charlie1223 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 (edited) While I believe some of what your saying has merit, I have to ask.. why did Cadets2 coming into DCA suddenly make the circuit a viable option for you? What did Cadets2 bring to the table in DCA that wasn't already there before? The answer is: nothing. The Cadets2 didn't bring anything "new" persay but what they brought about was my awareness of DCA. I "knew" about DCA but wasn't interested enough before to dip my toes in the fan base. C2 just made me more interested in seeing DCA. It could be because I'm a huge Cadets fan but.. I can't be the only one! lol As you said, for Hopkins to consider DCA as a platform for his business, clearly the circuit has a substantial foundation for which figures to continue on. That foundation was already here long before Cadets2 showed up. Tom has a good point. Rather than using Cadets2 as a catalyst for new awareness and recruitment, if the entire drum corps community just got together and promoted the activity as a whole, and promoted it better than how it is now, the results, including audience attendance and talent pool, would be even better. We would all love free publicity no? The reality is that the marching band/drum corps community don't all have stakes in DCA. How can you expect DCI corps to promote and spend money on DCA if they don't have stake in the organization? YEA now has a stake in DCA with Cadets2 and now it is advantageous for them to promote the circuit. I believe YEA is doing exactly what other organizations won't do or can't do. Promote the entire drum corps activity (marching band, DCI and DCA) as a collective and that can only happen if you have stakes in those different marching sectors. Ideally, we would all love DCI corps, local high-schools and universities to all promote the DCA/marching activity as a collective. But, people just aren't willing to spend time and money on efforts that they don't have a direct stake in. IMO Edited February 15, 2012 by charlie1223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 While I believe some of what your saying has merit, I have to ask.. why did Cadets2 coming into DCA suddenly make the circuit a viable option for you? What did Cadets2 bring to the table in DCA that wasn't already there before? The answer is: nothing. Actually, he's not alone. Cadets2/YEA brings quite a lot to DCA in truth. They bring publicity, and an air of legitimacy that DCA lacks with a large number for drum corps fans. DCA and DCA fans have been their own worst enemy when it comes to convincing the DCI crowd that DCA is worth a look. That's a fact that you just can't argue (though you can also argue that DCA is getting better in this area). If Cadets2 bring even one fan to a show that wouldn't otherwise attend a DCA contest, it's a huge win. And I suspect they will bring a lot more than one. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dans Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='BigW' timestamp='1329333797' post='3119956' As much as I dislike a lot of what YEA!/Hopkins has been doing and pulling- I hope they field the corps, I hope they compete, I hope they put up a heck of a fight! I think the main issue is- and I'm sure you know Eric, as do likely thousands of us in Bands and Corps that he's taught over 30 years-- The guy is tough, intense, a competitor, and also a great educator, hard worker and good guy that most of us deeply respect. He taught ME how to teach movment and gave me the tools. Many of us know people who have worked for YEA!, and they all don't last, and there are good reasons they left, and it's not on their end of it that's the problem. I may well be adding Eric to the list of good folks YEA! has jacked around. Hop just keeps making it longer.... If you would take the time to read the entire anouncement from Hopkins, you would notice that Hopkins said he was not going to discuss the specifics regarding his decision in public out of respect. You are speculating about something without knowing the facts behind this decision. No one besides the folks on the inside of Cadets2 know the specifics of why this decision was made. If you would take the time to read & comprehend the anouncement by Hopkins, you would see that Hopkins was very respectful to Eric and said some very complimentary things about him. It is amazing that this speculation fest has gotten this far without knowing most of the facts regarding this decision. On second thought, it doesn't surprise me, this is DCP after all. I have spent many years around the Cadets and have had numerous friends there and I can assure you the Cadets are a classy organization that does not have the habit of jacking their people around as you put it. And by the way, I am a personal friend of Eric's and have been for over 20 years. You need to find something else to speculate about! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatfish Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) Sorry guys, I've been a bit lazy and not read most the posts. If Hop is upset about the numbers then he should try set up a corps in the UK. Kidsgrove Scouts are an exception but the corps I have worked with in the UK are lucky if they get a horn line of 12 out. Yes our country is smaller but be grateful for what you get. We're dead lucky to have 50 horns and we show it by not wasting the opportunities we have. As for this press release, it was a a bit of a cringe to read. I'm sure in his own mind he didn't see any problems to what he was saying. It's like when I am writing an essay, I automatically think I am writing the right answer which will get me the higher marks then when it comes to it the outcome is rather bleak! btw - Just to add, my views are my own and do not represent the corps I am in etc. Edited February 16, 2012 by Scatfish 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The Cadets2 didn't bring anything "new" persay but what they brought about was my awareness of DCA. I "knew" about DCA but wasn't interested enough before to dip my toes in the fan base. C2 just made me more interested in seeing DCA. It could be because I'm a huge Cadets fan but.. I can't be the only one! lol We would all love free publicity no? The reality is that the marching band/drum corps community don't all have stakes in DCA. How can you expect DCI corps to promote and spend money on DCA if they don't have stake in the organization? YEA now has a stake in DCA with Cadets2 and now it is advantageous for them to promote the circuit. I believe YEA is doing exactly what other organizations won't do or can't do. Promote the entire drum corps activity (marching band, DCI and DCA) as a collective and that can only happen if you have stakes in those different marching sectors. Ideally, we would all love DCI corps, local high-schools and universities to all promote the DCA/marching activity as a collective. But, people just aren't willing to spend time and money on efforts that they don't have a direct stake in. IMO acutally in the Northeast, the marching band drum corps community has a lot of stakes in DCA, and it's growing. Look around DCA...lots of kids in bands marching, lots of band directors and staff member marching. Perhaps as you get more into DCA, you'll take the time to learn about what DCA is all about, not just some preconceived notion that floats around DCi circles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If you would take the time to read the entire anouncement from Hopkins, you would notice that Hopkins said he was not going to discuss the specifics regarding his decision in public out of respect. You are speculating about something without knowing the facts behind this decision. No one besides the folks on the inside of Cadets2 know the specifics of why this decision was made. If you would take the time to read & comprehend the anouncement by Hopkins, you would see that Hopkins was very respectful to Eric and said some very complimentary things about him. It is amazing that this speculation fest has gotten this far without knowing most of the facts regarding this decision. On second thought, it doesn't surprise me, this is DCP after all. I have spent many years around the Cadets and have had numerous friends there and I can assure you the Cadets are a classy organization that does not have the habit of jacking their people around as you put it. And by the way, I am a personal friend of Eric's and have been for over 20 years. You need to find something else to speculate about! true. But you have to admit Hop put just enough out there that will lead many people to many conclusions....and one of them is the organization...YEA, not C2...needs someone good with PR. It's just now DCA gets to see the lousy job YEA does with PR up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) acutally in the Northeast, the marching band drum corps community has a lot of stakes in DCA, and it's growing. Look around DCA...lots of kids in bands marching, lots of band directors and staff member marching. Perhaps as you get more into DCA, you'll take the time to learn about what DCA is all about, not just some preconceived notion that floats around DCi circles. no doubt about it. but just from perception with working with different higschools it was non-existent. I think we can say that if those stakes were higher DCA would be more participated... or... more well known? but if the stakes are as much as you say they then wouldn't you expect more coming from that angle? Edited February 16, 2012 by charlie1223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 no doubt about it. but just from perception with working with different higschools it was non-existent. I think we can say that if those stakes were higher DCA would be more... well known? It may depend on the area. It may also depend on staff loyalties. In Eastern PA, you know the Bucs, and to some extent Cabs, Fusion and Windsor. North Jersey...you know Cabs ad Bush, probably Fusion. Rochester? You can't go anywhere without tripping over Empire. Western PA...not so much. no corps out there. Some of it also applies to how corps recruit or make their presence known. You could say the same thing about the Cadets and Allentown....when I ask family down there about the Cadets, they still think they're from Jersey, not from being in Allentown how long now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If you would take the time to read the entire anouncement from Hopkins, you would notice that Hopkins said he was not going to discuss the specifics regarding his decision in public out of respect. You are speculating about something without knowing the facts behind this decision. No one besides the folks on the inside of Cadets2 know the specifics of why this decision was made. If you would take the time to read & comprehend the anouncement by Hopkins, you would see that Hopkins was very respectful to Eric and said some very complimentary things about him. It is amazing that this speculation fest has gotten this far without knowing most of the facts regarding this decision. On second thought, it doesn't surprise me, this is DCP after all. I have spent many years around the Cadets and have had numerous friends there and I can assure you the Cadets are a classy organization that does not have the habit of jacking their people around as you put it. And by the way, I am a personal friend of Eric's and have been for over 20 years. You need to find something else to speculate about! A bit touchy. Hopkins would have been better off keeping his mouth shut and not adding to the simple factsabout the situation. Doing what he did in the way he typically does it leaves many people wonder. Treating people like he has over and over leaves people wonder. Damning Eric with faint praise, which I think is a fair evaluation of his public statement, doesn't show Hopkins in a very good light, period. You can defend him all you want- his track record with certain things like this release leaves me and others rather distrustful and skeptical about many of his motives. Like it- or lump it. That's the deal. If you're *really* Eric's friend- I would believe you would readily agree with me in that he was more than capable of taking on this task and succeeding at an extremely high level at it. If so- then why are you so ready to gloss over what actions Hopkins took, and his associated statements? There had to be a reason for it, and it's clear he wants to bury it deep underground, as do you. Since Hopkins was rather curt in his statement that there would be no explanation-- He may as well have said- "I dare you to figure out why I did something that at face value makes no sense to anyone". A lack of transparency in any organization invites questions, regardless of whether it's corps, sports, government, or a business. Really, it certainly sounds to me you're better friends with Hop than you are with Eric, and that you threw that comment in to try and reinforce your weak premises. The term "apologist" comes to mind.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dans Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 true. But you have to admit Hop put just enough out there that will lead many people to many conclusions....and one of them is the organization...YEA, not C2...needs someone good with PR. It's just now DCA gets to see the lousy job YEA does with PR up close. Jeff, you are correct, YEA is in need of some better PR people. With that being said, this does not make it right that there are those that love to speculate with little facts to back up their argument. If this was any other organization, most would be of the opinion that the decision was made in the best interest of the organization and all involved. Thanks for you thoughts Jeff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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