Eight Alliances on Einstein?
 

How's this for another crazy idea from the South ... let's have eight alliances on Einstein! BUT here is how the eight alliances would make it to Einstein. Four would earn their way, as in the past, by winning the four divisional playoffs. The other four alliances would be made up of the top seeds from each division. The divisional top seeds would have the opportunity to decline the Einstein alliance and be part of the divisional playoffs. Basically, the top seeds, starting with the #1 seed, would be invited to join the Divisional Einstein Alliance until three teams accepted.

This would award the top seeds AND make for more matches in front of 15,000 fans. This would also, theoretically, make some powerhouse alliances (top seeds) and create some underdogs (divisional champs).

If you are a logistics guru and are worried about the extra time, I think that you would find folks in favor of watching more matches in lieu of going to the wrap party. Finally, I'd give the Divisional Einstein Alliance members a nice trophy and blue banner. The more blue banners hanging in schools, the more exposure robotics education receives.

Back to the nut farm,
Lucien

Re: Eight Alliances on Einstein?
 

There are pros and cons to this suggestion... along with every other suggestion ever made my a human being.

Pros - More matches and more teams on Einstein

Cons - #1 Seed gets automatic bye and can jump right to playing on Einstein.
The #1 seeds don't need to play the extra matches that say... a #2 would have to play. Any team can ride good alliance pairings and be a #1 seed. There are many #1 seeds at regionals that get knocked out in the first round of elimination because of this. It doesn't mean they earned it... just means they got lucky. (As you might be able to tell... we've gotten the short stick many times :o )

I'm all for more matches... but make it fair to all the teams.

Maybe take the division winners and finalists and put them onto Einstein... but mix up the divisions. You know what I mean?

Example... Alliance #'s 1 & 7 from Archi make it to the finals of Archi. And Newton's finals are 4 & 3. Curies are 1 & 2. And Galileo's are 3 & 8.

A7 defeats A1 in finals
N3 defeats N4 " "
C1 defeats C2 " "
G8 defeats G3 " "

A7 would then play G3 in first round of Einstein
N3 would play A1
G8 would play C2
C1 would play N4

Of course this would be randomly paired with the Division winners playing the division finalists. The division winners would still get the banner and trophy for winning the division but the finalists would have like a second chance.

Just my $.02.

Re: Eight Alliances on Einstein?
 

I think it can be a good idea. Rather than give the #1 seed an automatic bid, I would say that they should move the Final Division match to Einstein. That way you have 8 teams who earned their way, and it makes for more exciting matches. More people, more fans, gives everybody a nice sense of accomplishment.

Re: Eight Alliances on Einstein?
 

I'd be against it, for the simple reason that the finals and closing ceremonies invariably end late already.