of multiple seasons could potentially harm the growth of DCA.

The obvious problem with drum corps is "how" does one achieve competitive parity and make your circuit truly "competitive" so you can keep the fans interested without a staff/member draft or some other form of control over the product of the activity. Some marching band circuits accomplish this by not allowing a repeat champion in consecutive years. That wouldn't work in DCA, and I am not sure what else would.

But, food for thought ... this extreme lack of parity, IMO, is potentially damaging to our activity in terms of growth of the fan base. Any other ideas how one might achieve parity without blatantly coming up with another new rule that only affects one corps?

[84BDsop]

Just going off my (large) gut here, but I'm not entirely certain it's as big a factor as you're implying. The only examples I have to cite are from local, and therefore, smaller DCI shows, but still...

The fact that Renegades have only lost one show in California (to RCR in 05 or 06) didn't result in less people coming out for shows where 'Gades had competition from RCR, SoCal Dream, or both. I remember the attendance growing (even with all the lot lizards watching BD play 8 on a hand instead of watching some pretty good Sr and Div II/III shows). Even when SCD was by itself, I remember the crowds slowly growing.

Certainly there's going to be a boredom factor with Bucs and 6 in a row....but all 6 have been different programs....it's not like they're playing the same show and winning. (what's most surprising is the length of time they haven't lost a show...usually 3 years is the time it takes for competitors to catch up)

I don't see a draft helping...especially with people often joining a Sr because it's close by....this isn't Jr where they can move in.

Barbershop doesn't allow repeat champs either...and I agree that wouldn't work in drum corps.

Enforcing competitive parity (or trying to) might work in pro sports where the worst team gets the first draft pick...but this isn't pro sports, no matter how much we may try to market it as such. Parity's only going to come when other corps get good enough at the game to beat Bucs...same for BD on the Jr side (although the more fluid nature of membership on that side of the aisle makes it more likely).

In the meantime...I think people got to watch the shows than to see if Bucs will win or not.

[LegalEagle50]

While it seems that having 1 champion the last 6 years may have (and until actual numbers are put up, if they are put up) effected the audience turn out at championships negatively, I have seen a positive effect. IMO everyone else has made attempts to become more competitive and put out better programs in an attempt to beat the Bucs.

If you look at shows from 10 years ago there was a usually huge disparity between who was in the hunt and who was just staying afloat. IMO any of the corps 2-5 were far better than any of the corps 2-5 10 years ago. Not just a change of times type of perspective. And all out better job at programing and training, resulting in a better product.

Star United IMO has had the same effect on the mini-corps as well.

[fecontra]

get another corps to design and perform a better show

[Dmlkmen]

I think more parody will occur as corps continue to grow outside the older and more traditional corps of the Northeast and some of the Midwest. With more corps from the South, Mountain West, and the Pacific coming into the fold, they will continue to challenge and eventually move and shake the placements. Its only a matter of time as the growth continues.

Edited January 14, 2011 by Dmlkmen

[drumlaw80]

Let me ask a hypothetical follow-up question --

Let's say, for sake of argument, the Reading Buccaneers are good and stable enough so they can go without losing a single show in DCA for the next 35 years.

Now, if in this hypothetical scenario, the fan attendance of DCA Finals and other shows keep dropping as those years go by due to the perceived lack of competitition in a DCA event, at what point "must" DCA do something about it to save the circuit? Or are we all ethically obligated by principles of fairness to sit back and watch it continue to erode? Please understand, I am not bashing the Buccaneers, they deserve and earned every bit of success they have.

But in terms of the business development of a drum corps circuit (or any sport whatsoever), isn't a monopoly bad for everyone in the long term, including the monopolist?

[BOSMarcher]

Let me ask a hypothetical follow-up question --

Let's say, for sake of argument, the Reading Buccaneers are good and stable enough so they can go without losing a single show in DCA for the next 35 years.

Now, if in this hypothetical scenario, the fan attendance of DCA Finals and other shows keep dropping as those years go by due to the perceived lack of competitition in a DCA event, at what point "must" DCA do something about it to save the circuit? Or are we all ethically obligated by principles of fairness to sit back and watch it continue to erode? Please understand, I am not bashing the Buccaneers, they deserve and earned every bit of success they have.

But in terms of the business development of a drum corps circuit (or any sport whatsoever), isn't a monopoly bad for everyone in the long term, including the monopolist?

Honestly, I think that is very unlikely because the staff would certainly change by then. Staff doesn't make a corps, but it sure has put Reading in the driver's seat lately. Like I said in another thread, I think the regions where Reading is not competing are fine (South, Midwest, etc). In fact, I bet most people have not even heard of Reading in the south. DCA Championships is probably the only thing that would be affected.

MBI made great strides towards knocking off Reading this year, including taking a drum title from them that has been one of their strengths in the past couple years. It is only a matter of time. The question is when will corps see what Reading is doing and then find a way to go further with it?

[Andyroo]

I respectfully think that having the same corps win the title year after year after year is not a good result for marketing any competitive "world championship" event to the general public.

Please understand, I'm not saying the Bucaneers' recent consecutive DCA titles were not well-deserved, they certainly were. But from an overall DCA/drum corps activity-marketing aspect, some semblance of competitive parity is much healthier and better for any competitive league as a whole. Similarly, the worst thing that could possibly happen for the NFL is for the Steelers, for example, to win the next eight Super Bowls ... the viewership and fans would simply begin to die off. Have we begun to see that decline a little bit in the attendance of DCA? If so, do you think the fact that there has literally been no question as to who was going to win DCA in 6 years had anything to do with it? Please understand, I am not bashing one corps -- just taking a look at the overal aspects of our marketing, and how out activity not being "competitive" in terms of a champion over the course of multiple seasons could potentially harm the growth of DCA.

The obvious problem with drum corps is "how" does one achieve competitive parity and make your circuit truly "competitive" so you can keep the fans interested without a staff/member draft or some other form of control over the product of the activity. Some marching band circuits accomplish this by not allowing a repeat champion in consecutive years. That wouldn't work in DCA, and I am not sure what else would.

But, food for thought ... this extreme lack of parity, IMO, is potentially damaging to our activity in terms of growth of the fan base. Any other ideas how one might achieve parity without blatantly coming up with another new rule that only affects one corps?

Lee,

I'm not at all sure I agree with your basic premise - that the Buccaneers' superiority is resulting in declining DCA attandence.

There may be something to that idea as regards the DCA Finals, but there are any number of other shows each summer that don't include Reading, and the paid attendance at these shows has been falling as well. And many of these shows have been extremely competitive - with Hawthorne, Hurricanes, and Statesmen all going after each other.

I honestly feel that the shows themselves have become too sophisticated for the "popcorn-eaters" - those folks who come in off the street to purchase tickets. And that's the key phrase - PURCHASE TICKETS.

If you look at each venue, I'm sure you'll find that many alumni corps draw bigger positive fan reactions than many of the competing corps. The reason for this, I think, is relatively simple. Alumni corps, for the most part, play directly to and for the audience, while competing corps play more to and for the judges. It follows then, that "I, Clem Kadiddlehopper from East Overshoe, Pennsylvania, ain't gonna shell out twenty bucks (more if I'm bringin' my family) to see a show that we ain't gonna unnerstand."

I've said these things before (and have been pooh-poohed for it). Perhaps, when we turn off the field lights at the last DCA show ever, we still won't know what happened.

Andy

[BOSMarcher]

Lee,

I'm not at all sure I agree with your basic premise - that the Buccaneers' superiority is resulting in declining DCA attandence.

There may be something to that idea as regards the DCA Finals, but there are any number of other shows each summer that don't include Reading, and the paid attendance at these shows has been falling as well. And many of these shows have been extremely competitive - with Hawthorne, Hurricanes, and Statesmen all going after each other.

I honestly feel that the shows themselves have become too sophisticated for the "popcorn-eaters" - those folks who come in off the street to purchase tickets. And that's the key phrase - PURCHASE TICKETS.

If you look at each venue, I'm sure you'll find that many alumni corps draw bigger positive fan reactions than many of the competing corps. The reason for this, I think, is relatively simple. Alumni corps, for the most part, play directly to and for the audience, while competing corps play more to and for the judges. It follows then, that "I, Clem Kadiddlehopper from East Overshoe, Pennsylvania, ain't gonna shell out twenty bucks (more if I'm bringin' my family) to see a show that we ain't gonna unnerstand."

I've said these things before (and have been pooh-poohed for it). Perhaps, when we turn off the field lights at the last DCA show ever, we still won't know what happened.

Andy

Which brings up another topic... if DCA is so fan driven (compared to the other circuit), then why is it that the "fan favorite" does not win every time?

My guess is that the average "popcorn eater" does not require as much to be impressed. Judges are musically educated, usually at a higher level than your average fan. If I was a judge, what Reading is doing on the field would be more entertaining to me than what some of the other groups that are considered more entertaining are doing. Technical finesse and demand will entertain me much more (personally) than how loud or high you can play. I imagine judges fall more into that catergory. The loud and high stuff gets most people (and obviously those groups offer more than just that), but I bet it doesn't get the judges.

If you really want the fan favorite to win, then you have to let the fans decide the winner. The unfortunate side to that is that I do not believe the best group will win if we do that... of course you might get more people attending more shows.

[84BDsop]

Let me ask a hypothetical follow-up question --

Let's say, for sake of argument, the Reading Buccaneers are good and stable enough so they can go without losing a single show in DCA for the next 35 years.

Now, if in this hypothetical scenario, the fan attendance of DCA Finals and other shows keep dropping as those years go by due to the perceived lack of competitition in a DCA event, at what point "must" DCA do something about it to save the circuit? Or are we all ethically obligated by principles of fairness to sit back and watch it continue to erode? Please understand, I am not bashing the Buccaneers, they deserve and earned every bit of success they have.

But in terms of the business development of a drum corps circuit (or any sport whatsoever), isn't a monopoly bad for everyone in the long term, including the monopolist?

Well....35 years is a LITTLE bit of a stretch....let's say another 6.

I don't really see the impact the way you're describing...if it happened, people would've started staying away from UCLA during the looooong basketball win streak in the Wooden years. People may not entirely like Bucs whomping on everyone foir more than half a decade....but they ALSO want to be there to witness it, to be able to say "I was there."

Did BD not losing a show in 2 years keep people from Indy in 2010? (let's ignore the venue issues here) Probably not...Crown had a chance to take it and DID, in fact, in brass....that alone would keep people coming...just to see someone give BD a run for their money (08 Regiment, anyone?)

I've never found consistent winning a deterrent. Derek Snyder -- the head fencing coach at Chaminade College Prep out here (who I work with as the assistant coach) would routinely win local tournaments. The guy was just unbeatable (got a full-ride to Notre Dame, in fact). You'd launch an attack and he'd parry and hit you before your attack even finished...he was that fast.

We all knew we'd get pounded when we met him....but we all kept coming out to fence. Not because he was so overwhelming, but because we wanted to continually try ourselves against the best.

It wasn't about marketing....it was about the competition.

You have a valid point in worrying about marketing and butts in seats.....but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say Bucs' continual dominance would be a major factor in a drop in attendance.

Changing rules and such to allow someone else to win would not be fair or ethical...to Bucs, their fans, staff, other corps, and to the activity in general.