Fran Haring Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 51 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said: it's growing, especially at bigger schools. why? tv ad revenue. and yes HS in the region is starting earlier too The college schedule actually was lighter this year on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend than it was the year before. Two big games... both Saturday evening, both on national TV... and a few "minor" ones, with one of them on TV. This actually was the first year I can recall a bona fide "big time" matchup on that opening Saturday...Florida vs. Miami. Usually the schedule has consisted of either mismatches..."play for pay" games for the schools who will go on the road and get their heads handed to them for a nice paycheck... or lower-division games. Week Zero, as it's called... as opposed to Week One, which usually starts the Thursday of Labor Day weekend.... then it's "all skate." LOL. Perhaps if more TV money gets dangled, more teams will play that Week Zero weekend. I do know some coaches don't like playing that weekend, since the games count in the standings, and they feel their teams need an extra week of prep before putting it out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppycock Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Fred Windish said: Stldrmn1- I understand, and share, your desire to see DCA become a nationwide traveling product. But, I’m convinced funds for that development are now, just not there ! Even a smaller DCA is struggling to continue on. There’s inadequate revenue coming in to both the corps, and to the DCA governing body. The Championship is no longer a big, end of year payout. There’s an insufficient amount of sponsorship dollars to DCA, a lack of added revenue from digital media products, etc. Beyond all this, travel costs for everyone concerned are rising rapidly. THIS is where DCA is. In my opinion, the manageable, one way travel distance for everyone concerned is now limited to about an 8 hour drive. Beyond this radius, the experience is too costly, as you note. Now is a time for DCA to simply BEAR DOWN. Loyalty has legs! A DCI all-age division beginning and ending the same as other DCI corps makes more sense for those organizations outside of the NE. IMO greater recruiting opportunities and more regional performance opportunities too. If those organizations have the resources and want to attend DCA Championships why not allow them to participate as a at large member. DCA continues as a small NE circuit keeping their Labor Day weekend of events. Also allows for all of the all-age corps to continue to stay active and better manage their financials. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 1 hour ago, stldrmn1 said: I was thinking Alumni, Parents and Fans from Columbus, Atlanta, Birmingham, Cincinnati, St Paul and Greensboro. A daunting decision for Mid-West and Southern Corps considering a DCA effort is the $20,000 +/- per trip to the I-95 Corridor to compete. Let's be honest the "DCA Eastern Only" model has been worked to death. To promote growth, and the activity, there needs to be expansion. Which I-95 Corridor Corps would/could commit to annual travel budget in the $40,000 to $60,000 (or more) dollar range to remain viable and compete within the circuit? Or for that mater contemplate a 24 hour bus trip, to and from a contest site? When considering Finials contest sites, and dates. The needs, and time commitment of Corps mentioned above need to be considered. For almost all the Corps cities above the Thursday before Finials is a travel day, and with Finials late on Sunday, Monday travel is a must for those with members with school and work commitments. Without the Mid-West, and South DCA finials would be comprised of seven (7) Open Class Corps, and one (1) Class "A" Corps. Regards, Stldrmn1 i apreciate your line of thinking, now consider these facts we have seen: when it moved to Annapolis, a lot of the northern fans didn't go because of the distance. when it was in Rochester, a lot of the Southern fans didn't go because of the distance. So now they get to a high school stadium sorta in between...and less people went than went to either Rochester or Annapolis. So then you move to a market where you have little built in fan base to help offset those that don't go because of travel. REemember...the corps make money on finals, so if not attended well, they don't make much money. Also, looking at the I79 corrider, which goes from the bottom of WV to Erie, where would you look to hold it? Pitt is too big and most likely too expensive. HS football capital of the world in Western PA. WVU too big. Maybe Erie, which is like 9 hours from Bucs diehard fanbase, usually the most represented wherever finals goes. It's a great thought, but it's a HUGE roll of the dice that if it flops, can DCA survive? hell they are barely making it now, and weren't lighting the world on fire in Rochester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 27 minutes ago, Fran Haring said: The college schedule actually was lighter this year on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend than it was the year before. Two big games... both Saturday evening, both on national TV... and a few "minor" ones, with one of them on TV. This actually was the first year I can recall a bona fide "big time" matchup on that opening Saturday...Florida vs. Miami. Usually the schedule has consisted of either mismatches..."play for pay" games for the schools who will go on the road and get their heads handed to them for a nice paycheck... or lower-division games. Week Zero, as it's called... as opposed to Week One, which usually starts the Thursday of Labor Day weekend.... then it's "all skate." LOL. Perhaps if more TV money gets dangled, more teams will play that Week Zero weekend. I do know some coaches don't like playing that weekend, since the games count in the standings, and they feel their teams need an extra week of prep before putting it out there. already talk of tv dollars. I mean look how many bowl games there are now. Used to be you had to be good to get into a bowl game. Now you just have to not suck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Poppycock said: Loyalty has legs! A DCI all-age division beginning and ending the same as other DCI corps makes more sense for those organizations outside of the NE. IMO greater recruiting opportunities and more regional performance opportunities too. If those organizations have the resources and want to attend DCA Championships why not allow them to participate as a at large member. DCA continues as a small NE circuit keeping their Labor Day weekend of events. Also allows for all of the all-age corps to continue to stay active and better manage their financials. Yep... Wouldn’t be the first time there were more than one All age circuit going on at same time. And usually some of the better lesser circuit corps would go to DCA if they had the resources. Bottom line, if members want to join to actually do field shows and compete, the more competitions anywhere the better. Did time in two non-DCA circuits. Difference then was Corps talent and not distance. Things change and if two circuits due to distance, why not? Shades of DC Midwest some years back with Jr and Sr corps Edited November 13, 2019 by JimF-LowBari 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said: already talk of tv dollars. I mean look how many bowl games there are now. Used to be you had to be good to get into a bowl game. Now you just have to not suck Yeah... I still go back and forth on this. In a perfect world... yes, there are too many games. But in my "college football junkie" world...LOL... I've seen any number of those 6-6 vs. 7-5 matchups turn into better games than ones involving the big guns. Totally OT here, I know. Edited November 13, 2019 by Fran Haring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Poppycock said: Loyalty has legs! A DCI all-age division beginning and ending the same as other DCI corps makes more sense for those organizations outside of the NE. IMO greater recruiting opportunities and more regional performance opportunities too. If those organizations have the resources and want to attend DCA Championships why not allow them to participate as a at large member. DCA continues as a small NE circuit keeping their Labor Day weekend of events. Also allows for all of the all-age corps to continue to stay active and better manage their financials. DCI has all age affiliate members now, they even get a page in the yearbook. they just have no championship event, and given the nature of all age, they ony have shows on the weekends DCI is in the area. it's tough doing weeknights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, Fred Windish said: Stldrmn1- I understand, and share, your desire to see DCA become a nationwide traveling product. But, I’m convinced funds for that development are now, just not there ! Even a smaller DCA is struggling to continue on. There’s inadequate revenue coming in to both the corps, and to the DCA governing body. The Championship is no longer a big, end of year payout. There’s an insufficient amount of sponsorship dollars to DCA, a lack of added revenue from digital media products, etc. Beyond all this, travel costs for everyone concerned are rising rapidly. THIS is where DCA is. In my opinion, the manageable, one way travel distance for everyone concerned is now limited to about an 8 hour drive. Beyond this radius, the experience is too costly, as you note. Now is a time for DCA to simply BEAR DOWN. There's another option: The Midwest/south could organize its own circuit and championships. This has been done twice in the past, with the RCA and ICA circuits. The problem with those two attempts was that a very strong DCA existed at the same time. The east coast corps had their reputations already established, years ago. They were the corps to beat, if one had the product. Understanding that I have always competed out east (with ONE exception), DCA today isn't as strong as it was in those days. Edited November 13, 2019 by hairbear 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said: Yep... Wouldn’t be the first time there were more than one All age circuit going on at same time. And usually some of the better lesser circuit corps would go to DCA if they had the resources. Bottom line, if members want to join to actually do field shows and compete, the more competitions anywhere the better. Did time in two non-DCA circuits. Difference then was Corps talent and not distance. Things change and if two circuits due to distance, why not? Shades of DC Midwest some years back with Jr and Sr corps This, and what Poppycock has said. The more shows for various "out of the Northeast" corps, the better for them... I'm not sure I care which circuit they're affiliated with. And yes, if they are in good shape financially, they can then make the trip to the DCA title show. The one downside I can see with that is.... if those corps are not being judged by DCA panels (or on DCA sheets) for at least some of their regular-season shows... they would take the chances of being a "first read" for the DCA judges at a DCA title event. Reminiscent of what used to be called "The Midwest Penalty" for corps making the trip East with no exposure there until Labor Day weekend. Gotta be honest... MBI paid that "penalty" at least a few times. Edited November 13, 2019 by Fran Haring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 49 minutes ago, Fran Haring said: This, and what Poppycock has said. The more shows for various "out of the Northeast" corps, the better for them... I'm not sure I care which circuit they're affiliated with. And yes, if they are in good shape financially, they can then make the trip to the DCA title show. The one downside I can see with that is.... if those corps are not being judged by DCA panels (or on DCA sheets) for at least some of their regular-season shows... they would take the chances of being a "first read" for the DCA judges at a DCA title event. Reminiscent of what used to be called "The Midwest Penalty" for corps making the trip East with no exposure there until Labor Day weekend. Gotta be honest... MBI paid that "penalty" at least a few times. Forgot about that different sheets and judges bit. RCA was easier on execution for obvious reasons. Did both circuits a few years and whole different mindset. can still her Hershman screaming “it’s a DCA show this time, execute bleep it execute” MBI and Chicago Connection... everyone’s favorite 11th and 12th place Corps late 70s. If they would have had some DCA judging earlier it would have been real interesting. Now I know why we did judged exhibition if possible so we could get the sheets and tapes Edited November 13, 2019 by JimF-LowBari 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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