Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I didn't say it was my view, it was what i had heard. I don't play to win, i play for the fun of it.
But you have to cinsider that some people do have that view in life too. Not everyone can be in competition to have fun line the majority.
there are people who spoil things.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Hear! Hear! There are so many factors to picking a regional and each regional has its own qualities! And lots of newer teams doesn't mean less competition, it means more opportunities to help other teams!

I'd love for my team to pick one of the Minnesota Regionals as a 2nd regional because Minneapolis is a wonderful city to visit! And to have two regionals across the street from each other would be an amazing site to see! But we have other factors to consider and regionals within driving distance usually win out!

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

When we have the luxury of being "choosy" about our regionals, we look at competition strength from the opposite standpoint. The tougher the better. I know a lot of other teams who feel the same way.

-John

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

The Minnesota regionals are on our list for the 2nd regional. Im not sure if we will get a spot though.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

That's why we registered for Minnesota first.

In regards to the competition difficulty:

Competing with the likes of Simbotics, Stang, Beatty, Kil-A-Bytes, Winnovation, Bomb Squad, etc... etc... It is so much fun. We went to IRI this year, we know. We had a blast. We really considered going to Midwest for that very reason.

We chose Minnesota though because of the 90-100 teams that will be there. The explosion of teams that started two years ago has not stopped yet. Minnesota is only going to get better over time. Which is really saying something, considering how huge it already is. Last year, I think there was 45 Minnesotan rookies. (30ish at the regional). From what I've heard, that number isn't changing a whole lot for this year. There is so many awesome people involved with FIRST right now in Minnesota. Who wouldn't want to be part of this?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Addressing your edit comment first, nothing I see in this thread attaches the opinion to you, but by being the person that decided to post it on CD you should have been prepared for that to happen.

As for the opinion itself (although it has been addressed pretty well by others already), as you stated many of the teams from outside MN are registered for the North Star regional. Examining these teams closer reveals that only 2 of them actually have a regional competition closer to home (171 and 2817). Andy has already addressed why 171 is coming here and I can't imagine a rookie team from Tennessee deciding to travel to MN to get a better chance of winning.

Also, although there aren't any teams that I would put quite on the level of the teams Andy mentioned in his last post the competition coming from MN in the North Star Regional is nothing to scoff at. The Green Machine (1816) has been to Championships all 3 years they have been around including a Division Final on Newton in '07, notched a Regional win as a rookie and grabbed a Regional Chairman's last year in just their third year of existence. KingTec (2169) got a Regional win at Wisconsin in their rookie year and have made eliminations of all three regionals they have attended making finals in two. 2549 snagged a Regional win in their rookie year last year in Wisconsin. 2175 has made at least the semis of the two regionals we've attended, making the finals as the alliance captain in our rookie year in Wisconsin.

And that doesn't even touch all the second year teams who will be looking to break out with the knowledge that they've gained or the rookies who we know nothing about yet.

Minnesota will definitely be bringing the heat in Mariucci, so I hope that none of the out of state teams come looking for an easy win; they sure won't find it here.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I can't wait to see what these guys roll out with this year. They started out with a $50 robot last year (in addition to the kit). They have grown immensely. 2549 is really a great example of how FIRST can change lives.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Personally, I am really excited for the MN double regionals. Two regionals, 20 minutes from home? It couldn't get much better. Mark Lawrence estimated 84 teams total in Minnesota for this year at our last team meeting on Tuesday. I think there might even be some teams from Minnesota who don't make it into one of these two regionals.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Last year we competed at IRI, Boilermaker, and Minnesota. they were all fun in their own way. IRI is amazing. Boilermaker was also great, we won with 1024 and 111. Minnesota was fun too, even though the team numbers were bigger, the intensity of the matches was still great. I'm looking forward to north star being a good one as well.

By the way, AndyB, I think we had a match against you guys at IRI. It was the one that had to be replayed the next day because one of the balls popped.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Indeed, I loved getting to see you guys compete in Minnesota, and then getting a chance to play you guys later on. You had a very solid robot this year. I still am in awe of how your gearboxes are held in with just a zip tie.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

actually the zip ties don't really do much. the gearboxes are held in with a sprinkle of magic pixie dust.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Team Krunch will probably be coming to one of the regionals, unless something changes with our spring break.
We cant wait to come up to your great state to compete in the 2009 competition and to see the mall of america:D

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I see about 40 minnesota teams are signed up for a regional so far. Anybody know how many to expect eventually?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

:( I am slightly depressed that I am going to miss the double regional in Minnesota, I went out of state for college. Then again I am now looking forward to the Oklahoma city regional :) . Go OU.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I'm just hoping 10,000 lakes fills out more. It would be good for the rookies to see a few veteran teams there.

-Vivek