Is Drum Corps a sport?

[BRASSO]

Other than the issue of "foot speed and quickness," the qualities you describe here could also very well be ascribed to high-rise construction workers. And last I knew, nobody was classifying that as a sport, either.

Other than the issue of "foot speed and quickness," the qualities you describe here could also very well be ascribed to high-rise construction workers. And last I knew, nobody was classifying that as a sport, either.

Huh ? I never stated on my thread that ALL people that possess " footspeed and quickness" are athletes and as a result of this physical characteristic are participants in a " sport ", so I'm unclear why you replied to my comments wiith this. Some successful burglars, thieves, pickpockets, et and the like likewise tend to possess good" foot speed and quickness ". The fact that some might have even been forrmer athletes as well in a " sport" is as irrelevent to this as is your introduction that " construction workers " tend to have this skill set as well. I recognize that many others have " foot speed and quickness " and are not into a " sport " per se. Anyone thats tried to chase down a 2 year old triying to get away from the cookie jar, knows they can be pretty fast and quick too, but are not really an " athlete " per se,( although the 2 year old's look in his or her face tells you that THEY think the Cookie Jar Climb & Chase is a " sport ".)

Edited April 6, 2014 by BRASSO

[Hirsbrunner]

A member of the Mandarins told me that he and several others tracked their calorie intake this past summer.

I don't recall what the group results were, but the member I knew said he consistently consumed upwards of 6000 calories a day. Yet he still lost 40 lbs over the course of a month and a half.

Just some more info on how much energy is expended in drum corps

[Stu]

Fundamentally, there is no " sport " that utilizes musical instruments as its primary means of group competition Additionally, if DCI was " a sport " it could have applied for consideration by the Summer Olympic committees. But it has not.... and for the obvious reasons that its not " a sport ", and would never be considered as such. This does not mean however that its participants don't need skills like strong physical strength and endurance,foot speed & quickness,, dexterity, muscle groups flexibility, versatility, strong hand- eye coordination , etc and so forth that many athletes need to possess in order to be successful in their sport.

Hmmmm… if something is fundamentally unique to a competitive activity that one fundamentally unique item thus disqualifies it as a being a sport. Interesting idea. Well, baseball has a fundamentally unique aspect; it is the only competitive team activity in which the defense initiates the action. So because no other sports activity does that, and it is unique only to baseball, you must conclude that baseball, like competitive drum corps, is therefore not a sport because it has something fundamentally unique only to itself.

[BRASSO]

A member of the Mandarins told me that he and several others tracked their calorie intake this past summer.

I don't recall what the group results were, but the member I knew said he consistently consumed upwards of 6000 calories a day. Yet he still lost 40 lbs over the course of a month and a half.

Just some more info on how much energy is expended in drum corps

and just look at how much energy is expended heer on DCP as well. Ok, so its not caloric reducing, but it can be a mental workout that taxes one to the max in brain cell consumption on occasion. That said, we really have no idea if DCP participation results in weight loss, per se.

Edited April 6, 2014 by BRASSO

[BRASSO]

Hmmmm… if something is fundamentally unique to a competitive activity that one fundamentally unique item thus disqualifies it as a being a sport. Interesting idea.

I didn't state ( nor imply ) that " uniqueness " disqualifies one from the characteristic neccessary fo being referred to as" a sport". If I did above, I would have phrased my comments to the effect that: " here are the fundamentals needed, imo to be characterized as a " sport ". But of course, I did not do so.

That said, I definately stated that no other " sport " utilizes musical instruments in their " sport :, and as such, in my opinion, and I believe in the opinion of most unbiased, objective, outside observers, DCI Summer Games is not " a sport ". per se. Do you agree or disagree with this ?.... MikeD is on record here ( as well as most others here ) that it is not appropriate to compare DCI Summer Competition to any " sport "., let alone actually attempting to call DCI endeavors " a sport ". However, if you belive that marching with trombones, tubas, drums, twirling flags or banners ( even with the athleticism on display ) and playing music, is" an athletic sport " and not "Performance Art " or some such, thats certainly your perogative ( and others ) as well.

Edited April 6, 2014 by BRASSO

[Stu]

I didn't state ( nor imply ) that " uniqueness " disqualifies one from the characteristic neccessary fo being referred to as" a sport". If I did above, I would have phrased my comments to the effect that: " here are the fundamentals needed, imo to be characterized as a " sport ". But of course, I did not do so.

That said, I definately stated that no other " sport " utilizes musical instruments in their " sport :, and as such, in my opinion, and I believe in the opinion of most unbiased, objective, outside observers, DCI Summer Games is not " a sport ". per se. Do you agree or disagree with this ?.... MikeD is on record here ( as well as most others here ) that it is not appropriate to compare DCI Summer Competition to any " sport "., let alone actually attempting to call DCI endeavors " a sport ". However, if you belive that marching with trombones, tubas, drums, twirling flags or banners ( even with the athleticism on display ) and playing music, is" an athletic sport " and not "Performance Art " or some such, thats certainly your perogative ( and others ) as well.

I agree that the element of 'live' music is fundamentally unique to marching competitions; but I disagree that using music itself within the competition is unique in sports activities (see Olympic figure skating). Moreover, I disagree that the musical element thus disqualifies DCI as being a sport when all definitions of the word ‘sport’, which are applicable to all other sports, are also applicable to the DCI activity. The fact that a community or culture ‘perceives’ it as not being a sport, the fact that a football coach will normally laugh when DCI or BOA are referred to as a sports, does not change the nature of the DCI and BOA activities falling in line with all 'definitions' of the word sport.

[HornTeacher]

Huh ? I never stated on my thread that ALL people that possess " footspeed and quickness" are athletes and as a result of this physical characteristic are participants in a " sport ", so I'm unclear why you replied to my comments wiith this. Some successful burglars, thieves, pickpockets, et and the like likewise tend to possess good" foot speed and quickness ". The fact that some might have even been forrmer athletes as well in a " sport" is as irrelevent to this as is your introduction that " construction workers " tend to have this skill set as well. I recognize that many others have " foot speed and quickness " and are not into a " sport " per se. Anyone thats tried to chase down a 2 year old triying to get away from the cookie jar, knows they can be pretty fast and quick too, but are not really an " athlete " per se,( although the 2 year old's look in his or her face tells you that THEY think the Cookie Jar Climb & Chase is a " sport ".)

And I never said that you DID. I was agreeing with your point of view (or at least as I understood it) -- that while many qualities which we find to be a part of Drum and Bugle Corps also are an inherent part of many other activities and/or occupations including that of "sport," it doesn't necessarily follow that they, as a simple result become "sport."

From my point of view, all of this B&M'ing over individual selected words in selected texts has become tiresome. If I wanted a debate with Webster or Roget, I'd take them to bed with me. But I choose not to do so, for reasons that are not any business of anyone else but my own.

Maybe I need to grow a thicker skin. Maybe I need to grow up and be an adult. Maybe I need a lot of things. But that is for ME, and ME alone, to know and/or decide.

In the meantime, I'll just sit here and anxiously await the 2014 DCI season...just as I have for the past 40 years. I possess the good feeling that, at least for most of you, this is the goal as well.

[BRASSO]

I I disagree that using music itself within the competition is unique in sports activities (see Olympic figure skating)..

Figure skaters don't play music themselves in perforrmance. The music accompanies them in competition from a distance, off the competition ice. Its a big difference. If figure skaters attempted to blend the music world to their sport world, by actually playing a musical instrument in their sport, they would be immediately disqualified in that " sport ". Furthermore, the chance that figure skaters will someday be approved to use musical instruments themselves in their skating performance in competition would probably in the same realm of chance as that of Itzhak Perlman someday being elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame as " a fiddler".

Edited April 6, 2014 by BRASSO

[reallyoldfrt]

See, for me, the "entertainment" requirement might be the deal breaker. As a person with over fifty years as a marching member, a judge, an instructor, and as a spectator, in the community of drum corps I can honestly say that I haven't been entertained in more than a couple of decades. This might well be my fault. Perhaps I'm not intelligent enough to appreciate the sophistication and subtlety of "modern" programming.

I, as a consumer of the activity, am not being entertained. Great numbers of former participants in the activity seem to feel the same way, from what I've been able to ascertain.

When we have voiced such opinions we have been vilified, patronized, and demeaned by the ever diminishing numbers who feel that today's programming is the ultimate.

The few kids who are deemed talented and industrious enough to merit a spot within the likewise diminishing number of units still extant are performing at almost unbelievable levels. And good for them

While I applaud their efforts and talents, I am underwhelmed by "entertainment value", and the "gelt uber alles" atmosphere of what it is they're doing.

I marched. I played. I taught. I judged. I never considered drum corps to be a sport. It wasn't in the forties, the fifties, or the sixties, when everyone was welcome to participate. It isn't a sport now. Any suggestion that it is, is pure hyperbole.

Edited April 6, 2014 by reallyoldfrt

[BRASSO]

If I wanted a debate with Webster or Roget, I'd take them to bed with me.

Maybe I need to grow a thicker skin.

'never go so far as to bed with the dead on purpose.. Lord knows, they'll be plenty of time to join the dead later, when your ticket is punched for that.

Edited April 6, 2014 by BRASSO