Open Class in Finals

[flammaster]

I really wish they would broadcast OC finals.

[BoyWonder1911]

There is a lot more to it than just what they put on the field or how they place that makes a WC corps a WC corps. The drum corps activity does not run 100% on competition.

If a corps like Pioneer is happy being among the bottom of WC, let them, as long as they:

1) Have the money to tour and feed/house the members

2) Have the membership and that is on board for the whole season

3) Have the ability to keep a WC tour schedule

4) Remain financially solvent

To me, it would be a big slap in the face if I ran a legitimate, financially solvent organization for years and was then asked to move to a smaller division because we didn't score enough points.

IF a corps asks to be moved down into OC, that should be allowed, and I would much rather see THAT, than see happen what happened to Glassmen, Southwind, Kiwanis Kavs, Capital Regiment, Teal Sound, Magic, Esperanza, etc. But they should not be forced.

What I would like to see is DCI have more rules about when a corps can move up to WC. There is no point in allowing them to move up, when they're just going to go bankrupt in 2-3 years. Tighten the rules. Make them show at least $2 million saved up in the bank before they can move up, with annual income of at least $400,000 a year for the past 3 years.

And make them win OC before they can move to WC.

But don't force a WC corps to move down because of points. Points don't tell the whole story.

[N.E. Brigand]

SCVC and BDB pretty much are the dominate forces in OC division. Is this good?

Yes, it's good. It gives the other Open Class corps a benchmark. And another O.C. corps, O.C., did beat them both just four years ago. Plus Spartans won this division in 2004 and 2007.

[N.E. Brigand]

IMO Genesis and probably 7th Regiment should be in World Class as their completing full tours, and have solid design and music performance.

Genesis seems to be slowly building toward World Class status. But unlike Oregon Crusaders, the most recent corps to move up from Open Class, Genesis has never beaten SCVC or BDB, which perhaps should be a prerequisite.

Neither has Legends, which I believe is the Open Class corps with the most performances on its schedule this year. This is probably partly a function of their Midwest location, which puts them close to so many competitions.

7th Regiment's schedule, like Spartans', is by contrast notably shorter. Spartans seem quite content in Open Class; 7th Regiment conceivably could move up some day, but they too probably should prove themselves a bit more first. They made W.C. Semifinals for the first time last year, and missed by less than one-tenth today.

[N.E. Brigand]

Looks like Pioneer is closer to Colt Cadets in scoring than they are to their nearest World Class competition. Ouch.

It looked that way.

But then all the corps competed head-to-head, and it turned out that Pioneer, with 66.175, was much closer to their nearest W.C. competition, Jersey Surf, with 68.750, than they were to Colt Cadets, with 57.150.

[luv4corps]

It looked that way.

But then all the corps competed head-to-head, and it turned out that Pioneer, with 66.175, was much closer to their nearest W.C. competition, Jersey Surf, with 68.750, than they were to Colt Cadets, with 57.150.

The open scores at finals were a bit inflated for sure.