Why doesn't DCI love the West Coast?

[shofmon88]

Gotcha. Some good options. A lot of us in the east tend to think there are 10,000 miles of dessert and/or corn fields out there between some small tumbleweed town with 1 stop light

While you'd be mistaken, you wouldn't be THAT mistaken...

[LabMaster]

Maybe it's too simplistic and answer or reason the eastern touring model is still the primary model. It is possible that it is a holdover from years past when west coast corps were thought to have more money available to support a long tour and eastern corps were less financially fit. Plus you throw in the drum corps was historically an eastern and Midwestern dominated activity, tours and corps from these regions were favored and benefitted from initial touring arrangements. Then came western corps putting drum corps as it was known on its head. Anaheim followed by BD and SCV and the quality of these corps, being immediately competitive changed everything we knew about drum corps. Then more and more quality corps rose out of the west, but the eastern tour model persisted. Western corps came east to show the east what for. Did they ever!

Times have changed, eastern organizations and their individual business model and operations started to resemble western corps and in some cases recently have progressed to another level (Boston for example).

IMO I see no reason DCI can't figure out how to revamp the entire touring model. Make it more equitable for all corps and bring higher levels of competition to more regions of the country especially in prime recruiting areas (strong HS band areas). Create meaningful regional DCI shows combining World and Open Class corps in major regionals. Have other key shows where fewer corps compete to fuel the cross comparison debates. It can be done, there are enough smart people to figure it out. Look atvhowxsome corps have done it and develop a viable, fair, equitable plan. Excuse any spelling errors. I'm firing this out off the top of my head while I watch political tv. Thanks for indulging me.

[ShortAndFast]

I don't think you understand that making DATR a regional show cuts the Blue Knights out of the equation. How much does BK make from that show? What is going to replace that revenue to satisfy your desire for all the corps to travel there?

Which makes more economic sense: BK making profit from DATR or you saving money by not having to travel to where the shows are?

It's all about the $$. 2004/2007 proved that there are some big western audiences for late-season DCI. After 8 years in LOS, we've conclusively proven that the 27K people from finals in Pasadena aren't going to fly to Indy. So why not try to get those $$ every 4 or 5 years?

I'm sure DCI and BK could figure something out just like they did in 04/07.

[littlejaw]

Option 1: replace Minneapolis with Denver in the schedule (so everyone comes from their separate starting points to there, same as we saw this year), then south to San Antonio. Or possibly host Minneapolis a week earlier, so it would go Minneapolis, Denver, San Antonio.

Option 2: head North from San Antonio to Denver, hosting Denver where Atlanta is in the schedule this year (and Atlanta would take place where DATR is, existing as a similar sized show). From Denver, head East toward Allentown, though logistically this makes the least sense.

Option 3: same as option 2, except Minneapolis takes the place of the final regional for the season, taking place one week after Denver and the same weekend Allentown traditionally takes place. Then, onward to Finals. Note that this makes Allentown also a smaller show in years this model takes place.

I know I'm late to this party, but isn't it time DCI drops Minneapolis as a big time show? DCI isn't a prioritized event and the crowd is small and not into the shows.

If Denver becomes the regional, then to San Antonio, Atlanta, etc. then we take a bite out of the "West." Plus then maybe a Midwest or Eastern corps is enticed to head out further West before Denver.

Now does anyone know if will even be able to have a show in Atlanta when they tear down the Georgia Dome? Maybe DCI will have to come up with a new tour schedule.

[DrumManTx]

I know I'm late to this party, but isn't it time DCI drops Minneapolis as a big time show? DCI isn't a prioritized event and the crowd is small and not into the shows.

If Denver becomes the regional, then to San Antonio, Atlanta, etc. then we take a bite out of the "West." Plus then maybe a Midwest or Eastern corps is enticed to head out further West before Denver.

Now does anyone know if will even be able to have a show in Atlanta when they tear down the Georgia Dome? Maybe DCI will have to come up with a new tour schedule.

On the field pass from earlier this week Dan Potter said they are good to go using the new stadium in Atlanta next year.

[84BDsop]

OMG, you're killing me. Please stop. "Offended" because I'm wrong? Seriously? First, I'm not wrong. Second, offended because of summer marching band? Are you serious?

So you live in the southwest. You have a cheap airline based in your town - book your seats and go to the shows you want to see (like I did this year)!

Stop asking the entire activity to change (and spend more money!) to accommodate your desire. Take the bull by the horns and book your flights, man!

Jeesh. My pizza is ready. See you in Indy.

You don't see the inherent inequity of a state with a dozen and a half active corps and most of the championship winners only getting finals ONE TIME in almost 45 years???

Man...talk about Eastern privilege....

[Tenoris4Jazz]

Maybe it's my 20+ years in corporate accounting, but I'm rather shocked that no one has brought up the main economic factor in travelling through the west vs. the east in late July or early August: fuel. As of today, in the east it's $2.00 to $2.30 for regular gas vs $2.30 to $2.60 out west. Diesel fuel is $0.25/gallon higher than that. All those buses, trucks, and vans will have an increase in their fuel expenses by ~15%. Given the travel expenses I've seen on the 2014 IRS forms for Devils, Cadets, Crown and Spirit, that would mean, on average, an additional $50,000 in expenses PER CORPS!. (Crown's travel expenses for 2014 were over $840,000; $100,000 more than Spirit's entire budget.) If only 10 corps make this trip, that's half a million dollars in additional travel expenses to make up. I'm sure most of you will be surprised to learn that in 2014 Devils and Cadets both lost money on their total operations despite net revenue of over $4.5 million... EACH.

I'm willing to listen to ideas for this, but until you figure out how to generate as much money as DCI currently does in the East PLUS another $50,000 per corps, it's a moot point.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Tenoris4Jazz

[luv4corps]

Gotcha. Some good options. A lot of us in the east tend to think there are 10,000 miles of dessert and/or corn fields out there between some small tumbleweed town with 1 stop light

And cowboys and indians too?

[jwillis35]

Times have changed, eastern organizations and their individual business model and operations started to resemble western corps and in some cases recently have progressed to another level (Boston for example).

IMO I see no reason DCI can't figure out how to revamp the entire touring model.

I agree and do believe DCI is always looking at the touring model, especially for world class.

As I've said in my other posts on this thread, in the past many of the east and midwest corps would not have had the money to go west often, if at all. Back in the days in the 70s, 80s, and even a lot of the 90s, there were many drum corps using bad (and really old) buses, bad trucks, and some were not using drivers that had CDLs. Many of those corps would not have got their buses across the Rockies. There were plenty of corps back in the day that were not feeding their kids well. We've seen some corps get through half a tour and have to turn around and go home.

Also remember now that many of today's corps have better deals with manufacturers for percussion and brass, where back in the day they had to purchase those things. The new model of using 3-valve Bb and F brass has opened new doors to financing and reselling of instruments and other equipment. Today most of the top 25 WC corps are traveling on quality coaches with first rate insurance. They have better food and equipment trucks.

The hardest part of going west now days is scheduling. Despite the fact that a lot of older East Coast corps have died, and some in the Midwest too, the bulk of the DCI schedule still sits in the East and Midwest regions of the country. There are many many old, long-time operated shows in the East and Midwest and you don't want to lose those shows, yet you want to open things up a bit, too.

Going off of a number of suggestions that some of the corps break away after San Antonio, I think it would be neat if every 2 years about 7 or 8 groups headed west after SA, but instead of going to California they head out to Phoenix, AZ for a show in Glendale at the big indoor stadium. If 6 of the top 12, and a few others headed out and combined with some all-age groups and SCVC and BDB it would be a huge show. It's not quite the West Coast, but I could see a lot of California folks, and others, flying in for that show. A neat change to all this would be to have Drums Along The Rockies in Denver after the Phoenix show. So after the San Antonio show is over, some corps head eastward to Atlanta then Allentown, other go to Glendale then Denver. Then they all meet in Indy.

The schedule above might work without interrupting too many shows in the East and Midwest, yet it does change the lineups for all shows after San Antonio. But that might be a good thing.

[84BDsop]

Ok....did some counting...here's a breakdown of titles.

Total # of DCI championship events: 44

# of individual titles in that time: 115 (across Div 1/2/3/All Girl/Class A/Class A-60. Did not count Intl.div)

# of individual corps that have won at least one of those divisions: 44

# of corps to win more than one division: 6

# of corps to win 1 title: 24

# of corps to win 2 titles: 7

# of corps to win 3 titles: 3

# of corps to win 4 titles: 5

# of corps to win 5 titles: 1

# of corps to win 5 titles: 1

# of corps to win 6 titles: 1

# of corps to win 7 titles: 1

# of corps to win 8 titles: 1

# of corps to win 10 titles: 1

# of corps to win 17 titles: 1

Now....here's the kicker for us West Coast guys.

# of titles/percentage of total titles won by West Coast corps: 47/40.86%

# of titles/percentage of total titles won by CALIFORNIA corps: 41/35.65%

So...California ALONE has won juuust over one THIRD of ALL titles DCI has awarded since 1972 (again, not counting the Intl. Div).

ONE THIRD...and yet we get August shows ONE @$%*#*ING TIME IN 44 *#%%$*$ING YEARS!

Further, just counting Div I, California has won 24 of 44...54.54%...more than HALF.

Please tell me again how the West Coast are whiners when it comes to this...

I'll give that fuel costs are a more than significant issue, but award Finals to the West a few years in advance to allow for fundraising and other preparations. (and I DON"T mean Denver....that's still over 1000 miles away....NOT the West Coast by any stretch)

Throw us an August bone ONCE in a #### while, would you?

Edited August 6, 2016 by 84BDsop