Corps Placements in Atlanta

[HockeyDad]

Comparing the Atlanta placements with 2005 Finals, it struck me that the same corps are in the same groupings:

The top 15 are the same corps;

The top 5 are the same;

6-10 are the same;

11-15 are the same

Within each group the order is slightly different, with the only significant change (more than 2 places) being Cadets and Madison. I know things don't change dramatically, but it surprised me how little movement there has been this year. Makes 2002 look like total chaos (Cascades and Magic in; Madison out of the top 12).

This must be what the directors want (??). It's their litterbox, and they make the rules. Seems a little boring to me, and I would think frustrating for folks like Greg Orwoll, a real gentleman who truly runs a class organization in Dubuque. (and I have no ties to the Colts whatsoever, but have been to their home show and was really impressed)

[gottalovit]

Makes 2002 look like total chaos (Cascades and Magic in; Madison out of the top 12).

When you think about that year, it was even more unusual. Cascades were in their first year of DI, Magic came back from 2 years without fielding a corps, and Spirit also made top 12 that year after more than a decade of being out of the top 12. Knocking out Madison(1st time in over 20 years) Crown(1st time out of top 12 since going DI)and Colts

This year I think we are seeing better quality shows out of everyone, but when you look at those groups of 5 corps each, you see levels close in comparison. It seems like it is harder to move up every year. So I can see those groups staying close to the same from last year to this year.

[ssorrell]

This must be what the directors want (??). It's their litterbox, and they make the rules. Seems a little boring to me, and I would think frustrating for folks like Greg Orwoll, a real gentleman who truly runs a class organization in Dubuque.

Why would you think that the directors want stagnation? Surely you don't think that corps like Spirit or the Colts are happy sitting in the same position that they find themselves in year after year. I'm sure anyone could guess that Spirit would much rather be inching up the ladder and stop sitting on the fence in 12th place, that the Colts would rather be firmly in the top 12 rather than barely missing, and that SCV would rather be in the hunt for the title every year like their predecessors. The directors make the decisions early in the season to put together a staff and a program that they think will allow them to compete better, but they can't control the competition. Some director's choices work out better than others, allowing the corps to see improved competitiveness, while others choices might not pan out as well. By the time the staff figures out that their choices might have not been as strong as they had hoped, it's too late to change.

Most everyone would agree that this year the corps, especially those corps in the 9th -15th place range, have stepped it up. Spirit is much improved over last year, so one would think that they would have seen greater results in competition, but alas...EVERY corps in their pack also made great strides too. The bar just keeps getting raised, and not by only a corps or two, but by a dozen of them. The result? Competition remains somewhat stagnant, with the same corps battling it out each year, but that certainly doesn't mean that those corps haven't done what they thought they needed to do to shake things up...because they did.

There are plenty of class organizations in drum corps that have never been in the Saturday night show at championships. Class doesn't win. It is an admirable quality no doubt, but it's not on any judge's sheet. Sure, I'd like to see directors of well run corps be rewarded for their efforts, but those guys have got to do what all other directors and staffs do...find the right combination of staff and design that will propel the corps into the direction that they desire.

Of course, there are other factors too. Corps with bigger budgets sit at the top. You'll find that as you go down the competitive ladder, corps' budgets decrease. (There are few exceptions of course, this is a general observation...Spirit, for example, has one third the budget that the Cavies have). When corps in the middle to lower end of the pack have the ability to throw more money into their organization, then they can expect to start crossing into the next tier. And I can tell you from years of experience that changing an organization's financial status is not easy. It's sad that money rules the roost, but as in so many other things in our society, that's the way it is.

In short, every corps wants to improve. No one wants to be where they were last year, except for one corps...the champion. When everyone improves at nearly the same pace, the competition doesn't change.

What will cause the next big shake up? Who will find that right mix that will get them where they want to be? Who will find the resources that will give them the tools that they need to move? Bluecoats have slowly found their way from the middle tier to the top. Who's next?

Edited August 2, 2006 by ssorrell

[Tone Quality Matters]

Comparing the Atlanta placements with 2005 Finals, it struck me that the same corps are in the same groupings:

The top 15 are the same corps;

The top 5 are the same;

6-10 are the same;

11-15 are the same

Within each group the order is slightly different, with the only significant change (more than 2 places) being Cadets and Madison. I know things don't change dramatically, but it surprised me how little movement there has been this year. Makes 2002 look like total chaos (Cascades and Magic in; Madison out of the top 12).

This must be what the directors want (??). It's their litterbox, and they make the rules. Seems a little boring to me, and I would think frustrating for folks like Greg Orwoll, a real gentleman who truly runs a class organization in Dubuque. (and I have no ties to the Colts whatsoever, but have been to their home show and was really impressed)

I think you will see allot of placement swaps finals week. Quarters, Semis, and finals