40 year dominance

[Bluzes]

4 minutes ago, bluesman said:

I don't think anyone is blaming them for being smart and using bingo as a revenue source.  The problem is that in many states that fund raising source is limited to churches.  In 1981 I joined a corps that in it's first year of existence placed higher than any brand new corps had done in DCI history.  Spirit had held that record by coming in 22nd in it's first year, but in 1980 the Memphis Blues broke that record by coming in 20th.  The Tennessee legislature was almost certain to expand the list of which types of non-profit organizations could run large scale bingo operations. But the level of  opposition that came from Churches was much greater than expected  There were those that wanted exclusive rights to bingo and others completely opposed  anything resembling gambling.  Memphis Blues Brass Band had the potential to be a great corps, but without money to pay staff or maintain facilities the corps folded mid-season in 1983.  The corps was not badly managed.  The director George Lindstrom went on to work with the Blue Knights and his late wife Lynn helped turn WGI into the incredible organization that it is today.  

We've seen so many great and not so great corps fold due to financial problems over the decades so yes there is a bit of resentment and jealously directed towards organizations that never have to worry about money.  We all know that life isn't fair..... but a more equitable distribution of money derived from tickets sales does not seem like a lot to ask.... especially since some top level corps aren't dependent on it.

Good points great writeup

[bluesman]

31 minutes ago, snake33 said:

Actually I spelled it right in the title and not in the post. I can see how that makes a lot of difference. LOL
Anyway, I've been in the activity for 50 years, just don't forum normally. It itched long enough and I scratched it.

Yeah.... I've either been in a drum corps or been a devoted DCI nut since 1975.  I've been off and on these forums for years.   I can't even remember what my original user name was here, but I'm sure blues was part of it.  

[BD 79-82]

7 hours ago, skevinp said:

 

7 hours ago, Cappybara said:

2015 is the obvious choice. Not sure if there are others 

On finals night, I expect there to be a chocolate malt on the counter with a little girl in a yellow dress next to it.

 

hmmm....Not that far fetched of an idea. However, rather than insert her into the picture, they could always roll out one of the 2015 story book props - she would now pop out of an art history book. 

[queenanne_1536]

23 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

Well let’s talk budget here. The Cali corps DO go coast to coast. Easy and Midwest don’t.  And the Cali corps do it every year. Gee think that doesn’t cost more?

Did I ever say it doesn’t?

[Jeff Ream]

10 hours ago, seen-it-all said:

And they also work hard. Why people seem to be hesitant to put those two words together is beyond me, as if the concepts of working hard and working smartly are completely incompatible. I've been witness to BD rehearsing over the years. They definitely work smartly. And they most absolutely work hard. Embrace it. 

They also work smart

[Ghost]

18 hours ago, seen-it-all said:

And they also work hard. Why people seem to be hesitant to put those two words together is beyond me, as if the concepts of working hard and working smartly are completely incompatible. I've been witness to BD rehearsing over the years. They definitely work smartly. And they most absolutely work hard. Embrace it. 

 

8 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

They also work smart

Which they mentioned twice.  Then again J, you might be poking fun at them for mentioning "smart" twice.  (There, I just gave you an out!)

[Bluzes]

It just keeps going full circle for me, it's the MMs that make them great. All the banter back & forth. They make more money, they spend more getting to the distance shows. The staff is better but then again there are other great staffs all the way down the line. How many pages of this thread went on without mentioning the MMs at all. The activity I have been following for the last 60 years tells me it's the MMs that win championships not ANYTHING else. Stop selling them short and all the other MMs that make this activity so great. They are the ones that are shelling out their own hard earned cash (no madder how rich BD is) to perform for us. Appreciate them and extend them some credit.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Bluzes
typo

[Ghost]

3 minutes ago, Bluzes said:

 The activity I have been following for the last 60 years tells me it's the MMs that win championships not ANYTHING else. Stop selling them short and all the other MMs that make this activity so great. They are the ones that are shelling out their own hard earned cash (no madder how rich BD is) to perform for us. Appreciate them and extend them some credit.

Hope you're ready for some interesting replies.  Very few posts, if any, knocks the mm.  If you don't have a well designed show in all sections, very good instructors/techs, the most talented 150 mm of all time are not going to win championships.  The DCI historians on DCP can easily mention the corps and year that they had great and talented mm in all sections, but the show design wasn't strong enough.

[MikeRapp]

18 minutes ago, Bluzes said:

the MMs that win championships not ANYTHING else. 

We all know this is factually inaccurate.

[Bluzes]

7 minutes ago, Ghost said:

Hope you're ready for some interesting replies

I'm always ready. This thread is what I am referring to and not the general consensus that we all have that all MM,s are great, I am not doubting that. However, this thread is like dumping the coke out of the can and wondering why coke is so great. Little known fact is the first digital color chart left out coke red they were very upset as I am looking at this thread in isolation reading between lines that THIS THREAD is denying the MMs their due.