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Blue Devils -- Too good for the rest of DCI?


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#### like these threads is the prime reason I no longer have much interest in drum corps these days.

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No, they're not too good. They are being who they've been for 47 years. When they showed up in Philly in 1976, they changed drum corps and since then, it's up to everyone else to figure out ways to beat them regardless of the scoring system, equipment and instrument rules, etc.

Jerry created a juggernaut and somehow BD has maintained a high level and stable leadership. I like the fight for #2 with the occasional corps knocking the King from the mountaintop. 

 

Edited by Gantang
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The 1920's Yankees were too good for the American League. They had Ruth and Gehrig and the rest of murderer's row. No one could compete. They won championship after championship. They should have left the league and formed a show team with home run derbies and clinics to teach young players how it should be done. That would have given the other teams a chance to develop and have their turn in the spotlight. Later on players like DiMaggio and Mantle could have gone elsewhere and made other teams great...

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I have come to a realization.

DCI is not a fair competitive league, nor can it be. How you can say the BD and Jersey Surf are in the same competitive division? I think the motto of "Marching Music's Major League" is misleading as if the competition was on a even playing field. You cannot compare it to sports because there is no way to do things that sports leagues do to enforce parity like revenue sharing, salary caps and reverse draft orders because these organizations do not pay the members, the members pay them and you cannot tell people how to spend their money. 

I have also realized that the drum corps activity does not exist for the audience. It exists solely for the marching members. Drum corps is a high end intensive pageantry camp for young people. Sure there is an audience that loves the activity, but at the end of the day, it does not exist for them. Much like the various community bands and orchestras I play for, we exists for people to play, not as much for people to watch us. 

BD is going to start every year on 3rd base. Cant blame them for doing everything right, but at the same time, they have every structural advantage in the world, from location, favorable state laws that allow their bingo (Glassmen anyone?) DCI advantages such as better and closer housing sites and later gate times which allow for more floor time and more rehearsal time. They have also done all of the right things by diversifying their portfolio (the Bill cook model in a way) with System Blue, buying US BANDS and BD entertainment. 

It also seems that BD is going to have right of first refusal with a majority of their talent. You often hear of players from other top corps going to BD, even feature soloists, but not so much the other way around. 

In the end, the rule is going to be BD winning every year, anyone else winning will be the exception to that rule. To me that is a sad reality. 

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3 hours ago, ContraFart said:

I have come to a realization.

DCI is not a fair competitive league, nor can it be. How you can say the BD and Jersey Surf are in the same competitive division? I think the motto of "Marching Music's Major League" is misleading as if the competition was on a even playing field. You cannot compare it to sports because there is no way to do things that sports leagues do to enforce parity like revenue sharing, salary caps and reverse draft orders because these organizations do not pay the members, the members pay them and you cannot tell people how to spend their money. 

I have also realized that the drum corps activity does not exist for the audience. It exists solely for the marching members. Drum corps is a high end intensive pageantry camp for young people. Sure there is an audience that loves the activity, but at the end of the day, it does not exist for them. Much like the various community bands and orchestras I play for, we exists for people to play, not as much for people to watch us. 

BD is going to start every year on 3rd base. Cant blame them for doing everything right, but at the same time, they have every structural advantage in the world, from location, favorable state laws that allow their bingo (Glassmen anyone?) DCI advantages such as better and closer housing sites and later gate times which allow for more floor time and more rehearsal time. They have also done all of the right things by diversifying their portfolio (the Bill cook model in a way) with System Blue, buying US BANDS and BD entertainment. 

It also seems that BD is going to have right of first refusal with a majority of their talent. You often hear of players from other top corps going to BD, even feature soloists, but not so much the other way around. 

In the end, the rule is going to be BD winning every year, anyone else winning will be the exception to that rule. To me that is a sad reality. 

You're clearly just a hater. /s

Edited by MarimbaManiac
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8 minutes ago, MarimbaManiac said:

You're clearly just a hater. /s

No I just hate excellence and how dare I question the sanctity of scores when BD wins. /s

Edited by ContraFart
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5 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

No I just hate excellence and how dare I question the sanctity of scores when BD wins. /s

So if you were put in charge of the Blue Devils Organization after the 2023 season concludes, what changes are you making when the BD staff sits down with you and gives you a potential gold medal plan and contender for 2024?

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1 minute ago, Chief Guns said:

So if you were put in charge of the Blue Devils Organization after the 2023 season concludes, what changes are you making when the BD staff sits down with you and gives you a potential gold medal plan and contender for 2024?

Why change anything? You are already starting on 3rd base while most of the rest of DCI is at the plate without a bat. They dont need to change a thing. 

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11 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

No I just hate excellence and how dare I question the sanctity of scores when BD wins. /s

Well, you've made your points quite evident in the past & it seems to me that they aren't gaining you much traction, so I guess my question for you is simpler: what's the end result that you want from this ongoing conversation or topic? Is it continue the colloquy on a soapbox? I'm not trying to argue, I'm just curious about where you want this conversation to go.

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1 minute ago, Deguello said:

Well, you've made your points quite evident in the past & it seems to me that they aren't gaining you much traction, so I guess my question for you is simpler: what's the end result that you want from this ongoing conversation or topic? Is it continue the colloquy on a soapbox? I'm not trying to argue, I'm just curious about where you want this conversation to go.

Did you read my previous post? There is no solution. There is nothing that can be done. The rule for the foreseeable future is BD going undefeated every year, any time that does not happen will be the exception. 

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