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Joke time!



Q: What do you get when you cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and a Ford Pinto?



A: A midwestern FIRST robot!



HAHAHAHAHA...oh man, i crack myself up. ;)


Waiting for tomatoes to be thrown,
Andy Grady

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If I laughed, does that make me a tremendous engineering nerd?
I think, yes it does. ;)

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Ok, I love Michigan, and Illinois is ok, but they have to be nice.

But really, We don't have mountains to climb or fun roads to drive on. The most elevation change we have is the bridges over interstates!!!! Maybe thats why our robots are better, nothing else to do!!!!

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Sorry Elyse...4 championships = biiiiig target on your back!!!

Look at it this way though, in all due seriousness...that is one huge sign of respect for such a strong team. Be proud of your roots...they are special.

-Andy Grady

P.S. I did think of one good thing that came out of Indiana...Larry Bird...greatest basketball player of all time.

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- Lost in the Semi's

- 6th seed at AZ previous year, I believe, but drafted by the 1st.

Does anyone hear that? I think it's the sound of Midwest teams pwning ;)

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actually, 7th, but I won't fault you for that. I will fault you for omitting that you lost in the quarterfinals. In fact, both midwestern teams lost in the quarters.

Lets summarize this. #1 seed and lost in the semis this year. Last year #7 seed, chosen 1st, lost in quarterfinals. Didn't win any technical awards either year. Do you know what I call a team that does well in the seeding rounds, but loses early in the finals (and doesn't have any technical awards)? LUCKY.

Meanwhile, team 980 seeded 4th and 2nd, and got to the semifinals each time. 330 seeded lower, but was finalist and won.

So, you did well, but certainly didn't "pwn" anyone.

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Pardon my memory, for it does not serve me well.

The Semifinals loss came this year at Arizona, the quarter finals loss came last year at Arizona.

You know what I call every one of your alliance partners breaking (including ourselves) at some point during the final rounds? UNLUCKY

While we didn't win any technical awards, don't the 2 Chairmans Awards from AZ and Midwest count as something? :]

I hope you don't mean ever, because in 01' we took the Delphi's Driving Tomorrow's Technology Award with our innovative back-pack arm.

I still hear that sound of Midwest teams dominating :)

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Bah..... an '01 tech award doesn't mean much anymore. It's great that you won it, but who knows if it was because of people on your team that have since graduated/left......only by stringing technical awards from year after year or every other year shows a consistent lack of "being lucky".

Plus, we're not playing the 01 game, now are we? (thank goodness!!) ;)

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Perhaps you should take a look at the Cleveland Regional (which is in the midwest) from this past year. I seem to remember that two of the three winning teams were from the east (340 and 1286; both of Rochester, NY). So it's a bit interesting when two eastern teams head west and win...

Matt

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As much as I'd like to oblige, I can't bring myself to do it. Your joke was one of the funniest things I've read here in quite while; I laughed out loud. Mostly because it's true. In the Widwest (if you define the Midwest as Schaumburg, IL) we throw so many functions on a robot that in order to make the weight we build 'em so they bend a bit. Now that you mention it, our big arm did sway much like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Were we the inspiration for your joke?

I wish I had an equally funny come-back, but I don't right now. Hopefully I'll get some inspiration later.

In the light of some recent posts, I'd like to remind everyone of an earlier quote from Andy. Try to keep it fun & not personal. We're just trying to make jokes here, not have serious debates about why a team won/lost a competition.

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The Northeastern Teams are like the Boston Red Sox, always pretty talented, but choke when it's crunch time :D

The Midwest domination factor started around 1997, which was also the year of the first Midwest Regional...hrm, maybe FIRST's creation of a regional not on the east coast is what started your curse ;)

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OUCH! That was low man...bringing up my beloved Red Sox like that. However, as we say here in New England...there is no curse...next year will be the year!

-Andy Grady

p.s. Hey, couldn't you say the same thing about the Cubbies? I hear Steve Bartman is looking to join up with the Technokitties! ;)

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There is an unofficial restraining order on Mr. Bartman. If he comes within 3 states of any midwestern state, he will be shot ;)

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In my opinion, the Michigan region and the west have more advanced animations and better looking. THe majority of the aniamtions in the North East are decent, but the midwest and west just dominate this area of robotics....

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I think the Tyrannical Mechanicals (1272) would have something relevant to say about that, Ben. Look a bit further south than Marion County. Only two thirds of Indiana was ironed flat by the glaciers; the wrinkles all got pushed down to the bottom end.

Indiana farmland might be flatter than a FIRST field, but there's more than corn in Indiana.

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Could that be because all they have to do in the Midwest is to sleep and watch paint dry. While sleeping I guess that annimators have more "Inspiration " time than the rest of us. :p

Just so I know, Where does the line between East, Midwest and West lie?

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I personally use the Appalacians and the Rockies as my dividers.

Of course, I haven't traveled further west than the Appalacians, so my sense of the country is skewed....but I'll be honest, noone will give the same answer as to where the regions lie...because we're all skewed ;)

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We also watch the grass grow on really sunny days.

Indiana and Michigan are the mid-west, sort of like the center of the country, the epicenter of commerce, technology and all things great in this country.

PS - We would have called ourselves the "mideast", but that name was already taken.

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Good news for me is that I must be in the East. Otherwise I would have looked pretty bad slamming myself. Therefore I stand on my statements. Let the chaos continue (I think I stole that from somewhere, Jon?). :cool:

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Although I'm not going to argue with that, you can't forget our buddies in Illinois and Ohio.:yikes:

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My views are a little skewed compared to most of you. I consider the midwest west of the Mississippi and ends at Mountain Time( a little before the Rockies). Everything to the east of Mississippi is the East or Mid-east for those of you who don't want to associate with the East. And to the west of the Rockies is the West. When you are in the middle of the country. Yes, Kansas is the center. It is hard for me to describe Michigan and Indiana as the MidWEST. They are to the east. It makes no sense.

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I'm crying for you, believe me. :rolleyes:

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Behold: The regions of the United States!!

Great explanations of each region too! It says of the northeast-
Take that midwest :D

For those with any second thoughts as to what the regions are :p


And no one can complain about a hill without seeing the devils backbone here in Bethlehem CT... steep grade + dangerous curve == fun in the winter :ahh:

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Yay for obscure CT references only the Litchfield County Alliance (38, 237 & 716) will get!!! :D

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removed for no apparently good reason -

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Okay, guys...
Everyone is coming and saying nice things about their teams and region, but now this thread really need an impartial observer. Let me tell you what we see from the Southern Hemisphere, taking a much better view of the big picture. :cool:

Over our 5 years of competition, we've been to the West, East and Midwest. This year, attending the Midwest regional, we realized the obvious: The Midwest teams are the most competitive ones and their robots really are the best.
But Midwest teams, don't be too proud of yourselves. The Brazilian teams are growing in number and in a couple of years the Midwest will totally lose their spot at the top of the rank. :D

PS - Non-Midwest teams: sorry... but we just had to make up for the warm reception we got at the Midwest Regional... Just goes to prove how great those teams are! :p

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383 is my new favorite team in the entire FIRST world.

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Actually that map is fairly accurate in my eyes....

Here is how I consider the regional divisions in FIRST.

According to that map, New England and the Mid Atlantic would be the Northeast. The midwest is exactly as it looks, The south would be a mix of the southwest and the south, and the west would be exactly as shown. When you mix those 4 regions and add the 5th region (international teams), that would make my divisional separation.

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there you have it...Midwest-only the best

Northeast-not in the least
The MidWest is the best
The south?
Shut your mouth!
Midwest is the best
They're better than the rest!
West? Oh you jest (sorry really bad rhyme :) )
Midwest is the best :cool:

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Hah! Northeast is just taking a vacation. Letting our neighbors accross the mountains taste some victory before we decide to make our comeback! You poor midwesterners are playing right into our hands... (cue evil laughter)

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I have to agree and say that the Mid-West is the best. But you all are underestimating the South. Just look at some of the amazing teams down here:

233
343
79
312
108 (so I'm a little biased)
180
342
... and the list goes on

I predict that next years Championship alliance will include a Florida team.

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True True, i went to a camp there: the toilet was a hole in the ground, you think they are ready for a robotics team?!?!
but for real, those hills are killer when you are on a bike...it's called the hilly hundred, two days, 50 miles a day (if you are a cycler you should check it out)

J/K
ben

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Well, I have to say that team 16 Baxter Bomb Squad is not part of the South but part of the Midwest. With that adjustment you must calculate in the wins team 16 took. I do believe one those two wins this year was in a Northeastern regional.

Oh Ya, The Chesapeake Regional


Here in Mountain Home, AR we even make the medical plastics that keep you Northeastern people alive.

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Back when our team did well at the nats (long time ago lol) our seniors would all sing "the immigrant song" by Led Zeppelin. Why? well, listen to the lyrics! the Northeasterners are used to mimicking the Vikings!

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The Northeast teams bash the other Northeast teams out of competitions, then the midwest teams come along and get you while your weak from the last kill.

But the Northeast shall one day rise again!!!

DE-FENCE... DE-FENCE