Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

1998 was the last year that FIRST was covered by ESPN.

I really don't know why it stopped for sure. However, I will make a guess. Like many other tough decisions, it was probably about the money.

In 1999, FIRST asked about 20-30 teams to supply video footage so they can put together a documentary. A documentary producer ended up creating a 30 minute video that was very good. When FIRST went to ESPN to get the video aired, ESPN pushed back and wanted to blur out the corporate sponsor logos on the robots, flags, t-shirts, and such. Essentially, ESPN did not want to help advertise for these companies without being paid.

I didn't understand this at the time, and still don't quite understand it. Of course, sporting events have all kinds of corporate sponsors, and each one of them can't be paying ESPN. However, there is a high dollar contract with each sporting administration to pay ESPN for the coverage.

I suppose that FIRST could not afford this same sort of payment for a contract.

That's my best guess.

Andy

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Ughh... Crazy times!! I was coaching that match... or... attempting to.
We barely got out of autonomous & then that happened.

Needless to say, I let out a rather high pitched scream, looked at my drivers who just started laughing, & we all thought that was the coolest darn thing we saw that season, even if it meant we were out of the match... :rolleyes:

To quote Fall Out Boy, "Thanks for the memories..." :eek:

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

It boggles the mind. Maybe it's time to read 1984 again......and practice doublethink....

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Tremendous! I've recently been trying to think of a way to get all old FIRST footage together, have one central place to either link/search/find old FIRST videos, like a specific FIRST youtube. The blue alliance or something like that would work, but teams would have access to easy uploads and what not, it might just be easier to use Youtube and link in these forums or something.

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

I didn't know that Will Smith did a FIRST promo. Thanks for sharing- I'll add this link to my collection for public demos/events.

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Thank you so much! Great videos. I love FIRST history.

(I understood Woodie's description of Stack Attack...but maybe that's because I tried so hard to understand it back then! :P)

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Wow, Andy! This is one of my favorite threads of all time. If you can find a video of the 45, 47, 111 alliance from 2000 Midwest, I would forever love you.

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Bummer...

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

I find it interesting that

1. ESPN used to cover FIRST, we should work on that more. :D.

2. Most of the FIRST games seem similar...

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

I'll find that this weekend.

I love you to, bro.

Ozzy

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Oh goodness, watching the 1999 game almost seems surreal when compared to now. Robots deliberately trying to tip each other... oh, how times have changed.

Great videos, I must say! I've always been interested in the history of the games at FIRST, and I think that this is a great compilation.

If you have any more, that would be great!

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Wowwww. that's just freaky :yikes:

Woddie Flowers, 13 years ago......It's just insane how much FIRST has endured throughout the years.

"20 team, 30-odd teams, 49 team, 60 teams"

That's untill 1994.

12 years later, it's multiplied by almost 30: +1503 teams and not just in the USA, but around the world in 7 other countires (and soon [really hopefully that even this coming year] to be 8).

FIRST is having a very steady increase in it's impact, and I firmly believe that towards the end of this 2000 decade, we should see a more inclined increase in the number of students, number of teams and number of regions participating in FIRST competitions.

Just listeneing to the qoutes of one of the team mentors from 1994, saying that they "don't know what these components are or do, this is a new type of technology" makes me feel more eager towards the upcoming 2009 season.

These vids are really good for various perspective, such that I've realised the use of the FIRST wheels as a "suction" and "release" for ball games was present even 12 years ago, in the 1996 Hex game. If we'd seen these footage before, I'm sure we'd probablly take into consideration that manipulator for our 2008 robot.

Thanks a lot Andy, keep 'em coming.

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Does anyone have video of 60 doing their spinning thing in 2002?

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Thanks for putting the time into doing this Andy! :)

Re: Old FIRST (and US FIRST) videos posted on Youtube
 

Can someone explain the change around '99/2000? I notice that around that timeframe the quality of the machines and the "FIRST" experience very closely resembles today. Before that it was significantly different.