Championship Announcers
 

I thought our announcer was great in Archimedes! I hope he comes back next year! I was really energetic and did flips I thought it was amazing! What do you guys think?

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I suspect Mark Leon will keep MC'ing robot tournaments until he is flipping out of a wheelchair and needs his robot assistants to lift him back up. And his (remaining) hair will STILL be blue!

Re: Championship Announcers
 

The coolest thing that happened to me in Atlanta was that Mark Leon dropped in on MORT's final team meeting. We were at our hotel giving senior and captain speeches, people were crying a little, giving their final words. I saw a guy just standing there listening in on us, I did not recognize him at all without the signature blue hair.

After all was said and done, he spoke to our mentors and said that he was thoroughly impressed by our team dynamics. Its something we will always take with us. Thank you Mark.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Mark is an awesome person. Our team has been fortunate to spend a lot of time with him. It's really cool to be able to talk to somebody who has had the experiences in life that he has. He was actually in New Zealand with us when we were doing our workshops. We were able to watch him present on his Lunar Microrover project to the folks at Massey University. He is a very very smart guy and if you have a chance look into the lunar microrover, it's a really neat project.

All the announcers in Atlanta are top notch. I forget his name, but the announcer on Einstein is awesome. I really liked the background he gives while announcing the teams, it makes the match seem more intense.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I got to work with Mark during the making of the FIRST Safety video, the man is so much fun and a genius. I loved working with him and was greatly surprised when we came to visit us. I hope he can come visit us soon.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I believe that would be Dave Verbrugge.

Or whoever the announcer is.

The difference between MC and announcer: the MC is on the field, says the team numbers, and then the announcer, off the field, says who they are. The announcer may also give the play-by-play...

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Yeah, definitely meant MC. haha. But speaking of announcers, I've heard a few good ones. Towards the middle of the day on friday in Newton we had a really enthusiastic announcer giving awesome play by play.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

George Ackley missed his first Championship in 9 years this weekend. Needless to say he was a bit sad. We missed having him do play by play for us.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Right. Dave is a top-notch MC. We in Michigan sometimes forget how lucky we are to have him at our events. He does an awesome job with FLL too.

Oh, and all that background stuff? Lori says he doesn't have to look up most of it, he remembers it.

And he's a WFA winner, from Team 67.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I personally like Troy (I think that's right) more, the guy with the top hat, silver overcoat, fire socks,etc. At peachtree he did an amazing job announcing, and we let him keep one of our hats and he came up and told us right before our first match that his daughter has worn it every single day since she got it from us. We were all sad we didn't have him in our division.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

The MC Blair from Galileo has to be the coolest guy I've met this year during FIRST. We got to meet him when he was at the Dallas regional. All of the first day of competition he couldn't get our introduction right so we printed a sign that said "SHOCK WHAT!?" and stuck it to our drivers station. The first time he saw it he literally bent over at the waist he was laughing so hard. He was a good sport about it and needless to say he didn't mess up when we met again on Galileo.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I've been scorekeeper for the last two years at Seattle and had a chance to get to know Blair a little bit. He's a smart guy with a keen fashion sense. Did you know that he doesn't travel with his own roller blades?

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He came over to Galileo for a while and after he introduced the first match, he went and sat down at the table and went through a list. I'm guessing, but I thought at the time that he was doing some homework on the match list, making sure he was prepared to introduce his set.

It was very impressive, watching him quietly go about his business of being prepared. I loved how he used the rod as his introductory tool on Einstein. He can turn anything into a magical tool of imagery that keeps everyone spellbound.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Anytime Dave Verbrugge is involved the drama seems to build. My favorite announcer is Sir Charles, the over the top energy and passion he brings to every match is something that I love to hear. I enjoy watching Blair MC as well, he is smart, funny and is the only person I have seen that is able to roller blade on regolith.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

In Archimedes when they did the post match breakdown it really kept you interested while they counted the score and technical stuff. I found it a good touch that would help at events with more non-FIRSTers.

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Mark Leon is awesome. It's because of him that the IRI has broadcast over NASA TV for the past two years. In 2007, we had all of our equipment set up just to broadcast to the pits and the big screen, and he came over to tell us he could call a guy and get a satellite truck to come in to broadcast the event. He's got some good stories too, like when he soldered a connection in the arctic with a paper clip. :)

Re: Championship Announcers
 

I love Sir Charles, it was like a dream come true when he was at Archimedes at the same time with Mark Leon. His first year in 2004 was awesome, it was back when I was a student. I got to talk to him after the event this year and he is a really nice guy and of course energetic. I hope to see him at future events. I think all the MCs that came to Archimedes were awesome, Troy, Mark, Sir Charles. Both announcers were awesome (Sir Charles and the other guy whose name escapes me) and the assistant was very insightful (Tyler or something.) I have gone to regionals with Mark, Blair and Michelle, all top notch MCs, my favorite is Mark, but Blair is close behind.

I think overall the MCs and Announcers are great and I love the energy they bring to the events, truly gives another aspect to the competition and pumps me up each and every time.

Nate

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Blair is my favorite announcer but I love Mark too.

If you are ever feeling down or tired at a FIRST event, spend two minutes with Mark. His energy will get you going again.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Does anyone know who the announcer is on Einstein?

Re: Championship Announcers
 

as for announcers i personally think andy grady is the best.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Blair is also a professional actor and director.
Blair is such a pro. I am grateful to both Blair AND the wonderful Andy Grady for coming from NH all the way to Annapolis to help us out this year. I am still impressed Andy was able to work the words "lobster and cranial iv" seamlessly into one of the play-by-plays in Boston in 2008!

In past years, Jeff Seaton has been a great MC at the Chesapeake.
And before Greg felt like he had to go and start a rookie team he was one of my favorite announcers... ;)

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Dave is seriously one of the most awesome people in FIRST. I don't know if there is anyone with a more comprehensive set of knowledge about the teams, though I'm waiting for him to top his "Approaching Storm" extended metaphor from Great Lakes 2008. That was one of the most epic things I've ever been unfortunate enough not to have recorded (and fortunate enough to have seen.)

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Dan Green is definitely our favorite announcer.
Mark and Blair are the best at MC.
Dave V. really knows his stuff and is the best at doing Einstein.

Sometimes you get weirdos doing the announcing. Lets just say we had one at one of the regionals we attended.

For example, "I think the balls were grabbed prematurely.......oopps, I meant Moon Rocks." What the heck is that?:confused:

Re: Championship Announcers
 

When it comes to game announcers, I have only two words.

ANDY!

GRADY!

He is the man and it was awesome having him announce my team on Einstein!

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Blair has actually announced in the past as well. He makes a great announcer as well as MC.

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Blair actually does the play by play on Einstein. He is the best, and does a great job calling the match.

Dave was incredible this year too. During the finals intro, his history lesson on the teams was absolutely stunning. All I remember is sitting there watching it in absolute awe, trying to figure out how anyone can remember THAT much about that stuff. It was quite possibly the best intro I have ever seen an MC do.

Atlanta was a great time, thank you for the kind words. Have a great summer!

Re: Championship Announcers
 

This year I don't believe it was that hard for Dave, because 4 out of 6 teams were from michigan (67,68,214,247), and all 4 michigan team were well known.

Who can't follow what Wildstang does? I mean I hear that there playing an event, I have to tune in!

971, was just as Dave said, the wildcard from Cali. 217, 68, 247 needed to have scouted well to know about that great team.

Re: Championship Announcers
 

a) Sir Charles will be quoted by our team forever! We loved him!

b) Tyler Olds is the guy who was annoucing on Archimedes during Elims. He's a good friend of our team and mentors 2826 (wave robotics? not sure on the name).

Re: Championship Announcers
 

Dave Verbrugge is, without a doubt, one of my favorite people in FIRST. When I was announcing at the Cass district event, he took time from his team to help work field reset because they were short on volunteers. In between matches he was more than willing to provide encouragement and critiques to help me through the day; it was fantastic having him behind me for my first "official" event. I look forward to working with him in the future :)

Helpful mentor-ness aside, anyone who was witness to his "Perfect Storm" speech last year at GLR realizes the true genius and intensity to be found in Dave. It gives me chills even thinking about it... for those of you who weren't there, imagine something like the speech he gave in the Einstein finals (chronicling the drama and history of the 6 teams there), but extended across to an entire regional of 63 teams and presented at the opening ceremonies. He did it without background music, without a script, nothing except a microphone and a stadium full of robotics fans on the edges of their seats.