Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.



Hi all,

This message was too hot not to post on this Forum.

I am not sure how it happened, but somehow a message
from Dean to a potential supporter of FIRST got BCC'ed
to my mailbox by mistake! Once the genie was out of
the bottle, I just didn't feel right keeping it to my
own group of FIRSTers.

Read it and weep...

Joe J.

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your commitment to sponsor a FIRST
regional in Seattle in 2002. You will not be
disappointed in the return on your investment.

I am extremely excited to hear that you will be
attending the Nationals as a judge in April. Again, I
believe you will find it a worthy investment of your time.

If I must say so, the game we have cooked up for the
FIRST teams this season is the best we have ever
designed. There is a lot to explain, but basically,
the game is played 2 on 2 on a field about the size of
a tennis court. There are 7 HUGE balls on the court,
each about 3 feet in diameter weighing approximately 5
pounds. Of the 7 balls, 3 are blue, 3 are red and the
last one is white. In addition to the 4 robots on the
field (2 playing red, 2 playing blue) and the 7 balls
there is a sort of playground structure at where the
net would be on a tennis court. The structure looks
similar to a multi level fence with ramps and
underpasses that provide various levels of difficulty
in either getting over it or under it depending on
where one tries to cross to the other side.

The primary feature of the structure however mounted to
it's center, right in middle of the field at about eye
level (assuming I am seated in my I-BOT in 2 wheel
mode) is large ball corral that can rotate like a Lazy
Susan.

The object of the game is 3 fold: Get your balls in the
corral, Get your robot off the ground by hanging from
special bars mounted radial from the ball corral, Have
the white ball in the corral with its center on your
side of the field.

We are still working out the exact details concerning
what point values are associate with each of these
feats, but the basic idea will be the same as always;
to make teams unsure of exactly which design path they
need to follow without adding too much confusion to the
untrained fan in the stands.

The game may seem a bit difficult to explain with
words, but rest assured, it is a very simple, yet
exciting game to watch.

I will have more to say when I see you next week. I
will have pictures of the field with me at that time.

Dean

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by aTm at 1/2/2001 11:30 PM EST


Student on team #111, Wildstang, from Wheeling High School and Motorola.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Is this some type of sick-minded prank? Joe! How could you pull such a mind-blowing stunt??! Could there have been a mistake? Is this game legit?? Of course it IS in the rumors forum, why hasn't anyone else questioned the validity or exploded into a rant about the possibilities of the game this year? This game would provide possibly the most intense experience I have ever encountered! I refuse to believe it in that if I believed it, there's no way I would be able to sleep yet alone concentrate in school for the next couple of weeks. Being the doubtfull person I am, I will suffice with, Joe, that is one awesome game, if only it were real.


aTm

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Justin Stiltner at 1/3/2001 1:22 AM EST


Student on team #388, Epsilon, from Grundy High School and NASA, American Electric Power, Town of Grundy.


In Reply to: Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by aTm on 1/2/2001 11:30 PM EST:



: Is this some type of sick-minded prank? Joe! How could you pull such a mind-blowing stunt??! Could there have been a mistake? Is this game legit?? Of course it IS in the rumors forum, why hasn't anyone else questioned the validity or exploded into a rant about the possibilities of the game this year? This game would provide possibly the most intense experience I have ever encountered! I refuse to believe it in that if I believed it, there's no way I would be able to sleep yet alone concentrate in school for the next couple of weeks. Being the doubtfull person I am, I will suffice with, Joe, that is one awesome game, if only it were real.

:
: aTm


Hmmmmmm while I dont think that dean would make that kind of mistake I dont think this game would be a good one (yes it would be good for the challenge of it) but the reason I say it wouldent be good is beacuse of the chance of the robots falling off the ramps and geting SEVERALY broken but more importantly this would be very hard for some teams to build.
just my $0.02

Justin Stiltner
Team #388
Epsilon
Grundy Va,

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Jon at 1/3/2001 3:06 AM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.


In Reply to: Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Justin Stiltner on 1/3/2001 1:22 AM EST:



This would be a neat game... hanging bars off the lazy susan ball corral? imagine the possibilities...

'So then Gompei 2001 extends this arm here, to grab on to the rotating bars... then can compress over here in order to get off the ground... but if it gets in trouble, it can stay on the ground and go into high gear to spin the Susan and keep the bad guys off...'

reminds me a bit of Torroid Terror..
Thanks for getting me in the spirit Joe!

Honesty is the best policy.
 

Posted by Anton Abaya at 1/3/2001 1:49 AM EST


Coach on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



: Hi all,

: This message was too hot not to post on this Forum.

: I am not sure how it happened, but somehow a message
: from Dean to a potential supporter of FIRST got BCC'ed
: to my mailbox by mistake! Once the genie was out of
: the bottle, I just didn't feel right keeping it to my
: own group of FIRSTers.

: Read it and weep...

: Joe J.

: Dear Jeff,

: Thank you for your commitment to sponsor a FIRST
: regional in Seattle in 2002. You will not be
: disappointed in the return on your investment.

: I am extremely excited to hear that you will be
: attending the Nationals as a judge in April. Again, I
: believe you will find it a worthy investment of your time.

: If I must say so, the game we have cooked up for the
: FIRST teams this season is the best we have ever
: designed. There is a lot to explain, but basically,
: the game is played 2 on 2 on a field about the size of
: a tennis court. There are 7 HUGE balls on the court,
: each about 3 feet in diameter weighing approximately 5
: pounds. Of the 7 balls, 3 are blue, 3 are red and the
: last one is white. In addition to the 4 robots on the
: field (2 playing red, 2 playing blue) and the 7 balls
: there is a sort of playground structure at where the
: net would be on a tennis court. The structure looks
: similar to a multi level fence with ramps and
: underpasses that provide various levels of difficulty
: in either getting over it or under it depending on
: where one tries to cross to the other side.

: The primary feature of the structure however mounted to
: it's center, right in middle of the field at about eye
: level (assuming I am seated in my I-BOT in 2 wheel
: mode) is large ball corral that can rotate like a Lazy
: Susan.

: The object of the game is 3 fold: Get your balls in the
: corral, Get your robot off the ground by hanging from
: special bars mounted radial from the ball corral, Have
: the white ball in the corral with its center on your
: side of the field.

: We are still working out the exact details concerning
: what point values are associate with each of these
: feats, but the basic idea will be the same as always;
: to make teams unsure of exactly which design path they
: need to follow without adding too much confusion to the
: untrained fan in the stands.

: The game may seem a bit difficult to explain with
: words, but rest assured, it is a very simple, yet
: exciting game to watch.

: I will have more to say when I see you next week. I
: will have pictures of the field with me at that time.

: Dean


all i can really say is thank you, for being honest. now i can start my thinking box and generate a perfect robot!

-anton

shakey hands... must... control...
 

Posted by Ken Leung at 1/3/2001 2:28 AM EST


Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



I have to say, when I was reading about this 'rules', my hand was shaking and my eyes can't see the screen clearly. What can I say...

Actually, when I came back to my senses, I kind of cool down and think about this. This competition actually seems pretty cool and challenging. But I can not say I really believe this is what the game is going to be. First, this isn't from any official source. Second, this game have too much resemblance to last year's game, well with the balls and hanging. These seems not enough of a challenge for teams who've done last year's game...

Other than that, though, I think this will be an exciting game. robot rushing for the balls, pushing the corral for the white ball score, fighting to get hanging.

I one think I would like to see, though, is a rule similar to the white ball's score, but instead of the white ball is the robot, so your robot hanging on your side of the field (or maybe the other way) will have a multiplier to your score.

I hear you ken...
 

Posted by rebecca at 1/3/2001 3:42 AM EST


Student on team #192, gunn robotics team, from gunn high school.


In Reply to: shakey hands... must... control...
Posted by Ken Leung on 1/3/2001 2:28 AM EST:



boy ken, you were right about this forum being a useful thing! although i too, am somewhat skeptical, its hard to keep from brainstorming... the game seems like a little torroid, a little ladder, and a little crazy....but i guess only time will tell! as if the next three days weren't hard enough already...

Shame on you, Joe!
 

Posted by Mike Gray at 1/3/2001 8:43 AM EST


Engineer on team HOT from Huron Valley Schools sponsored by GM Milford Proving Ground.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



You shouldn't drag the red herrings until after kickoff. Scary machine specs are better sweat generators than game speculation.

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by nick237 at 1/3/2001 10:37 AM EST


Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Are we missing some thing here. The message was a personal comunication between Dean and another, the Email was confidential and should have remained that way. To have read it was unfortunate but to have posted it is possibly an illegal act?
If this had come to me I would have contacted Dean and told him of its misdirection and that I would for the benifit of FIRST keep it confidential for the three days to my self.
Posting it at the time may have seemed like the noble thing to do but we are assuming that every team every where is privy to the Delphi forum and they will see this at the same time as we have.
Sorry joe but it was some thing you should have kept to your self, 'if your wrong' and thats a possibility then you will have done your self, the Delphi forum and FIRST a diservice, and set trust back in a toilet.
Just my 2 cents.
nick237



: Hi all,

: This message was too hot not to post on this Forum.

: I am not sure how it happened, but somehow a message
: from Dean to a potential supporter of FIRST got BCC'ed
: to my mailbox by mistake! Once the genie was out of
: the bottle, I just didn't feel right keeping it to my
: own group of FIRSTers.

: Read it and weep...

: Joe J.

: Dear Jeff,

: Thank you for your commitment to sponsor a FIRST
: regional in Seattle in 2002. You will not be
: disappointed in the return on your investment.

: I am extremely excited to hear that you will be
: attending the Nationals as a judge in April. Again, I
: believe you will find it a worthy investment of your time.

: If I must say so, the game we have cooked up for the
: FIRST teams this season is the best we have ever
: designed. There is a lot to explain, but basically,
: the game is played 2 on 2 on a field about the size of
: a tennis court. There are 7 HUGE balls on the court,
: each about 3 feet in diameter weighing approximately 5
: pounds. Of the 7 balls, 3 are blue, 3 are red and the
: last one is white. In addition to the 4 robots on the
: field (2 playing red, 2 playing blue) and the 7 balls
: there is a sort of playground structure at where the
: net would be on a tennis court. The structure looks
: similar to a multi level fence with ramps and
: underpasses that provide various levels of difficulty
: in either getting over it or under it depending on
: where one tries to cross to the other side.

: The primary feature of the structure however mounted to
: it's center, right in middle of the field at about eye
: level (assuming I am seated in my I-BOT in 2 wheel
: mode) is large ball corral that can rotate like a Lazy
: Susan.

: The object of the game is 3 fold: Get your balls in the
: corral, Get your robot off the ground by hanging from
: special bars mounted radial from the ball corral, Have
: the white ball in the corral with its center on your
: side of the field.

: We are still working out the exact details concerning
: what point values are associate with each of these
: feats, but the basic idea will be the same as always;
: to make teams unsure of exactly which design path they
: need to follow without adding too much confusion to the
: untrained fan in the stands.

: The game may seem a bit difficult to explain with
: words, but rest assured, it is a very simple, yet
: exciting game to watch.

: I will have more to say when I see you next week. I
: will have pictures of the field with me at that time.

: Dean

TechnoKart is debugged and working
 

Posted by Andy Baker at 1/3/2001 11:07 AM EST


Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



After seeing Joe's note late last night, our team got together and started designing this year's TechnoKat Team entry... the TechnoKart.

We worked through the night, and got most of it done.

We also received some advance notice about this year's game, and since we can use any motor we wish, we went ahead and used the motors on hand. It was difficult to find all 23 motors that used the new 24 volt system, but we finally managed!

It sure is nice being a Delphi team and getting all of these advance secret notices!

When I left the shop this morning, Phil Lundberg and Brad Breedlove were arguing over which color to paint our 24 ft. long telescoping extension arm.

Wait until you guys see all of the hydraulics that we can use this year!

Andy B.

ps... and if you believe this (or Joe's original email!), I've got some oceanfront property in Indiana to sell you!

Re: TechnoKart is debugged and working
 

Posted by Andy Grady at 1/3/2001 12:14 PM EST


Other on team #126, Gael Force, from Clinton High School and Nypro Inc..


In Reply to: TechnoKart is debugged and working
Posted by Andy Baker on 1/3/2001 11:07 AM EST:



Andy,
Hey man, those hydrolics are cool! You should see the mechanized coke dispenser we threw on our finished robot (done at 2am this morning) using those same hydrolics! By the way, if you could send me some info on that oceanfront property in indiana i would appreciate it. Im itchin to move out of Clinton, and into the warm tropical weather that Indiana has to offer. (Does the house package come with a technokat jersey?)

cya saturday,
The other Andy =)

Andy, Andy, Andy...
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 1/3/2001 12:19 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: TechnoKart is debugged and working
Posted by Andy Baker on 1/3/2001 11:07 AM EST:



And we were having such fun! You had to go and spoil it all by letting the cat out of the bag with that oceanfront in Indiana reference... ...ah well.

By the way, one thing I was and am very worried about is that I might have accidently hit on any of the actual details of the FIRST game. Who would believe my denials after posting such a message?

But then... Living is a risky business. You have to weigh the odds, place your best bet and roll the dice...

...come on 7's ;-)

Joe J.

We're done! Check out our robot!
 

Posted by Anton Abaya at 1/3/2001 12:02 PM EST


Coach on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



After finding out about this, I called a meeting as well and we've designed the PERFECT ROBOT for this year! check out this link to see our robot model!

http://www.nnyc.com/downloads/wallpa...bender-640.jpg

watch out guys! we're 10 weeks ahead of all of ya! :)

-anton

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!
 

Posted by Andy Grady at 1/3/2001 12:06 PM EST


Other on team #126, Gael Force, from Clinton High School and Nypro Inc..


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Now Joe, im not calling you a liar or anything, but didn't we go through this last year and the year before with the wiffle balls and bowling pins? =) I do like the idea of that game though!
cya,
Andy =)

(still prayin for footballs in 2001)

Lions & Tigers & Bears ....
 

Posted by Raul at 1/3/2001 12:24 PM EST


Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



After a sneak preview of this year's game, we decided to cancel our trip to the kickoff. We also decided the game is too difficult for team 111 and are withdrawing from the competition this year!

Boy, I've been sick for a few days and have not had a chance to participate in these forums. So, what is the first thing I see from Joe when I start looking... well you decide. I must still be delirious.

Nice Try Joe. I did make me smile a bit.

Raul

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Michael Betts at 1/3/2001 12:47 PM EST


Engineer on team #177, Bobcat Robotics, from South Windsor High School and International Fuel Cells.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Joe,

Is it too much to ask for human players with friggin' laser beams coming out of their heads?

Mike ;-)

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Tony K at 1/3/2001 6:12 PM EST


Student on team #292, PantherTech, from Western HS and DaimlerChrysler.


In Reply to: Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Michael Betts on 1/3/2001 12:47 PM EST:



Thanks to the tip, our robot is going to feature seabass... genetically mutated seabass...

-Tony

P.S. - With 3 foot diameter balls, you couldn't really fit them into a 36' by 36' robot, could you?

: Joe,

: Is it too much to ask for human players with friggin' laser beams coming out of their heads?

: Mike ;-)

so THAT's what that was.....
 

Posted by colleen -- T190 at 1/3/2001 2:04 PM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science and WPI.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



The UPS guy showed up the other day with this huge box for me... i opened it up and it was very similar to the balls you described.. must of sent those to the wrong place too...

i didn't say anything cause it looked very similar to those cheesecakes DJ brought to the party.. so I thought it may have been them :-P

Joe-- you sure there was no 'bumps' in the field?!?! :-(

see everyone at kickoff :-)

3rd's the charm ;-)

cheesecake?
 

Posted by Kate at 1/3/2001 3:03 PM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.


In Reply to: so THAT's what that was.....
Posted by colleen -- T190 on 1/3/2001 2:04 PM EST:



Has no one touched them since the party and they've grown that big or something?! What's the dilly, yo?

Y'all did get me to laugh at this though, you sick sick people.. :P

T190 XO
Kate

STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 1/3/2001 11:05 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Wow! I really stepped in it this time.

Please folks STOP CALLING DEAN, FIRST, ETC.

IT WAS A JOKE!

Okay, perhaps it was not a very funny one, but seriously,

#1, would Dean really send me such a message?

#2, even if he did by mistake as the posting claimed,
would I have posted it to the world?

It was meant to be a sort of funny slam on the rumors
that I hear year after year that team X or team Y gets
a heads up on the game. It is just silly.

The secret of the game is safe. You need not contact
the authorities.

Bad joke I guess.

Joe J.

wow....
 

Posted by colleen -- T190 at 1/4/2001 12:01 AM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science and WPI.


In Reply to: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/3/2001 11:05 PM EST:



Maybe Andy B should start taking bids on that waterfront property in Indiana...

I thought it was funny.... ah well...

Re: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
 

Posted by Marjory Stager at 1/4/2001 1:18 AM EST


Student on team #47, ChiefDelphi, from Pontiac Central and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/3/2001 11:05 PM EST:



Hey Joe,

All of us that know you Joe, know that that was just a joke. You or Martus do that every year. I saw it coming. That was a good one. See you Sunday, have fun and be careful.

Marjory
'Frosty'

Re: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
 

Posted by Patrick Dingle at 1/4/2001 12:32 PM EST


Other on team #639, Red B^2, from Ithaca High School and Cornell University.


In Reply to: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/3/2001 11:05 PM EST:



Darn! I guess I'll have to throw out my designs for a flying robot to fly over all the obstacles in the middle... Maybe they will use your game next year.

1 day till kickoff begins!

patrick dingle

Re: I Spoke to Dean today.
 

Posted by nick237 at 1/4/2001 8:54 PM EST


Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.


In Reply to: STOP CALLING DEAN... REALLY!
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/3/2001 11:05 PM EST:



I spoke to Dean Today on the phone, he was good enough to spare me a few minutes out of his very busy day. He confirmed that the Email was a joke and that he enjoyed it very much.
As I had him on the line I thought there was no harm in asking him for any clues that he might wish to pass on about the new game ' one can only ask '.
He declined to spill any info but did inform me that there would be a very special treat planed just prior to the last game in the finals.
Oh said I! would you like to share any info on what it would be but again he declined, he did say it would be very entertainig for the crowd and that it involved a rope and a noose???
I cant wait to see what it could be..... 'can you joe'?
So reserve front row seats as they are going fast, video`s will be available FREE to everyone from the
Sie H20 Bots, just our way of saying thank you.
Nick237




: Wow! I really stepped in it this time.

: Please folks STOP CALLING DEAN, FIRST, ETC.

: IT WAS A JOKE!

: Okay, perhaps it was not a very funny one, but seriously,

: #1, would Dean really send me such a message?

: #2, even if he did by mistake as the posting claimed,
: would I have posted it to the world?

: It was meant to be a sort of funny slam on the rumors
: that I hear year after year that team X or team Y gets
: a heads up on the game. It is just silly.

: The secret of the game is safe. You need not contact
: the authorities.

: Bad joke I guess.

: Joe J.

Re: I Spoke to Dean today.
 

Posted by Jessica Boucher at 1/4/2001 9:06 PM EST


Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.


In Reply to: Re: I Spoke to Dean today.
Posted by nick237 on 1/4/2001 8:54 PM EST:



Nice pic, Nick....was that from your Egypt trip?

-Jessica B, #237

so...?
 

Posted by Kate T190 at 1/5/2001 6:43 PM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.


In Reply to: Re: I Spoke to Dean today.
Posted by nick237 on 1/4/2001 8:54 PM EST:



Who they hangin'? JoeJ for making the joke, or all the people that took him seriously?? ;) :P Only a little over 12 hours until the volunteers hafta be at kickoff.. *sigh*

T190 XO
Kate

Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
 

Posted by Patrick Dingle at 05/14/2001 6:37 PM EST


College Student on team #639, Red B^2, from Ithaca High School and Cornell University.


In Reply to: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/2/2001 10:34 PM EST:



Does anyone have any information about the Seattle regional that is mentioned in this message? We are interested in going to the Seattle regional next year.

Thanks
Patrick

: Hi all,

: This message was too hot not to post on this Forum.

: I am not sure how it happened, but somehow a message
: from Dean to a potential supporter of FIRST got BCC'ed
: to my mailbox by mistake! Once the genie was out of
: the bottle, I just didn't feel right keeping it to my
: own group of FIRSTers.

: Read it and weep...

: Joe J.

: Dear Jeff,

: Thank you for your commitment to sponsor a FIRST
: regional in Seattle in 2002. You will not be
: disappointed in the return on your investment.

: I am extremely excited to hear that you will be
: attending the Nationals as a judge in April. Again, I
: believe you will find it a worthy investment of your time.

: If I must say so, the game we have cooked up for the
: FIRST teams this season is the best we have ever
: designed. There is a lot to explain, but basically,
: the game is played 2 on 2 on a field about the size of
: a tennis court. There are 7 HUGE balls on the court,
: each about 3 feet in diameter weighing approximately 5
: pounds. Of the 7 balls, 3 are blue, 3 are red and the
: last one is white. In addition to the 4 robots on the
: field (2 playing red, 2 playing blue) and the 7 balls
: there is a sort of playground structure at where the
: net would be on a tennis court. The structure looks
: similar to a multi level fence with ramps and
: underpasses that provide various levels of difficulty
: in either getting over it or under it depending on
: where one tries to cross to the other side.

: The primary feature of the structure however mounted to
: it's center, right in middle of the field at about eye
: level (assuming I am seated in my I-BOT in 2 wheel
: mode) is large ball corral that can rotate like a Lazy
: Susan.

: The object of the game is 3 fold: Get your balls in the
: corral, Get your robot off the ground by hanging from
: special bars mounted radial from the ball corral, Have
: the white ball in the corral with its center on your
: side of the field.

: We are still working out the exact details concerning
: what point values are associate with each of these
: feats, but the basic idea will be the same as always;
: to make teams unsure of exactly which design path they
: need to follow without adding too much confusion to the
: untrained fan in the stands.

: The game may seem a bit difficult to explain with
: words, but rest assured, it is a very simple, yet
: exciting game to watch.

: I will have more to say when I see you next week. I
: will have pictures of the field with me at that time.

: Dean

Seattle Regional
 

Posted by Nate Smith at 05/15/2001 2:39 AM EST


College Student on team #66, Frostbite, from Willow Run High School and GM Powertrain.


In Reply to: Re: Misdirected E-mail Unveils 2001 Game 3 Days Early...
Posted by Patrick Dingle on 05/14/2001 6:37 PM EST:



Now here's a thread I hadn't seen in a while...but anyway, I know from my work with FIRST and the Meeting Co. at the two Michigan regionals this year that shortly after Nationals, someone from the Meeting Company was taking a trip down the west coast(Seattle, LA, and then in to Phoenix(?)) to take a look at sites for possible 2002 regionals. Beyond that, I don't know anything personally, and am not sure if FIRST would even have the information yet, and if they did, if they would release it this early...

All that time spent talking to event staff pays off sometimes =)

Nate

: Does anyone have any information about the Seattle regional that is mentioned in this message? We are interested in going to the Seattle regional next year.

: Thanks
: Patrick

Re: Seattle Regional
 

Posted by Matt Leese at 05/15/2001 3:03 PM EST


College Student on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Fiber Technologies & RIT.


In Reply to: Seattle Regional
Posted by Nate Smith on 05/15/2001 2:39 AM EST:



I know that NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is
interested in holding a regional in Annapolis,
Maryland. Also, NASA in Cleveland sent out an email
asking who would attend a regional there. I'm trying
to remember where else I was told that FIRST is
looking to hold regionals but I'm mostly drawing a
blank. I believe they were in the south. BTW, most
of this information comes through someone I know at
NASA and is fairly reliable.

Matt

A Manchester NH Regional PLEASSSSSSSEEEEEEE
 

Posted by David Kelso at 05/15/2001 4:17 PM EST


Coach on team #131, C.H.A.O.S.-, from Central High School and OSRAM SYLVANIA/ Fleet .


In Reply to: Re: Seattle Regional
Posted by Matt Leese on 05/15/2001 3:03 PM EST:



How about getting back to the basics and adding a regional in the middle of FIRSTland. That Civic Center is starting to look close to finished. Since the NE Regional has been filling up so fast, we need one. And if there is not enough room in Hartford, then how can you grow??

Regional Expansion Rule
 

Posted by Andy Baker at 05/15/2001 5:37 PM EST


Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: A Manchester NH Regional PLEASSSSSSSEEEEEEE
Posted by David Kelso on 05/15/2001 4:17 PM EST:



Bob Hammond mentioned to me that one of the rules for starting a new Regional is that it must be partially sponsored by a university, or that a university needed to be very close by.

It makes sense that the focus of FIRST expansion is to tie into universities.

For what it's worth...

I've also heard that there is going to be a Seattle Regional next year, and possibly one in Arizona and St. Louis.

Andy B.

Re: Regional Expansion Rule
 

Posted by Deej- T190 at 05/15/2001 10:34 PM EST


Engineer on team #190, Gompeii, from Mass Academy and WPI.


In Reply to: Regional Expansion Rule
Posted by Andy Baker on 05/15/2001 5:37 PM EST:



I know round here at WPI there has been some serious talk of three regionals for us next year, one being Hartford, two someplace out west (like SoCal or Silicon Valley) and a WPI regional.

Deej


: Bob Hammond mentioned to me that one of the rules for starting a new Regional is that it must be partially sponsored by a university, or that a university needed to be very close by.

: It makes sense that the focus of FIRST expansion is to tie into universities.

: For what it's worth...

: I've also heard that there is going to be a Seattle Regional next year, and possibly one in Arizona and St. Louis.

: Andy B.

Another NE regional.... Worcester????
 

Posted by Patrick Dingle at 05/15/2001 7:26 PM EST


College Student on team #639, Red B^2, from Ithaca High School and Cornell University.


In Reply to: A Manchester NH Regional PLEASSSSSSSEEEEEEE
Posted by David Kelso on 05/15/2001 4:17 PM EST:



I know WPI has seriously been considiring making a regional in Worcester for a couple years now... They certainly have all the facilities to do it... and there is enough in the area that they could probably get enough sponsorship..... Has anyone heard the latest of this possibility?

Patrick

: How about getting back to the basics and adding a regional in the middle of FIRSTland. That Civic Center is starting to look close to finished. Since the NE Regional has been filling up so fast, we need one. And if there is not enough room in Hartford, then how can you grow??

Re: Another NE regional.... Worcester????
 

Posted by Jason Leslie at 05/15/2001 7:31 PM EST


Alumni on team #157, Aztechs, from Assabet Valley RTHS (Class of 1998) and .


In Reply to: Another NE regional.... Worcester????
Posted by Patrick Dingle on 05/15/2001 7:26 PM EST:



Back when I was a senior (1998) my team the Aztechs #157 thought of having a regional at the Centrum Centre in Worcester. I think they talked to some people about it but I guess they were already booked around the time needed. I don't know if it was to be held in the arena or the civic center, but we talked about it at a meeting and said how cool it would be to have it it the arena because there is pleanty of seating that you can see from (no more views blocked) and plenty of room for two fields and a stage in between there is even enough room in the halls out side for the pits.

Jay

Regional in Worcester
 

Posted by Nick at 05/17/2001 3:35 PM EST


Student on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy and WPI.


In Reply to: Another NE regional.... Worcester????
Posted by Patrick Dingle on 05/15/2001 7:26 PM EST:



As of right now there is a very high chance of there being a regional in Worcester. There is one small problem with it is we are still trying to decide how big we want it to be and where it could be. FIRST has shown a strong interest in having a regional in Worcester and I think I remeber hearing from when Deam came to WPI for his speech that they have made an agreement to have a regional in Worcester. There are a few sites that are being looked into. of course WPI but those who have been there might agree it might be a little small for a regional. The other place is the Centrum but the problem there is it cost more to rent then anyone would like to spend plus it would be need for at least 5 straight days. There are a few other places but I don't know. Hopfully there will be one here. Let you all know as soon as we know though. And for those of you going good luck at Battle Cry II and those not going should come check out our 2 vs 2 action.

Re: Regional in Worcester
 

Posted by Justin at 05/20/2001 8:40 PM EST


Alumni on team #146, Blue Lightning, from none and The Blue Lightning Alumni Association.


In Reply to: Regional in Worcester
Posted by Nick on 05/17/2001 3:35 PM EST:



I think it would be foolish to to a regional in Worcester if FIRST is already committed to one @ the new Civic Center in Manchester, NH. Which I think there is a demand 4 two New England Regionals I'd like to see one in NH (where FIRST belongs) and one in the CT area. So a Norther New England Regional and a Southern New England Regional.

Just my thoughts...do with them as you will...

-Justin

Re: Regional in Worcester
 

Posted by Matt Leese at 05/20/2001 9:32 PM EST


College Student on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Fiber Technologies & RIT.


In Reply to: Re: Regional in Worcester
Posted by Justin on 05/20/2001 8:40 PM EST:



Is FIRST actually commited to a regional at the Civic Center in Manchester? I had heard rumors but nothing ever concrete about it.

Matt who still wonders about the Worchester Regional because it doesn't seem all that planned out at the moment...

Re: Regional in Worcester
 

Posted by Kate T190 at 05/20/2001 9:34 PM EST


College Student on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.


In Reply to: Re: Regional in Worcester
Posted by Matt Leese on 05/20/2001 9:32 PM EST:



: Is FIRST actually commited to a regional at the Civic Center in Manchester? I had heard rumors but nothing ever concrete about it.

: Matt who still wonders about the Worchester Regional because it doesn't seem all that planned out at the moment...

HEY! It's Worcester, not WorCHester.. And you're not supposed to pronounce it with a CH!! No respect these days.. :P ;)