Billfred
14-05-2008, 20:58
Coming in on Saturday as a spectator, I did appreciate the gratuitous amounts of parking around the arena. (I'll give them a pass on the traffic flow because of the race going on in the area.) The exterior banners were also a nice touch.
On the down side, the arena floor plan left the event with fewer teams and even less space for them. Aside from the tight surroundings in the pit for both teams and spectators, it also felt like it harmed the depth of the event compared with years past. FRC is not about the robots, but the robots are the hook. The problem, of course, is how do you fit more teams into that arena--I'm not sure if you can without things getting a little intense (or, rather, in-tents).
What felt like a wash to me was the staircases to the floor. They were good for catching safety glasses, but the traffic flow felt awkward. A little more signage at the concourse level might help there.
On the down side, the arena floor plan left the event with fewer teams and even less space for them. Aside from the tight surroundings in the pit for both teams and spectators, it also felt like it harmed the depth of the event compared with years past. FRC is not about the robots, but the robots are the hook. The problem, of course, is how do you fit more teams into that arena--I'm not sure if you can without things getting a little intense (or, rather, in-tents).
What felt like a wash to me was the staircases to the floor. They were good for catching safety glasses, but the traffic flow felt awkward. A little more signage at the concourse level might help there.