flugelswerebugels Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 4 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. Now you've given them an idea for a "Vonnegut's Player Piano" show! That would be a hoot! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flugelswerebugels Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 8 minutes ago, ContraFart said: I see it more as old money rather than new money when talking about it in a wealth point of view. Yes somebody along the way made the right decisions and the current people are maintaining those gains, but kids from other top 4 corps go to BD, not the other way around. That did not happen overnight. So I believe today more than 20 years ago 3rd base is more given than earned. And yet another brilliant show idea - Daft Punk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraFart Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Just now, flugelswerebugels said: And yet another brilliant show idea - Daft Punk! are they going to give me design credit? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 4 hours ago, ContraFart said: 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 get everything you are saying but I think you are answering the question here. There is no way for DCI to be truly fair. Drum & Bugle corps are run by community organizations. DCI cannot tell those communities/orgs how to run their operation. And different States and Cities have different advantages. California does have good weather (most of the time) and liberal laws for running Bingo. BD does well with other fundraisers too. - however if it was so easy in CA then what happened with SCV? Not looking for an answer. That is a whole different discussion to be held somewhere else. - add to this other parts of the country have their advantages too. Blue Devils have a vastly larger organization than most other corps. This allows them to work with more kids year around. They have more local parents involved because of BDB and BDC and other functions they run. That local help amounts to dollars when people help in fundraising, or logistics in local events and on and on. With the A corps Blue Devils have built a brand. They are known worldwide. They have also built a brand in how they program shows and craft their music. A lot of talent all over the country and from other nations want to be part of that brand, that signature sound, the style, and so forth. As you stated we can't tell kids where to spend their money. So yes, it is not fair. What can change all that is for other drum corps to build their success, build their brand, their signature sound and style. This is largely what Carolina Crown and Bluecoats have done. It's how they jumped into being top 4 or 5 contenders every year. There was a time they were not close to that. This alone illustrates why the Blue Devils have been important to the activity - even if people get tired of them winning. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 39 minutes 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. It is to ##### on the internet. A DCP favorite pasttime. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraFart Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Just now, Cappybara said: It is to ##### on the internet. A DCP favorite pasttime. as is being an agitator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Just now, ContraFart said: as is being an agitator. Indeed. You have filled about 10 pages worth of the same thing over and over in the past week. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraFart Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Just now, Cappybara said: Indeed. You have filled about 10 pages worth of the same thing over and over in the past week. How is this the same? Honestly? I am giving up and the fight and accepting my BD overlords and realizing that there is nothing anyone can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFA1970 Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 18 minutes ago, 2000Cadet said: Probably should just accept Blue Devils being #### good and if anyone is going to catch them, they better be #### better than BD. Corps have been at that level...Cadets, Cavaliers and SCV. Unfortunately they are no longer for whatever reason. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Just now, ContraFart said: How is this the same? Honestly? I am giving up and the fight and accepting my BD overlords and realizing that there is nothing anyone can do. I will repeat what someone else asked: What is the point? What are you trying to achieve repeating the same thing over and over? Validation on your points that you clearly aren't receiving? Getting a rise out of people? Using DCP as your personal diary? I already know which of the 3 applies to @MarimbaManiac, so what about you? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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