Looking at their website, it appears their 2003 operating schedule is still listed as TBD. Which could mean, among other things, that a time for it to be open could be considered under the "entertainment" portion of the package which FIRST is trying to negotiate...

perhaps.... the Space Center will be entertainment for us if in Houston?

So we all know that is is Houston (from the radio show), but FIRST won't admit it (I tried calling them, and they said the location was still TBD). This is like when Disneyland started building a Winnie the Pooh ride in full view of the public, but didn't actually admit that they were building anything at all for almost six months.

Space Center Houston, while entertaining, is a 30 min or so drive from the astrodome complex. Thus, it could be ok for after hours entertainment, but won't help you out during the day. Really, Astroworld is the only option that's close enough for during the day entertainment. Unless you don't mind team members and chaperones completely abandoning the team for hours at a time....

I didn't know the entertainment was for during competition hours.... I thought it was only for post-competition hours. I know as a driver, I would not be at all pleased if members of my team were at a source of 'entertainment', and not watching one of our robots' matches, or doing their scouting assignments.:(

Just one more nail in the coffin. I checked the FIRST website looking to reserve hotel rooms for a regional. I then checked for hotel rooms for the Nationals. The meeting place has hotels listed (but no dates or rates). All the hotels listed are in Houston. Check this out.
http://www.meetingcompany.com/tmc-bi...gen#JWMarriott

After you click the link - go to the top of the page and select "FIRST Championship" as the event.

Yeah, good work sully!!

It says under each hotel under the "FIRST Championship" Catagory, "X amount of miles from Reliant Park"

Hint at Championship Date?
 

This is ALL pure speculation, but....

After a brief glance at the Meeting Company website, it seems the hotel payment cutoff dates for the regional competitions are, on average, about three weeks before the actual competition dates. If we assume the same holds true for the Championship, then......

the average cutoff date of 3/17/03 listed for the Championship Event hotels in Houston would place the actual date of the competition on or around......

4/10/03

But this brings up another, perhaps more important issue - the cutoff dates listed are all before the last two weeks of regionals take place!

If these dates are valid (maybe they are for the 4/3 Lone Star Regional and the Championship cutoffs have yet to be posted...), and the current qualification system remains intact, wouldn't this make it rather difficult/impossible for teams who qualified for the championship during the last two weeks to find accomodations via the FIRST-sanctioned provider?

This brings up the biggest question I have of all......

Given the point I made above, the apparent massive size of the Reliant complex, the proximity of the rumored 4/10 Championship date to the date of the last regional week, and the length of time it's taking FIRST to make an official announcement........

Could they be planning to do away with qualifying entirely and open up the Championship Event enrollment to EVERYONE this year?

I know that many of the odd-numbered teams who were shut out last year might be initially upset if this were to happen, but I think after they realize that A.) they'll still be going this year, and B.) more teams = bigger event = more people = more positive exposure for the FIRST program, I think they just might be receptive to the idea.

But who knows what will happen? I certainly don't. We'll all just have to wait and see.

wow...
 

wow, great detective work, you found the
"smoking gun."

Nice job Sully.

:)

Re: Hint at Championship Date?
 

My oh my, that would be interesting. That place appears big enough to hold 500 or so teams, that's for sure. This may be the reason for the delay... or who knows, maybe not.

But... we can dream, for now.

I can see it now...

4 equally grouped, 125-team divisions

40,000 screaming FIRSTers

A requirement that each team must donate 2 people as "volunteers" to help run this mammoth thing

Lots of FIRST-labeled water

They say that everything is big in Texas, why not the Championships?

Good idea, Travis!

Andy B.

That would be great to invite all teams, and I really hope it would happen, but I think FIRST is going to keep the qualification system up to balance out from last year. Also they (pretty certain now) have a new venue for the event, if they start with a smaller event, they will know if they can handle more people next year.

So did you notice that the room rates are still not listed? Might that also be one of the things that is still being negotiated?

Announcment
 

Just talked to FIRST about an unrelated issue and they said the official announcement would be today.

Cabin Fever
 

I just heard from a good source that the Championship won't be in Houston as we've suspected.

Instead, we can all expect luxurious accomodations in Vail, Colorado, complimentary ski rentals and lift tickets for our teams, and gift certificates for snooty, high-class shopping, too!

Everyone always talks about a water-based field. . .well, snow is water based!

;)