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Blog Posts are Killing DCA, not the Reading Buccaneers


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Nobody EVER got better by eliminating or handicapping the competition. If you don't want the Bucs to win, beat them...... otherwise, when we announce corps' scores for the Finals, the winner would be announced as ".....and in 2nd place, the 201x Champion............"

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Meanwhile, Blue Devils have been nearly as dominant in DCI as Buccaneers have been in DCA, and yet DCI's attendance is rising.

exactly!!! the on field product is not the issue in DCA!

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Only to the ones who actually deserve it. Unfortunately the one who didn't got one. It's the DCA way.

there have been many disputed winners in drum corps history going back to day 1, and several times rules got changed etc......and the best still found ways to win.

There was an outcry, though not at this level when Brigs had their run. and when Sun and Bush were dominating the circuit. and Cabs back in the 70's. let's look at DCA history back to 1965 for a second:

first champion: Bucs.

have, off the top of my head, only ever missed finals 2 times. so, a finalist 49 times in 51 years. in the top 3 numerous times in the 60's and 70's, and in the conversation in the early to mid 80's. in what I call the come back year of 98, boom 4th. And while alot of people credit that to Westshore folding, there were far fewer Westshore members in the corps that people believe. since that year, they haven't been out of the top 5, almost winning it all in 01, and then the run since 05.

I know I have credited Cabs consistency at placing at the top many times, and for them I go back to 46, but good lord, Bucs get way overlooked for their consistency. In many of those Cabs wins in the 70's, Bucs were right behind them. Same with 84 and 85, and lord, don't go to Bucs field and bring up 81!!

let's give some credit where credit is due...historically, the Bucs have been a player! You take out a 10 year period and they are almost always in the conversation if not THE conversation.

The quality behind them in the rankings continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Remember when MBI had to fight to get into finals when a few times they should have been already there? I do. Now they're pushing at the top. Cabs, still there fighting for gold. Now C2 is in the picture, and Atlanta took a huge step forward this year. Few really thought MBI would pull it off in 11, but they did...been close since. Same with Cabs.

the organization at Reading has, since day 1, been ###### good. Instead of people crying deserved or undeserved, let's call a spade a spade....they're the most successful corps in DCA history. Don't believe me?

http://dcacorps.org/?page_id=3742

scroll through

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Jeff, spot on.

One thing I take intense pride in is that in my time at Westshore I beat everyone at least once. It was a big deal for us to beat the Bucs in 82 and 83, believe me.

What Dan Detwiler has said here on this thread is a LOT like the things we started to realize and think about as members at Westshore 35 years ago when we sat down and talked with each other. We realized we needed to be more disciplined like them. Rehearse harder like they did. Perform with greater quality like they did if we ever wanted to be anything.

Note that we never felt nor did we want to copy them in terms of musical or visual programming, in look, or on-field personality. I think that some folks think the other competitors have to copy what they do programmatically and aesthetically to be successful. Then they gripe a lot. It's how things are done, it's the methods behind everything that are the main element to the success.

What's scary is at a KK-Psi get together, some of my brothers at WCU are active Bucs- and I told them- look around. I'm the only corps guy in the room who's ever beaten your corps at DCA. And... look how freakin' old I am. :satisfied:

I told them they should always be proud that they're part of that successful of an organization.

Another thing worth noting regarding the organization there, from my observation is this- and personally this is the one BIG thing I think is the real key for every corps wishing to be successful- they place a heavy priority, if not THE number one priority on long term sustainability. They do everything in their power to make sure the Bucs will be there and providing the experience they desire to provide to its members for many years to come.

Some folks have hit on this in the thread and I think so many people who criticize the Bucs don't truly get this:

In no conversation that I've had with anyone at the Bucs- Staff, Administration, support, membership, has "Coming in first place every year" been part of the experience they desire to provide to the members. It's something that might/could happen as a by-product of that experience. Their priority is to provide the very best instruction they can, design and arrange the very best on-field presentation in their style that they can, run the business end of the corps smart and prudent, and treat everyone right.

When a group puts coming in first place over the other stuff- that's when serious problems can start eating away at a corps and wrecking it.

What's even crazier, Jeff-- A couple of years back at Big Sounds, You, me, and my sister might have been the only three people in the whole stadium who could say that who weren't on the panel. :satisfied:

Have to go. Some other good stuff from Chris earlier I'd like to get to but I need to turn in.

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Jeff, spot on.

One thing I take intense pride in is that in my time at Westshore I beat everyone at least once. It was a big deal for us to beat the Bucs in 82 and 83, believe me.

What Dan Detwiler has said here on this thread is a LOT like the things we started to realize and think about as members at Westshore 35 years ago when we sat down and talked with each other. We realized we needed to be more disciplined like them. Rehearse harder like they did. Perform with greater quality like they did if we ever wanted to be anything.

< snipped off rest>

Big W may have "stumbled on to the secret" to beating the Bucs.....

with my tongue firmly in cheek, there IS NO SECRET......that is the SOLUTION. What I rarely see credit given for is how the Bucs, TOO, must become more disciplined, rehearse harder, and perform with greater quality just to have a chance to get back up to last year's level. Every season, they have to go out and compete against themselves and they'd better live up top or exceed what they did and how they're doing it just to reach for their own level. If they perform equal to a runner up..... The runner up will fill the top slot until they pull it back together (ala Blue Devils Finals performance this year and encore presentation, which could have finished first on its own)

There is no magic, so the solution to beating the Bucs will not be found by making new "Camelot" rules and laws to prevent them from winning. Why not just add a 4.5 point penalty to any corps that chooses to put a symbol of piracy on the DM platform? That might do it....

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I rarely post in these threads and mostly observe, but I feel an aspect of this conversation isn't necessarily being discussed and I believe needs to be.

With all the talk of "how to beat the Buc's" or anything like that one key aspect of drum corps is being completely overlooked by these blog posts...

Drum corps is not all about winning championships.

Here's a few examples,

Example 1,

I've been fortunate enough to have marched Bluecoats 2014. You know what part of that I take away as the greatest success? Not that we got 2nd and were the highest scoring Bluecoats ever (although I would be stupid to say that wasn't awesome too). But that score will be beaten, (hopefully) one day that placement will be beaten. What I take away from that year was I marched in a show that made and will make countless of younger people want to march in that organization. I participated in a show that inspired other's to join this activity. Does that happen in DCA? absolutely it does. Does it happen on as large of a platform or reach as many people? No not really, but that's because of so many other factors.

Example 2,

I have marched 10 years with the Connecticut Hurricanes. In my opinion one of the greatest years if not the greatest year in current history is 2009. After Prelims we were tied with Minnesota for 2nd. Finals we were passed by Empire and landed in 4th. Heartbroken? Yeah. Did everyone want to come back the next year and try again? Heck yeah. Just because we didn't win that year doesn't mean that we didn't all love every single second we spent on that field. In fact it fueled us to come back. I'm seeing the exact same fire, family atmsophere, and positive views from the people I know who marched Cabs this summer.

Example 3.

This season for the Hurricanes was a particularly special one. Why? Everyone though we were dead. People on this website though we had folded. We put together a corps, put together a show, and made finals. Was it our best show in history? Did we think we were going to win a championship? No. Did we end the season with a greater love and appreciation for the corps, the activity, and each other? 100 times yes. People forget what this activity is about. Some people paint it as a lesser DCI, some people paint it as anything else entirely. Yet what a lot of people don't realize this circuit is about, is for the people IN the organizations. This activity is our hobby, this activity is our break from the 9-5's. This activity is one where we can get together with friends and play, spin, march, or whatever. That's always what it's been about, communities. A lot of people can't afford to go over to Reading, they live too far away. So they join a corps closest to them and they become part of a family. Sometimes your family wins, sometimes it doesn't.

That's why the Bucs aren't killing DCA, I don't even think it's dying. With a stronger top 10 then there's been in a little while, the fact that we still have two thriving classes, corps from oversea's competing, DCA is fine and everyone needs to stop worrying about who should or should not win and advocate for DCA for the right reasons.

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I rarely post in these threads and mostly observe, but I feel an aspect of this conversation isn't necessarily being discussed and I believe needs to be.

With all the talk of "how to beat the Buc's" or anything like that one key aspect of drum corps is being completely overlooked by these blog posts...

Drum corps is not all about winning championships.

Here's a few examples,

Example 1,

I've been fortunate enough to have marched Bluecoats 2014. You know what part of that I take away as the greatest success? Not that we got 2nd and were the highest scoring Bluecoats ever (although I would be stupid to say that wasn't awesome too). But that score will be beaten, (hopefully) one day that placement will be beaten. What I take away from that year was I marched in a show that made and will make countless of younger people want to march in that organization. I participated in a show that inspired other's to join this activity. Does that happen in DCA? absolutely it does. Does it happen on as large of a platform or reach as many people? No not really, but that's because of so many other factors.

Example 2,

I have marched 10 years with the Connecticut Hurricanes. In my opinion one of the greatest years if not the greatest year in current history is 2009. After Prelims we were tied with Minnesota for 2nd. Finals we were passed by Empire and landed in 4th. Heartbroken? Yeah. Did everyone want to come back the next year and try again? Heck yeah. Just because we didn't win that year doesn't mean that we didn't all love every single second we spent on that field. In fact it fueled us to come back. I'm seeing the exact same fire, family atmsophere, and positive views from the people I know who marched Cabs this summer.

Example 3.

This season for the Hurricanes was a particularly special one. Why? Everyone though we were dead. People on this website though we had folded. We put together a corps, put together a show, and made finals. Was it our best show in history? Did we think we were going to win a championship? No. Did we end the season with a greater love and appreciation for the corps, the activity, and each other? 100 times yes. People forget what this activity is about. Some people paint it as a lesser DCI, some people paint it as anything else entirely. Yet what a lot of people don't realize this circuit is about, is for the people IN the organizations. This activity is our hobby, this activity is our break from the 9-5's. This activity is one where we can get together with friends and play, spin, march, or whatever. That's always what it's been about, communities. A lot of people can't afford to go over to Reading, they live too far away. So they join a corps closest to them and they become part of a family. Sometimes your family wins, sometimes it doesn't.

That's why the Bucs aren't killing DCA, I don't even think it's dying. With a stronger top 10 then there's been in a little while, the fact that we still have two thriving classes, corps from oversea's competing, DCA is fine and everyone needs to stop worrying about who should or should not win and advocate for DCA for the right reasons.

You are 100% right it's not just about winning BUT do not dismiss the competition aspect of it either. in your examples you mentioned a few which realistically are just that. " winning" no matter what the prize happens to be. It's also a part of what we are and have been.

with that said YES we are all those other things also....jmo

Edited by GUARDLING
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You are 100% right it's not just about winning BUT do not dismiss the competition aspect of it either. in you examples you mentioned a few which realistically are just that. " winning" no matter what the prize happens to be. It's also a part of what we are and have been.

with that said YES we are all those other things also....jmo

I agree with you completely, but my point is that these blog posts are made in reference to Bucs winning championships every year as the attributing factor to the death of DCA. I tried to show a few examples of why it's not dying and how "winning" is subjective. As well as give some other better examples about what DCA is about.

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I agree with you completely, but my point is that these blog posts are made in reference to Bucs winning championships every year as the attributing factor to the death of DCA. I tried to show a few examples of why it's not dying and how "winning" is subjective. As well as give some other better examples about what DCA is about.

I agree , I do not believe, lack of attendance or whatever issues there may be have anything to do with Bucs

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Big W may have "stumbled on to the secret" to beating the Bucs.....

with my tongue firmly in cheek, there IS NO SECRET......that is the SOLUTION. What I rarely see credit given for is how the Bucs, TOO, must become more disciplined, rehearse harder, and perform with greater quality just to have a chance to get back up to last year's level. Every season, they have to go out and compete against themselves and they'd better live up top or exceed what they did and how they're doing it just to reach for their own level. If they perform equal to a runner up..... The runner up will fill the top slot until they pull it back together (ala Blue Devils Finals performance this year and encore presentation, which could have finished first on its own)

There is no magic, so the solution to beating the Bucs will not be found by making new "Camelot" rules and laws to prevent them from winning. Why not just add a 4.5 point penalty to any corps that chooses to put a symbol of piracy on the DM platform? That might do it....

rehearsing harder does nothing.

you have to rehearse smarter

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