Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We have a strange sort of rivalry in First. Rather than tearing down the other teams we challenge them to become better so in part we have to become better. It is a fragile chemistry. I would hate to see it degrade into some of the more notorious sports rivalries we see out there.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

My old team's school (Wheeler high School) has a rivalry with your school, but I think it's one sided.

As far as rivalries are concerned, 1648 likes to think of 1002 as long rivals because of similar performance in both FIRST and other robotics programs. Just some friendly ones though as motivators to get our team to improve.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I'll echo the comments about "friendly" rivalries being common, and rivalries with true animosity being relatively rare. There are a few, but it typically stems from mentors who dislike each other and usually doesn't directly impact too many students.

As for all this talk of 67 v 1114 being the most storied rivalry in FRC... hogwash I say! That's one terrifically entertaining match-up with a lot of recent history, but it's got nothing on Wildstang and Beatty.
Here's a partial list of their on the field meetings. A lot of it has been lost to the dusts of history. The fact that both attend Midwest virtually every year adds to the rivalry, whether they end up meeting against each other in the elims or not.
2011 Midwest SF
2008 Midwest QF
2006 Midwest F
2006 Newton SF
2004 Archimedes QF
2002 Midwest F
2001 West Michigan F
2001 Einstein F

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We did win Midwest in 2005 together though!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

And Midwest 2001.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I was on 766 (Menlo-Atherton) and was on the school's lacrosse team. There was never a time 766 had a rivalry with 254 (Bellarmine). There was a rivalry between the two schools Lacrosse teams, a pretty intense one. I am pretty sure the two schools never had a Track and Field rivalry. In fact I never seen a bitter rivalry between schools in track events. I think FIRST and track event share the same ethos when is come to rivalries, that they are friendly because we all seek to better ourselves together.

I have a theory that many cases of un-GP behavior stems from bitter school rivalries and an ignorance customs and traditions at FIRST events. From my perspective, these un-GP behavior would tolerable (perhaps barely) at a football or basketball game but completely out of line in track meet, chess tournament, robotics event and etc. I am sure it more complicated then that. I suppose to "boo" a school one day at a basketball game and to come to a robotics event and see the same school; it would not be far to stretch that an individual could mistakenly interpret what would be acceptable behavior.

The application of this is that I make sure my students know what is acceptable behavior, that rivalries are to be friendly and give them comparable examples that they could relate too. I might be stretching this topic a bit, I guess all I am saying I really hope none of my students will ever try to imitate a "sixth man club" at a robotics event.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

The two things that greatly mitigate rivalries in FIRST are probably

a) rivalries are usually seeded on fanbase vs. fanbase levels based on geography or similar levels of success on the field. In most cases, FIRST teams do not attract massive followings of a thousand townspeople to all events, and if they do, it's probably because there is one FIRST team between two rivaling high schools.

b) Self-interest in the alliance system requires teams to at least put on their happy faces around teams that could pick them for alliance selections, when the matches really count. If East High and West High build the best two robots, the smart move would be to pick each other and wipe the floor instead of risking it over pride.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Even if this isn't a "rivalry" because it doesn't go both ways, everyone has teams that they really want to beat. Whether it is for some off the field reason, or just because they always have great robots, you just want to do whatever it takes to beat them. As long as there are no hostilities towards teams, it's a good thing because it serves as motivation to better yourselves as a team. (And it feels really great when you do beat them.)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

This.

My team wants to beat your team. But my team wants your team to be at full strength, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to help you get there.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

The one rivalry that I think everyone is forgetting is Everyone v.s. 2056. No offense to OP, but I think everyone wants to see them lose a regional at some point! They almost lost when they came to FLR in 2011 (if only 340 had hung the last tube or gotten their minibot to go!) I think that is everyone's secret rivalry.

With that being said, no one wishes anything bad on 2056. We all want to see what robot they come up with this year. However, we all want to beat them at a regional at some point ;)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Oh man...that'd be historic. To be able to go on CD with a siggy saying "I captained the alliance that handed 2056 their first ever Regional loss"...new goal for the year. First, however, gotta get my butt over to a Canadian Regional, or convince their collective butts to come down to Kansas City. ::rolleyes:: I'm a huge 2056 fan, even more so than I am a fan of 1114!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

While we're talking about 2056...
NOPE! Biggest rivalry in Canada is 1114 vs 2056.

Seriously. Sure, they team up when they can, but that doesn't discount the months these two teams spend every year working to outdo each other. And there are no two teams that I know that compete harder than when they are on opposite ends of the field. Nobody puts as much effort into beating 2056 than 1114 ;)

I know GTR West got talked about a lot, but seriously, just look at IRI. The past two years the real fire show has been in the semifinals:

2012. 1114 + 2826 + 4334 + 245 beat 2056 + 341 + 148 + 2168, goes on to win IRI. There's an eerie resemblance to the Archimedes finals where 3 of the most reliable triplers can't pull one off.

2011. 2056 + 33 + 217 + 359 top 1114 + 67 + 987 + 1732, goes on to win IRI. These matches were so close that it came down to a missed 1114 ubertube, the first time it happened all season.

And yet literally moments after being eliminated by their BFF, these guys are chatting it up, and generally poking fun at each other. That's what I call frivalry.

EDIT Fixed a silly mistake with the team numbers. D'oh!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I believe you mean 4334.

Heck, if 'Co-opertition' can become a word, we should be able to make 'frivalry' one too. Copyright it if we have to ;).

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

you clearly havent gone to any of the events in new england, there are multiple different rivalries up here.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Rivalries are considered to be against the policy of GP, and because GP is FIRST's largest philosophy, I see no need for rivalries. And the rivalries also create tons of drama, take the college football world for example, and FIRST does not need to be like that. FIRST is its own wonderful program that does not need to aspire to be like any other organization or program.