Would the end of football mean the end of drum corps?

[phantombob]

yea football is king in America and if anything is getting even more popular. Look at the emotional trauma of the Penn state fans when they thought their precious team might get the death penalty. The sad reality is that music and the arts are no longer considered necessary components of a well rounded high school education. This is the case in too many schools in the USA. Can we change that mentality? Maybe, but it would take a village, as Hillary would say.

[Tim K]

I prefer to think that the end of drum corps would result in the end of football.

I used to go to Patriots games with my father in the days tickets were practically given away just for the half time shows which would sometimes have had 27th Lancers, North Star, Boston Crusaders, Holy Family Defenders, and the like, but that was long before the old Shaefer, later Sullivan and Foxboro Stadium was torn down to make room for Gillette Stadium and the glory of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. Now I can't get tickets and drum corps do not perform at half time!

[BRASSO]

I used to go to Patriots games with my father in the days tickets were practically given away just for the half time shows which would sometimes have had 27th Lancers, North Star, Boston Crusaders, Holy Family Defenders, and the like, but that was long before the old Shaefer, later Sullivan and Foxboro Stadium was torn down to make room for Gillette Stadium and the glory of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. Now I can't get tickets and drum corps do not perform at half time!

Things change. Its not the same anymore. However,the Boston Crusaders still perform for Red Sox fans at Fenway Park, and each year, the Krafts allow the Corps to do a few fundraisers at NE Patriots home games with their Corps volunteers working the crowd. But you're right, crowds for most sport teams across the country have exploded over the years.

[BRASSO]

Football is a multi billion dollar industry. Its not going anywhere. The fact is, we haven't progressed as a species quite so far from the days of the Gladiator as we might think.

True. But every nation needs Gladiators to survive. Who here wants the boynerds on The Big Bang Theory to have to save us ?

Edited September 22, 2012 by BRASSO

[Stu]

Here come the red negatives :) I have been a part of drum corps for many many moons; I love the activity; I will always be a part of the activity at some capacity. The thing is that as a spectator, again, as a spectator if I had to make a choice between 50 yard line tickets to the DCI Finals or 50 yard line tickets to the NFL Superbowl, and I could only go to one, well sorry folks I am at the Superbowl. Why? Because while as a spectator I love both activities the DCI finals has the best 'youth' musicians and although it is a competition the judging is subjective, whereas the NFL Superbowl has the best, not just adult, but the best 'professional' players and the competitive outcome is objective. And here is the kicker; the paying public who use their expendable income to go to events would overwhelmingly agree with my reasoning. And that is why football is not going away.

[flammaster]

hmmmmm Interesting point!

I would imagine if it got to the football program ending I would think the music program would have already been axed even though the kids in band always have much better grades.

[BRASSO]

Could drum corps survive if there were no marching bands?

No.

Edited September 22, 2012 by BRASSO

[calileadsop]

I have been following a series elsewhere on the 'net about the growing concerns over concussions in football, and the question of whether the NFL and/or NCAA have been covering up information on brain injuries that players suffer. Naturally, commentators have made various predictions as to the sport's future, not just for the pros and colleges but also at the high school level, where liability costs might force a radical change in the sport, at the least (to something like flag football, for instance). Is it unimaginable that there would be no high school football? If not, what would that mean for drum corps?

I know of a few schools in western Ohio who field marching bands despite not having a football team, but I don't think that's very common. Many h.s. marching bands who excel in competition are nonetheless obligated to play at football games, as well. Would most high school marching bands disappear if their football programs shut down? Would they start playing at the soccer games instead? Some people here on these forums have said that competitive scholastic marching bands have taken the place of the local corps of old: the base from which members for at least the junior corps are now drawn. Is that so? Could drum corps survive if there were no marching bands?

I seriously dobt the NFL is about to forgo the millions,perhaps billions, of revenue dollars go by the wayside. I believe as long as their are humans still living on earth, there will always be major league football. So no need to worry about the possibility of the end of drum corps should this sport ever cease to exist. Just my two cents worth.

[JimF-LowBari]

I seriously dobt the NFL is about to forgo the millions,perhaps billions, of revenue dollars go by the wayside. I believe as long as their are humans still living on earth, there will always be major league football. So no need to worry about the possibility of the end of drum corps should this sport ever cease to exist. Just my two cents worth.

But how many NFL teams have drum corps? Hmmm... Colts Ravens and Redskins have a MB (at least the Skins used to) but who else? And don't think they do half time shows.

Edited September 24, 2012 by JimF-LowBari