Controversial DCI (Finals) Shows

[Terri Schehr]

2 hours ago, wolfgang said:

Not shows per se, but '75 Muchachos and Bridgemen the one year in Denver, both with overage members.

Crossmen in 1976 for an overage member. 

[Average DCI Enjoyer]

Boston Crusaders 2014 - Animal Farm. That show has a lot of back story of why they chose to perform that show and I think would be good for you to write about.

Here's a link to a YouTube video explaining in better detail, but I'll still try and break down some of it.

Back in the early 2010s, a presentation was given to DCI on the behalf on the top 7 corps at the time called the G7 Report, all lead by GH. The "G7" corps that backed the presentation were the Cadets, Caronlina Crown, Cavaliers, Blue Devils, SCV, Bluecoats, and Phantom Regiment. In that presentation, it was argued that the top corps should be financially compesated more than other corps because they believed they were the reason why drum corps and DCI is successful. And that there should be a reclassifcation of corps that better benefits the top groups. DCI found this all rediculous and struck down the idea, and rightfully so. A few years later in 2013 after that initial report, GH tried to make change in DCI again by trying to revert DCI back to where the Board of Directors was only comprised of the top 12 corps. He even threatened that the G7 would break off from DCI and compete in their own circuit if the demands weren't met. That idea never went through because everyone knew that would be the G7 would hold all the control in the BoD because they would have held a 7-5 majority. 

Enter BAC in 2014. The staff at Boston were fed up with the top corps trying to walk over all the other corps so they decided to perform a show that they knew wouldn't do well competively but would send a message. They ran a show based on the book 'Animal Farm'. But they changed the theme to apply more to drumc corps, like they would play the words in the show that would say "All Corps are Created Equal, but Some Corps are More Equal than Others". Literally telling DCI and the top corps to their face that they, and all the other corps outside the G7, are not going to stand for being considered 'lesser corps' and that they knew what was trying to be done.

That show only got better with time. Since that situation ended, GH is now out of the picture of drum corps entirely, the Cadets aren't around anymore because of GH so they fell from being G7, and now BAC went from being considered a 'lesser corps' to medaling consitently and being championship contenders within 10 years of that Animal Farm show. Any year now BAC will win gold and it will be one of the most satisfying wins in a long time.

If I got details wrong or anything, please correct me because I don't want to unintentially say something incorrect.

Edit: And I'm just now realizing you already have this show written down and now I feel dumb

Edited February 2, 2025 by Average DCI Enjoyer

[verzephobe]

18 minutes ago, Average DCI Enjoyer said:

Boston Crusaders 2014 - Animal Farm. That show has a lot of back story of why they chose to perform that show and I think would be good for you to write about.

 

Thank you for the extra context honestly!!! I have BAC14 down like you said, but since I wasn’t actually AROUND for 2014 DCI, it’s always good to learn more from people who were into all this before me. Also if I’m remembering right, BD was the one to complain about the baby powder in ‘13, right??

[verzephobe]

11 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

went on to the starting line ( where all Corps at the time started their shows)... and proceeded to sit down there and in effect with that display of protest,,were stating that they would not leave their " protest sit in demonstration " unless they too were allowed to perform, compete, and be scored with the other 13 there on Finals Night.

Ahhh I have not heard about this at ALL!! This would actually be a huge topic to teach the students about, that kind of protest would resonate with them I think!! Thank you!

[Boss Anova]

3 hours ago, wolfgang said:

Not shows per se, but '75 Muchachos and Bridgemen the one year in Denver, both with overage members.

 True,... Crossmen in '76,and SCV in '89 also both marched overage marchers entire seasons. What  was  ' controversial " perhaps with this was that SCV was not disqualified from competition at Championships in '89 by DCI officials at the time..  The difference between other overage marcher corps being DQ'ed and SCV not in '89 was that the other Corps DQ'ed ( Hawthorne Muchachos, Bridgemen, Crossmen) all were outed by others. In the case of SCV, their Corps Director at the time ( Gail Royer and a Founder of DCI itself with 5 others ) found out about it after prelims performance  ( 2 Brits marched overage with forged documents ),. Royer went himself to DCI Officials, told what he just found and that the 2 were already set packing and on a plane home by him. DCI Officials  decided SCV coming forth themselves with that info was exculpatory and ruied SCV not DQ'ed for Finals participation. SCV then went out on Finals Night and won the'89 DCI Championship.  The decision by DCI officials for the way SCV was assessed compared to the others for similar violation was accepted by many... but not by all..So I  suppose it could be put in the " controversial " non show performance category as well.

Edited February 2, 2025 by Boss Anova

[IllianaLancerContra]

36 minutes ago, Boss Anova said:

 True,... Crossmen in '76,and SCV in '89 also both marched overage marchers entire seasons. What  was  ' controversial " perhaps with this was that SCV was not disqualified from competition at Championships in '89 by DCI officials at the time..  The difference between other overage marcher corps being DQ'ed and SCV not in '89 was that the other Corps DQ'ed ( Hawthorne Muchachos, Bridgemen, Crossmen) all were outed by others. In the case of SCV, their Corps Director at the time ( Gail Royer and a Founder of DCI itself with 5 others ) found out about it after prelims performance  ( 2 Brits marched overage with forged documents ),. Royer went himself to DCI Officials, told what he just found and that the 2 were already set packing and on a plane home by him. DCI Officials  decided SCV coming forth themselves with that info was exculpatory and ruied SCV not DQ'ed for Finals participation. SCV then went out on Finals Night and won the'89 DCI Championship.  The decision by DCI officials for the way SCV was assessed compared to the others for similar violation was accepted by many... but not by all..So I  suppose it could be put in the " controversial " non show performance category as well.

The problem was that, knowingly or not, SCV made final with overage members.  
My remedy would have been allowing them to complete in finals, but they would need to perform first on Saturday night.  

[Boss Anova]

4 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

The problem was that, knowingly or not, SCV made final with overage members.  
My remedy would have been allowing them to complete in finals, but they would need to perform first on Saturday night.  

Never thought of that possible sanction  … but I like it .  NCAA will not allow any further participation in its NCAA Tournaments  in any sport if a school  knowingly or even unknowingly utilized an ineligible player . They will make all games played with such ineligible players that season forfeited , and fines and scholarship reductions imposed . That  said , others might in response say “ DCI is not the NCAA” ( or other youth sport amateur leagues for that matter  ) and of course that’s true too. .

Edited February 2, 2025 by Boss Anova

[Boss Anova]

6 hours ago, verzephobe said:

 NM

[Jurassic Lancer]

17 hours ago, Boss Anova said:

 OK, so It was not a " show design ", but it sure as heck qualifies as " controversial", and the Corps was out of the competition field ready to perform before audiences, so theres that I suppose. As such,  I never saw anything like it, before or since... and I was a live witness to it, as I was there as a marcher in a Corps in this Championships . ( but not in this Corps ). What was it ? Where ? When ?

  August. 1966 VFW National Championships. At the time, VFW Nationals  considered by most the de facto national championship pre DCI.  The venue was Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey. Finals Night. Top 12 to perform... or so most thought.

 Long story short, I.C. Reveries, Revere Ma.  believed they should have been allowed in to compete  on Finals Night as VFW  Nationals organizing event officials took the extraordinary and unprecedented decision at the time to allow the 13th place prelims Corps ( Racine Explorer Scouts, Wisc.) in to perform compete on Finals Night. I.C. Reveries also believed they were underscored in prelims with the prelims  judging panel, and wanted another assessment by the finals panel.

 So, the I.C. Reveries, that finished 14th in prelims went into the stadium, went on to the starting line ( where all Corps at the time started their shows)... and proceeded to sit down there and in effect with that display of protest,,were stating that they would not leave their " protest sit in demonstration " unless they too were allowed to perform, compete, and be scored with the other 13 there on Finals Night. For context of that time, civil rights organizers were utilizing " sit in " protests in  several cities to advance their cause. As you can  just imagine then, VFW officials at this show were not too happy with this spectacle before them, and even most in the audience seemed  not quite sure of what to make of it, or even if arrests might be made of Corps adults with... gulp... the calling of the local police in as some feared might even happen.  But after about 15-20 minutes of mostly quiet  with stunned disbelief in the stadium,  and  with VFW officials huddling,  it was determined, then announced that the I.C.Reveries would be allowed to perform,, but would not be scored by the judges  .So the Corps got up, put their shakos back, got their instruments ready to go and then performed to mostly subdued, but nevertheless polite, appreciative applause for the performance.  Below is a picture of the Corps that was in Drum Corps publication at the time.    The action by the corps was so "controversial " back home however, that the parish priest/ pastor immediately disbanded the Corps affiliation with his Church as a sponsor upon their return from Championships . That likewise " controversial" decision by the Parish priest seemed to have been met with about an equal  mix there  of approval, disapproval,and sadnes if I recall.

   

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I will also note, that the parish backing out of sponsoring the corps was the impetus for the founding of the 27th Lancers.  

[Boss Anova]

12 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I will also note, that the parish backing out of sponsoring the corps was the impetus for the founding of the 27th Lancers.  

 True . The Corps Director for the IC. Reveries , Revere, Ma and the later 27th Lancers, Revere Ma  were one and the same Corps Director …(  George Bonfiglio )