Your not understanding the Prediction Topic

[coachsig]

To all drum corp fans who voted or created a prediction, thanks for making your predictions. However, all of us are thinking the same way. Not one of you chose for example, Spirit, Crossmen, Glassmen, Blue Stars, Troopers, Mandarins or Southiwnd besides any of the obvious 6 to win DCI ( Blue Devils, SCV, Cadets, Madison, Cavies or Phantom) I think what I was trying to get all of you to understand or think about is, within DCI there is no parity. Hopefully, Bluecoats can be the next new DCI champion but we will see.

Parity/Equality- The ability that on any given day at any given situation anyone can beat anyone.

Parity is not part of the drum corp activity. We all can agree that we know which of the top 6 could win DCI befroe the season starts. All I am saying, is that it would be nice if everyone had the same chances of winning DCI. It seems that everyone starts out at the same level with Tryouts, Camps and Rehearsals. Working very hard to win the DCI crown. If I know that I am marching, let say Crossmen, my chances of winning DCI are a longshot. No matter how clean, execution perfect, flawlees or mistake free we are, they will never win DCI. Get close, maybe.

I know that we call Drum Corps a sport with physical activity, practice, hard work, dedication and exertion of energy. However in sports, anyone can beat anyone on any given day at any given time. In sports yes there are programs that excell well and maintain program excellence. But that program never wins the championship all the time. For example, The NCAA Men Basketball Champion finally had a repeat this year. First time a repeat champion since DUKE won it in the eary 90's. From that point on there have been at least 10+ different champions.

Now I know you can't tell me I am completely wrong on this topic.

coachsig

[sobe]

Drum Corps isn't baseball, football, soccer, basketball, etc. etc.

Hence why there is no parity.

[Machine]

College football was completely dominated by just a handful of teams for many many years... what changed that to make it a little more even? Scholarship reductions. DCI, however, has chosen to go the opposite direction by raising membership limits. Expect the strongest to get stronger.

[madalumni]

In pro sports, teams are truly going head to head. One player can directly do something to

effect the opposing player's performance. Hence, even a dominant team can lose

a game to a so called lesser team due to turnovers, mistakes, or the other team

simply performing better on that day. This is not the case in Drum Corps. There is really

nothing corps A can do to directly effect the performance of corps B.

Not to mention, corps performances are subjectively judged. Even with highly trained and educated

judges, opinion still weighs heavily on the scores, and it always will. In sports,

it's pretty objective; if you score more goals than the opponent, you win.

To me, that's a big reason why you will never see true parity in drum corps.

Edited June 10, 2007 by madalumni

[Carl306]

Not to be rude, but I don't see the point of this thread. Is it simply a rant, or are you trying to imply that the system itself is flawed? If so, how does the system have any direct impact on the placement of, for example, the Crossmen? If you think that Crossmen should win, then they need to have a championship caliber program with championship caliber performers (I'm not trying to say they don't already, so don't flame me for this please...)

[Chris Scott]

I think your point about parity is interesting.

I think, however, that if you want true parity, you would have all of the different corps playing with all the same instrumentation, playing all of the same music. Then you have truly leveled the playing field to determine who has the best players and teachers.

Then, you have more of an audition and less of a competition. Even still, there is going to be subjectivity. Some would play the piece(s) more rubato, some more allegro, some with unwritten dynamics. And the judges at that point would reward or penalize for the difference.

And even in sports, there is subjectivity. Since you are talking about the The Crossmen, look just across the city to the San Antonio spurs. Tim Duncan get reputation fouls called in his favor consistently. Bruce Bowen gets away with schoolyard fouls all the time. So, even though there are mechanisms in place (Lottery, CBA, etc.) there is still subjectivity variation in place.

Personally, I don't like parity. I think good design, excellent execution, and passion for the activity can create rewards of their own. If you are in the activity simply to get a ring, then you might be in for many summers of unfulfilled joy.

Or, you can audition for corps that consistently win. Then you are defeating your idea of parity.

[oldbandguy]

It seems that everyone starts out at the same level with Tryouts, Camps and Rehearsals.

You're leaving out two very important aspects here...

Not everyone (few) start tryouts, camps, and rehearsals with even close to the same

level of talent or numbers. Parity is shot from day one.

[gellio]

I actually do think the judging system is flawed. Do I agree with the placements handed out? Most of the time. BUT, we never see corps going up a few points or down a few points, from night to night, anymore. Look at 1984. SCV had a BAD prelims show and landed in 4th place, 1.5 down from Phantom. The next night, SCV turned it on and jumped 4 points (to their previous level), besting Phantom by nearly 3 points. That would NEVER happen today. Look at all the close contests we see, and it seems night after night it is the same result - one corps beating the other by tenths. Even Blue Devils, Cadets, and Cavies have off shows, but it is surely never reflected in the scores. If Cavies came out last year, in Semis, and had a bad show, they would have absolutely been within tenths of 1st. I'm not singling out the top corps here, because I think it happens from top to bottom. Last year was thrilling at finals for all the placement changes....but I think that is a rarity today.

Who do I think will win finals this year? Probably BD, Cadets or Cavies. For someone else two win, all of these big boys would have to have an off year, and that is not going to happen. No one else has won since SCV tied BD in 1999. Cavies have been in the top two for the past seven season - why would I think this year would be any different?

[vferrera]

My prediction:

2006 placement +/-2. Every corps. Like it's been for the past 20 years.

[silvertrombone]

gellio, I think you have a very good point. I'd be interested to hear more from you, and others, regarding the scoring stuff you mentioned. I don't ever remember seeing too much of a jump from night to night. Have a bad show, and you can go down a bit. Have a good show and you can take a nice jump. But the judges neither seem to reward a truly monumental LEAP, or penalize a disastrous performance, like we know every corps has during the year. By that, I mean leap or disastrous as defined by each corps based on a number of factors. You all know what I mean--anyone who has ever marched D2/3 has come off the field after a GREAT show totally hyped and raring to go on for the next show RIGHT THEN! And everyone in the top 3 has a performance that just didn't meet what they expected that night, based on their own expectations and where they weree right then in the season.

I think that if there was more room for judges to reward or penalize (for lack of a better word) such performances, you would see more variance in placements. It's almost like the "San Antonio Spurs" effect, aka the "Chicago Bulls" effect in the 90's. The top teams always get some "extra" calls that go their way. I would say that the top corps get the same nod, so to speak.