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An intense frustration.


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1 minute ago, MikeRapp said:

Wasteful? It’s a business that makes money. It isn’t wasteful, it’s how to succeed.

But if making money is the goal, then be "for profit." I disagree with the underlying philosophy that success equates with making and spending more money. DCI has embraced the success equals money falsehood. "Spend money on this type of equipment and may have more success." "Have this person(s) design your show and you may be more competitive than you are now." "Try to hire this type of instructor and your scores may rise."  This philosophy creates the law of diminishing returns after a while. It certainly does in personal life.  

My point is that drum corps should have to spend the money they do for the chance to be successful. They have to because of the culture DCI has created.

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There should be no illusion that resources gets you success. This is true in everything.

But it is also true that you can lose those resources by not being good business people. Sadly many corps have proven this over the years.

It is also true that resources don’t mean excellence. And those orgs that squandered their resources on silliness and vanity paid a heavy price. Most no longer exist.

Blue Devils are the best org in DCI. Period. This is a fact. And that has led to unparalleled success. Most orgs simply cannot and will not compete with BD on the field because they cannot compete with the resources that their org can afford and retain.

The best instructors and the most talented marching members are always going to go to the orgs that have the most and best opportunities for success and have the most stability.

Having resources is an outgrowth of emphasizing the things that bring stability. Winning comes from this, and it also makes it possible.

Edited by MikeRapp
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Along this topic, the thing that grinds my gears more than anything else is the new buzzword - formula. As if a good show design is some secret weapons that only BD can access. Sure, there are similarities from year to year. 10 years ago, we used to call that an identity.

Imagine Picasso or da Vinci being criticized for having similar tastes, styles, and techniques from work to work. They created different works each time, but you’d still say that it was a work of da Vinci’s.

Every corps has similarities from year to year, a mark on the activity that makes you say “yeah, that’s that corps!” It’s not coincidental that formula is always a buzzword used in critique of BD, it’s a word with poor connotations that ABBD fans see each other use and rush onto the bandwagon.

I suppose if you want to convince me of something, use words that aren’t as tried and stale as formula.

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6 minutes ago, corps8294 said:

For all the BD haters; there are also some BD super fans that love to stir the pot, too. I.E. "Naughty..." 

Not sure who that could be referring to, it seems so generic 😂

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14 minutes ago, Drum Corps Is Now a Bust said:

But if making money is the goal, then be "for profit." I disagree with the underlying philosophy that success equates with making and spending more money. DCI has embraced the success equals money falsehood. "Spend money on this type of equipment and may have more success." "Have this person(s) design your show and you may be more competitive than you are now." "Try to hire this type of instructor and your scores may rise."  This philosophy creates the law of diminishing returns after a while. It certainly does in personal life.  

My point is that drum corps should have to spend the money they do for the chance to be successful. They have to because of the culture DCI has created.

I never said that making money is the goal. You make money to have the opportunity to succeed. To be frank this is one of the worst things in the world you could invest in if your goal is to make money.

If you don’t like the fact that having more resources and stability will lead to more success then you should probably admit you are not a fan of capitalism. This is life, not DCI.

Bottom line is this: DCI isn’t a franchise. It’s a trade organization. The members fund DCI, not the other way around. Members agree to abide by rules and can change those rules. DCI as an org is subject to THOSE rules. They don’t MAKE them.

If member orgs want to exist and yes succeed, they have to be run as businesses. Watch the Bluecoats documentary about their history—it’s there in plain English. There is no other way to succeed in any venture.

Edited by MikeRapp
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5 minutes ago, MidWAmericanArts said:

Along this topic, the thing that grinds my gears more than anything else is the new buzzword - formula. As if a good show design is some secret weapons that only BD can access. Sure, there are similarities from year to year. 10 years ago, we used to call that an identity.

Imagine Picasso or da Vinci being criticized for having similar tastes, styles, and techniques from work to work. They created different works each time, but you’d still say that it was a work of da Vinci’s.

Every corps has similarities from year to year, a mark on the activity that makes you say “yeah, that’s that corps!” It’s not coincidental that formula is always a buzzword used in critique of BD, it’s a word with poor connotations that ABBD fans see each other use and rush onto the bandwagon.

I suppose if you want to convince me of something, use words that aren’t as tried and stale as formula.

Leaders innovate. 

(IMHO)

There are corps who failed to evolve and be innovative, and many are no longer leaders in the activity. Some won’t even be performing today.

Edited by MikeRapp
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1 hour ago, Tim K said:

 

First of all I believe the Blue Devils “hate” is more of an online thing than a reality of people in the stands.

I’m here to tell you my hate for Blue Devils is real. But it’s not about the shows which are a copy of a copy of a copy.  I can’t fault them playing the sheets. Some corps choose to push the boundary, they don’t and that’s their prerogative. 
 

My hate is from my own interactions with members and staff from that corps.  Biggest group of egotistical a**holes I’ve ever met next to bama fans. If BD didn’t make finals for 10 years in a row I’d laugh all the way to the bank.  

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7 hours ago, Ashontheinternet said:

now,  i want to preface by stating that this is not a major issue here, rather elsewhere in the DCI community. with that out of the way, let us begin...

i have noticed a LOT (like, a concerning amount) of people claiming that somehow in some way, the judging in DCI is rigged towards a certain corps in blue. obviously, these claims are preposterous, but i can't help but get a little ticked off when i see people saying that BD is "robbing" other corps, or that BD is bribing judges or that DCI wont give them lower scores for some conspiratorial reason. 

i think it goes without saying that this is absolutely unacceptable as it fully discounts the talent, hard work, and dedication given by MMs and staff, but it seems to be an idea that is spreading at a rapid rate. it should not be tolerated but it is and it is creating a toxic and unfair ideology in the community.

anyways, that is my rant. i thought i should post it out to the ether to hear what others think, and maybe see another side to this story. 

It used to be about the Cavaliers and before THAT Cadets. And Star of course "was the best corps money can buy" and now it's "Buying a Championship" 

Over in the NFL it was about Brady and the Patriots - cause just like BD they were cheating somehow, something along the lines of filming others, or inflating their balls differently...

It's called petty jealousy - nothing more, nothing less. Part of being a champion is growing some thicker skin - learning to just roll your eyes and walk away, vs. reacting... 

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1 minute ago, CFC1905 said:

I’m here to tell you my hate for Blue Devils is real. But it’s not about the shows which are a copy of a copy of a copy.  I can’t fault them playing the sheets. Some corps choose to push the boundary, they don’t and that’s their prerogative. 
 

My hate is from my own interactions with members and staff from that corps.  Biggest group of egotistical a**holes I’ve ever met next to bama fans. If BD didn’t make finals for 10 years in a row I’d laugh all the way to the bank.  

Eh I think creatives are usually tagged with being arrogant and over opinionated. Esp successful creatives. Frankly BD’s creatives could write the book on how to do this activity. Their confidence is earned.

Arrogance, sure. Not a good trait. But I’ve heard some unappealing things from other orgs and fans as well.

There are a few folks here who have blue blinders on; some are arrogant and enjoy rubbing it in. I’ve blocked most of them so I don’t hear them anymore. Not a bad path to take imo.

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