Nationals Location "Pool"
 

With an announcement promised for this Thursday, November 14th on the location / date of nationals lets get the bets going on where the 2003 FIRST Robotics National Championship Event will be. There is no price for this pool because there isn't one, but the winners and prizes are as follows: (All prizes will be delivered at Nationals, if you aren't there then we'll figure it out)

1st Prize: Guessing the location of the event within 10 miles of the announced location. Prize : TBD.

2nd Prize: Guessing the city that nationals will be in. Prize: My Purple and Gold Cheesehead (Multiple winnners will get something else).

3rd Prize: Guessing the State: Prize: 24 Pack of Mountain Dew.

4th Prize:Guessing the area of the country (west, southwest,southeast, midwest, east) Prize: Eleventy-Billion Dollars.

Let's get the bets rolling:

My Prediction (recently shifted by comments): Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA

Hmm...from reading all the posts in the rumor forum i'll say

Houston, Texas, USA, southwest, somewhere around the AstroDome


:)

First Prize can be some random piece of junk from my room. A toy, most likely, but maybe a piece of computer hardware.

<edit>
Oh yeah... My guess is... umm... my house? (The Gold Hotel is invite only, sorry.)
</edit>

Since Anahime is chosen, I'll go for

Epcot- Buena Vista, Florida.

i';d say california, somewhere in LA

Disney...has it on lock

-Joe

Bellaire Texas

Yah I say Epcot center. The handicap parking lot. Beuna Vista, Florida. In 2 tents and an ampitheater. On astro turf.

Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas. I've been pulling for it for the past few weeks. Might as well make it my official opinion.

Disney.

WDW or DL?

Neither. Euro Disney! lol

My official guess is Legoland California, just cause I want to go there! :D

Disney's California Adventure

Whenever I make guesses based upon an outcome completely out of my hand, I tend to fail horribly. Usually, the most common guess ends up being the correct one. In this case, the common guess is houston, TX. However, the guess that makes the most sense can sometimes be the correct one. With that said, I am still clueless as to where the nationals will be.. the options in my mind:

-Texas: Reliant Astrodome, or Reliant Stadium
-California: Anaheim Convention Center
-Arizona?
-West Edmonton Mall?
-Florida: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios (heh..)

At the end of it all, I am going with the Reliant Astrodome@Houston, TX

Somewhere in the Reliant Complex in Houston.

Well... I'm gonna have to go aganist everything I've heard and say

Gillette Stadium, Boston

Well since I really don't know... I think all places should be treated equally I will go with one not mentioned yet in this thread..... USA..... Northeast..... New Hampshire...... Manchester..... Verizon Arena

..... just a guess

Somewhere in new england,

Manchester NH


Verizon Wireless Arena


Hey we can alwasy hope

The Big Kahuna speaks!
 

I too predict the Houston Astrodome.

I also predict we will see Dean in a cowboy hat on a segway.

I also predict that Woody will be there.



For my prize if I win I choose a free team registration for rookie team 1089. If I lose you get a free hawaiian shirt if you can find me at the Nationals.

Are we on for the bet Mr. Q.?


WC



:cool:

WDW

Go Soarin' Over California!!!!

AND YES, I'VE RIDDEN IT!!!!

I don't know why, but this location just "came" to me.... Atlanta, Georgia....

Tom

So a consensus seems to be that LA (anaheim) would be a good place. Well, bein a native and all, i'm pretty sure it won't happen. So i made a bet against the tigerbolters that it will be anywhere but LA/OC. Guess i spoke a little too soon, cuz i offered to cook dinner for anyone who was willing to bet against me. Didn't think there'd be so many.

I'm going to have to jump on the bandwagon. It will be in Houston, Texas; at Reliant Sports Complex.

can't hurt to take a wild guess...

(Graceland!)

nah.. gotta be someplace exotic enough..

I'm thinkin' a big change- New York NY or even better- the city of Brotherly Love!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...at either the First Union Centre (X-games were hosted there) or the Convention Center

To the winner, I'll give them a box of computer parts. Most of them are probably broken but they make excellent frisbees of death! :D

Re: The Big Kahuna speaks!
 

This is entirely possible, as I actually purchased Dean a nice, quality cowboy hat when he was here once promoting the Houston regional. So he has a cowboy hat, unless he's managed to lose it somewhere in that palace he calls a house.

Just to be different
 

OK, I previously guessed Houston - Reliant Center about a week ago... but, just to be different...

San Antonio, Texas... Six Flags Fiesta... University of Texas, San Antonio area.

Andy B.

I've got it- The Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ. It seems like a fairly large facility, and it's got an arena and a domed baseball stadium nearby.

So... Ricky...

Are you gonna pull a Joe Johnson on us? :) ;)

Astrodome- Houston, Texas!!

yeah!! we should host it there, thats an awesome mall, better than epcot

Seattle, Washington.

Just to be different. :)

- Katie

Newport, Rhode Island

Epcot, FL, USA
or at least some place within 4 hours driving distance from Jacksonville

It'll be back and Epcot. And if not there it'll be in Atlanta.

Dean's house

Re: The Big Kahuna speaks!
 

Maybe, If I can find $5000 :-p....I'll take the shirt though :cool:

We can all hang at Deans house. I call the libraray!!! :D

Although I would like it to be in any stadium or building in Hawaii - I'll bet it is going to be in the convention center in Chicago. I am surprised no one has suggested New York City.

Just for amusement, lets guess the date too....

Location
 

I think that it will be in houston at the place where all the arenas are. I can't think of the name tho.
Thats my 2 cents
shrey
kam_shah@msn.com

Ummm... lets see... Woodie Flowers in the library with the INNOVATION FIRST control box.

It would be cool to see it in Philly at the First Union Complex, but that will never happen(it was good for the X-Games, why not FIRST?)

so my guess is... somewhere in the continental US, Ummm...south of the Mason-Dixon Line(huh, what do you know, my last name is Dixon, that has Dixon in it...), on the eastern side of the rocky mountains, below the 35th parallel (thats north of the equator), and somewhere near or in a large US city. that could be Houston, WDW, Atlanta,...

(i got them all covered)

-Ian
whose gonna win with his extremely broad answer. (hey i should get something for that nice geography work i did...)

I'm in for Chicago Illinois. As far as venue, i'm not sure, so I'll just say the McCormick Place(autoshow place, etc).

April 24, 25, 26 2003.(you can almost be sure on that date.) thats around the same weekend they held it last year. (btw my birthday is April 25 so bring presents to nats if it is held on my guess)

I hope it isn't April 24-26. That's during our district's Spring Break. It could be quite difficult to get our team together to go to Nationals then. Of course, the weekend before that is bad, too (Easter), and APs come the next week (I think).

so what if nats are during your spring break...*checks school calendar*DOH! my school has spring break that week also... but like i said earlier, my birthday is the 25. you would be getting out of school anyway . it doesnt really matter just as long as you are having fun.

At Epcot, the Day Mission:Space opens!!!

I guess that those reasons lead to my guess of the 24th to the 26th

But the point is to miss as much school as possible! Nats during spring break takes that away.... :mad:

Want to know how many people come to WDW for Spring Break over that period? LOTS. I mean the 4th buisest time of the year there.

true but as someone said the weekends surrounding that wouldnt work...

Remember Ricky, I was saying that before you were, and have logs to prove it.

Disneyland/across the street.
<edit>
Credit:
M first talked about the Convention center first, but I was WDL even before that.
</edit>

Wetzel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Logs are a marvelous thing.

I remember bragging about how I missed 12 days of school (last year)- but I sure hope it doesn't happen this year.. if i miss even one day of a class I'm screwed- it'd be nice if nats were during spring break...


those darn colleges that put too much emphasis on junior years in high school...

Ok I'm going to go out on a limb and name a place nobody else has named yet Boston, Mass for a return to the northeast. Site being held at Bayside Expo Center. My main reason being is that I think FIRST is looking for more publicity and Boston might be able to do that in Boston. Bayside Expo Center just recently held Pro Tour Boston for the Magic the Gathering card game in which thousands went to that event so I don't see why the usual set up wouldn't work in Boston. Only thing that worries me is the out of state people driving in Boston goodluck and when you cross the street and you see the car coming run back to the sidewalk because that car isn't stopping.

chicago, illinois
Near the United Center
Midwest

I have heard a lot mentioned about a dome, so my guess is the dome - the Skydome in Toronoto

My guess is the Universal Studios in Florida.

As long as water is on earth, it won't be there.

And click here for where it really is. (Look for the tents for the nats!)

FIRST still has location listed as "USA" on the 2003 Competition Page, plus if it was in Canada, our school board would not let us go, and most likely other school boards won't let their teams go



<edit>
My choice still stands: The Astrodome in Houston, Texas from the 24th to the 26th of April
<edit>

You never know....it may be at Universal Studios. US FIRST is crazy enough to do it, they've done crazier stuff before. I'm talking from experience. "As long as there's water on earth..." is obtuse and you don't know the fact for sure about the location.

that is really cool! can you really see the tents or are you full of it??:D


my vote is for HOTLANTA!!

Why?

Well, considering it is a different country, it would be much more difficult for most of the people involved. As I would guess you need Passports or something similar, plus, just getting the school board to let you out of state for overnight is hard enough.

However, I could be wrong, I know that some of the teams from the US do go to the Canadian regionals, so how about a primary source?

I heard this last year, so im not sure if it is still in effect, but basically it was all a result of 9/11.

Ahhh...that makes sense.
I still like to think that if nationals were in Canada, we'd be going with the school board's blessing.

yes yes...
 

Yes, Jeff i know :p , if its that location I will forefit my 1st prize to you :cool:

Look at the top right when comming down. What do you see? The pits and Enstien! LOOK IT'S THERE!

If that was the reason FIRST chose where it is going to hold the nationals, then it would be a toss up between a New York location and one in Silicon Valley (erm.. California somewhere). We'll find out in about 17 hours or so..

Yah I saw it too he is right

Pause the animation at 30 seconds. and you will see it

Universal Studios, Orlando, FL.

Would anyone care to explain why they'd be setting up tents in November for an event that's taking place in April?

Thanks.

You know that IS a previous photo from March 2000. Hence why Horizons is still there

Well, the pool's kind of pointless now.
http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/chevents.htm
:eek:

I don't think there will be nationals next year

Nice try ...
/me points out the @ in the URL.

What kind of fool did that?

Well, I guess it's not at WDW...

It said no EPCOT. Very differnt situation. We still have the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland California.

Hmmm...True. However the fact that they say they couldn't work out anything with WDW to return to Epcot seems to imply to me it's gonna be somewhere else.

The fact that they are trying to make hotel arrangements and food arrangements says outright that it will not be at WDW/MGM/Epcot at all. If it were, they would have us stay at the hotels that Disney provides.

Houston sounds nice, but Houston already has a regional. Isn't that a little redundant?

Disney is out?
 

Reading between the lines I see several key phrases in the FRC teams letter from this morning

1. we tried to work with Disney --- aka: tried and failed

2. we are looking to assure that the nationals will be the same quality event they have always been - aka we wouldn't be worrying about this if it was Disney and are looking to find something as good or better

Couple that with Dean's publicity yesterday on 60 Minutes on CBS and not on ABC (the Disney owned network) and I see Disney saying adios to FIRST. We haven't seen the supposed Disney movie either. So ideas that somehow this will move to another Disney venue are probably not realistic.

All this may be so much paranoia but here in the NJ area the word on the street is the Houston Astrodome and convention center. The source of this rumor is very high up and may be a deliberate deception to throw us all off. But the more we get strung along waiting for some news of the nationals the more I see stetsons in our future.

I would still like to see FIRST work with Disney but a rift there isn't the end of the world. FIRST is not the party- its the people. We can have a great competition no matter where we hold it. But they had better move quickly or the airfares will be going up. We have enough challenges building the machine and such that we don't need to deal with more uncertainty and last minute improvisations.

WC

:cool:

Redundant? How the heck can nationals be redundant? I mean, I could understand how having more than one regional in a city could be redundant.. but it's nationals for Heaven's sake. One of a kind, original, only comes once per year. I don't think it can be redundant.

I think you'd just be jealous if it came to Houston cause then we'd have two events... :D

Technically...it never said it wouldn't be in Epcot. It just said that we 'heard' it won't be there. :D They didn't really say it was definitly not in Epcot :P (Hey...ya never know)

I'm going with atlanta georgia, prolly the olympic areas.

Or that they were the first city to adopt Segways.

That makes perfectly good sense!

Yes they did.

"Many of you may have heard that FIRST will not be holding The Championship at Epcot in 2003. FIRST and Walt Disney World worked diligently to come up with a date that would allow us to return to Epcot but several factors simply worked against us."

http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/CMPannouncement.htm

Wetzel
~~~~~~~~~~~
/me knows where everything is...

"FIRST and Walt Disney World worked diligently to come up with a date that would allow us to return to Epcot but several factors simply worked against us."


Which basically says that FIRST is doing 1 of 2 things right now:

1. Last minute saving of relations with disney

2. Working on getting packages and location for alternate site



Back to sqaure one in this debate....

Why me? Why? I can't stand it. I'll be up for hours refreshing the site.

:(

Oh mama...

I am suddenly reminded of a song I much enjoy...

Tori Amos - Don't Make Me Come To Vegas

I don't plan on going there, anyway, but I just thought it was pretty indicative of my stance, and funny at the same time.

Personally, because of earlier things that FIRST has said about working out packages including accomodations, entertainment, etc., I think it's safe to say that it's not anywhere at WDW. If we were still there, Disney would be making all the package arrangements again.

Orlando has a regional too, so what?
Central Florida Regional, Orlando, FL

NYC has a regional, but that was suggested,
New York City Regional, New York, NY

CA has several regionals, but it has been suggested too...
Sacramento Regional, Sacramento, CA
Silicon Valley Regional, San Jose, CA
Southern California Regional, Los Angeles, CA

/me wants to go to Vegas!

Atlanta could work...

or Charleston (prolly not)
or Charlette (prolly not again)

I'm going with...
 

The number 1 smallest town in america....

1. Hoot Owl, Oklahoma: 0 citizens

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/magaz...,00.html:cool:

im gonna have to vote houston, a lot of people i know are saying that it might be there. i would rather disney, but the politics behind it are already well known with people joining just for disney. but anywayz, houston would be different, might even be better. i dont think anything will ever compare to disney though. championships will never be the same if it isnt held at disney.

Some clues
 

It could be anywhere, but think about it:
1. need enough space for us all
2. need enough hotel rooms
3. place to unwind after the competition
4. lots of food
5. not in a desert
6. not in a city

So think about these questions and then pick a place where it would make sense. That is the only way to find the perfect place for all of us.:cool: :) :cool:

Safety glasses save lives!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to go with the Great Carnack (he's never wrong) and say the Reliant Complex in Houston, TX.