Jump to content

DCA's Lack of Competitive Parity - Food for Thought


Recommended Posts

Oh, I noticed that as well...but she was DM the same year I was DM for Dream...so I tended to watch other DM's conducting patterns and body motions.

Quite a few of us were watching her "body motions".... :ph34r:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2005 best economy in decades.

2010 worst economy in 70 years.

????

2005 == recession? If that's our best in decades we're screwed.

Just have all corps stay home in 2011, perceived problem solved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could not see Reading, Hawthorne, or anyone else maintaining a solid membership base in an exhibition only year.

I find this funny. Because every corps that fails to meet the 35 minimum is forced to do exactly this. Less the exhibition part in some cases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Buccaneers have been successful because they have a great organization. The solution

to the "lack of competitive parity" does not lie in changing DCA rules or tilting the playing

field. We need the Buccaneers to always be the best they can be. That is what is best for

the activity.

The solution lies in making the rest of the corps better. How to achieve that is the important

question. I believe the answer is for them to better communicate and partner with each other on how

to run high quality drum corps. Right now, everyone is trying to solve the same problem

independently. All drum corps have far more similarities than differences.

Drum corps is not Major League Baseball. The MLB is already hugely successful so doing things

to level the playing field will not hurt them as a whole. Drum corps, on the other hand struggles to

get any recognition at all. We can't have the top corps lose quality in the name of competitive

parity when they should be the ones who are setting the standards as high as possible.

Edited by BDUFLS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This whole thing is flawed in several ways.

1) "Parity" just means starting from level ground from corps to corps. They all certainly can do that. Its each groups decision making that leads to things like finances, equipment, recruitment etc. Everyone has the EXACT same level of opportunity.

After all, the Buccaneers didnt just wake up one day with a championship caliber corps. They did it however they could through a lot of time and built it up. There was "parity" all through that process. Once they became successful on the field (as in the recent

streak), naturally some things started happening a little easier (recruiting etc). Same for the Brigs before their dominant streak. So if we feel that a winning streak by a particular team is "Destroying" the activity, then you can blame directors, designers and staff members.

"Parity" is there.

2) In ALL areas, we have to stop trying to compare our little niche activity to MLB, NBA, NFL etc!

It doesnt matter who wins or loses, or how we are "Marketed". Drum corps and the related activities will never be a part of the mainstream. Heck, we can get the marketing team from the NFL to come in and take over DCA and get the

Marketing people from Major League Baseball to handle DCI and the NBA people to take over WGI and it will all stay relatively where it is.

That being said, there have been major dynasties in all of the major sports and they are still around and kickin. The 1960s Celtics were a great example.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Trinity"....can't remember her real name either. Watching her conduct "Niner-Two"..one hand at one tempo and meter and the other at another..was just freaky.

that was ####### awesome. I cant do one of the patterns, let alone both at the same time

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

????

2005 == recession? If that's our best in decades we're screwed.

Just have all corps stay home in 2011, perceived problem solved.

2005 was far from recession dude.

and...let's be honest...say we give you your way. how many corps survive til the next year since the economy sucks so bad?

I'll wager few if any.

unlike you, DCA is being realistic in how they approach your issue and the economy and health of corps.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find this funny. Because every corps that fails to meet the 35 minimum is forced to do exactly this. Less the exhibition part in some cases.

so go recruit. Shen Sound is in an area where there arent a lot of bodies...they somehow put it together. Govies have 2 corps nearby...they somehow get it together, and Chops is coming back.

Look at a lot of Class A...most arent in the traditional hub, but they somehow find the bodies.

which again puts the spotlight on you...why cant you keep members?

it's ok, ostriches stick their heads in the sand too

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the proposal that I would like to make at the next DCA Rules Congress:

DCA Parity -- Rule Change Proposal

Whereas, in the business interests of Drum Corps Associates and all of its member corps,

1.1 Any DCA corps that has won three consecutive DCA Championships shall be declared a "DCA Grand Champion," and shall automatically be put into competitive-exhibition status for the following DCA World Championship.

If this was to be passed I think it would take away a big part of the "competition" aspect of the whole activity. If and when someone knocks BUCS off the top spot I'm sure they will take more pride in doing it on the same grounds of head to head competition. Having Bucs (or any champion) step out of the competition circle really IMO does not give anyone the bragging rights to say. "WE were the corp that broke the streak" if they technically didn't "Beat them" does it?

What goes up , must come down.... it's only a question of when. Last season there were more corps nipping at the BUC'S heals and appear to be learning what it takes. MBI definitely brought their A game, and just the fact that it wasnt a sweep on captions says ALOT!

It works both ways, I'm sure that BUC's also realize this and will be doing what they can to open that envelope even further. Looking within to try to re-invent themselves and challenge themselves. I don't think BUC's are about to hand anything over at this point and unless there something to take them down within, they will go down fighting all the way till that score is announced and the newsgroups are buzzing..... and then beyond to reclaim what they took for granted.

Edited by classicslv
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The design team, caption heads and two members from each section of the first place open class corps will swap with the same from the last place class A corps for the next season. After twenty or so years, everyone should be back where they started. All in the name of everyone is equal and everyone is happy.

For example--

Bucs staff etc and Excelsior

Minnesota Brass staff, etc and Shenandoah Sound

Empire and Cincinnati

Hurricanes and High Country Brass

Cabs and White Sabers

Kidsgrove omitted

Alliance and SoCal

Corps Vets and Sun Devils

Bushwackers and Vigilantes

Renegades (Lee not included) and Govenaires

Kilties and Carolina Gold

Fusion Core and Grenadiers

Edited by FrankBeMe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...