2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

The Philly Regional starts a week from today! Who's excited to play some more breakaway?

This year we'll be returning to the Drexel Gym which has now been renovated, and it looks like it's back to it's pre-2009 size of about 45 teams.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I know I am excited to see Breakaway being played first hand with team update #16 in place. The Philadelphia Regional is back for it's 11th year (10 of which took place in Drexel University's DAC). All the information you could want to know about the regional has been posted on the newly remade website including schedules, teams competing, directions, parking information, and volunteer information.

Can't wait to see you all next week and good luck to all the teams competing in week 3 events!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I'm excited! Can't wait to see you guys after you almost took NJ!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Hey Dawgma, good work with the new website. Its definitely much more clean and organized but where are the photos?! We need to generate some excitement and make people want to come to the regional!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Thanks! We've got some tricks up our sleeves for Philly, so we may be even better. ;)

And I can't wait to see more of Miss Daisy in action. Your performance in New York was absolutely dominant.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Actually, Phil, the Philadelphia regional actually started at the Liacorous Center as well as competing there last year in 2009. I'm not sure when it moved to the DAC, but it definitely hasn't been 10 here yet.

Definitely eager to compete at the Philly regional, especially now that it's returned to my back yard. Two teams have already won regionals (341 and 3123) and then we have countless other great veterans ready to duke it out. Should be a lot of fun.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

316 is excited and can't wait to see the awesome competitors! :)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Tricks?! Can't wait!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

1999 : FRC Exhibition at Temple Uni. [not an official FIRST regional]
2000-2008 : Drexel Uni.
2009 : Temple Uni.
2010 : Drexel Uni.

So yes, this is the 10th year at Drexel.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Awesome. Wish I could make it down there sometime.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Kir-

Thanks for the props, but, as a team, Dawgma can't take any credit for the new regional website. One of our alums Dan Zollman volunteered his time to rework the site after regional folks weren't able to get services elsewhere and Phil, in his role as a Americorps Vista for FIRST (also one of our alums) helped devise the structure for the new site under the direction of Philly FIRST regional leadership. So, we're not in control of any part of the site as a team, but...

I do believe Dan will continue to work with regional folks in the future as his schedule allows. Regrettably, neither he, nor Phil (nor our team) had direct access to the previous event photos that were posted at philadelphiafirst.org in the past. Those photos were posted by the official event photographer who provided the images online for free for a period of time, but as I recall those links went dead over time.

Perhaps the regional folks who control the photographer and images in the future will put together a better long term plan for digital management and if anyone has the time and energy to help pull old photos together from previous years, I'm sure regional folks would welcome the help and support.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Does anyone know if anyone has a webcast in the works for Philly?

I think someone set one up last year, but I don't remember who it was.....

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Last year I believe 341 ran the webcast...I have no idea if they are going to be doing it again.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Later this week we'll be back at Philly, and I can't wait.


So i'll put this up and see if we get any hits....


If anyone has some suggestions for the Announcer Game, please post them here.


For those that don't know about the announcer game, it's where people come up with random or wacky sayings that the announcer has to work into the commentary.

SO just put whatever you want, just remember this is a FIRST event, so keep it GP.

See you all on Friday.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

George:

It will be great to have you back at Philly again! Part of what I am used to in Philly is your great play-by-play.

I'll leave it up to others to provide creative input to the announcer game. :D

See you in a few. MOE 365 is excited!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

This is going to be one tough regional. Lot of strong teams and it should be exciting. I will be there hopefully volunteering.

see ya guys saturday.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

George in the house! Now I know this will be a great regional. How about references to Philly food? e.g. Cheese steaks, Scrapple, Soft Pretzels, Hoagies...

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

George -

I will give you the same suggestion I gave my little brother when he was preparing his best man toast for my wedding: Try and work the titles of every single James Bond movie into your commentary (as fluidly as possible).

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I made a quick map to describe food near the venue (marked a "A").

1. 34th & Race: Kelly Hall Food Court. Contains a Subway, Currito, and express Chic-fil-a
2. 30th Street Station: Contains a variety of fast food and other quick options
3. 35th & Lancaster (a block past the 7-11): 2 pizza places (Ed's & Mad Greek's). Both have a variety of other foods (hoagies, cheesesteaks, wings, etc.) in addition to pizza. I suggest Ed's.
4. 33rd & Powelton: 2 more pizza places (California Pizza & Village Pizza). Similar fare to Ed's/Mad Greek's. I suggest Cali Pizza.
5. 34th & Walnut: UPenn food court. Contains Taco Bell/A&W, Quiznos, Pizza, & Auntie Anne's Pretzels
6. 34th & Sansom: Mad Mex (bar & mexican food), New Dec (bar & great food), Bubble Tea (good food and distincive teas)
7. 31st and Ludlow (behind Drexel buildings): Lunch Cart row. A variety of lunch carts serving hoagies/cheesesteaks/chinese/pretzels/etc. I suggest "Pyramid Pizza" for their Fat Jimmy sandwhich varieties (if you're not on a diet).
8. 36th & Chestnut: Wawa
9. 33rd & Market: Landmark Americana Bar & Grill (attached to the DAC).

There's more food somewhat nearby if you continue to UPenn's campus (southwest), especially around 40th & Walnut.


As for cheesesteaks, the classic battle is between Geno's and Pat's. They're right across the street from each other (9th & Passyunk) and open 24/7. Geno's is definitely better. My other favorites are Sonny's (2nd & Market, indoors, easily accessible via public transit) and John's Roast Pork (14 Snyder Avenue, only open until 3:00PM Mon-Fri).

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Best "dirty water dog" is at the lunch cart just outside the library (Across the street from the DAC- Market and 33rd). There are also three carts at "Lancaster Ave" (it's really a sidewalk) and 32nd. The silver truck that blocks the sidewalk has 9" hot sausages that rock. He cuts them longways into quarters and grills them, ask for cheese and fried onions.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

@sean

You sir are incorrect...

Pat's is the KING of steaks. Geno's is just a cheap knock-off housed in a neon monstrosity.

If anyone wants the TRUE cheesesteak experience, take MY advice and goto the KING of steaks: Pat's. :p

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Both wrong.
Abner's 38th & Chesnut. Cheesesteak wit and Waffle-cut fries.
Young people are so misinformed nowadays. :rolleyes:

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

They are, but it is up to the mentors to stress accuracy and getting things correct. Clearly you forgot about Rick's, formerly of the Reading Market, now at Broad and Walnut. Abner's is above the Pat / Geno's level, but Rick's steaks are the best (wit and wit-out) :p

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

While Chuck is wrong, at least Pat's is still good. Abner's is just plain bad. :p

Regardless, Sonny's > JRP > Geno's > Rest.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Does anyone know anything about a team social? I know there's not usually a big one, but I think last year one of the teams hosted something small...

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I like both of these suggestions...and they are going on my list!

Keep the suggestions coming.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

The Liberty Bell.
I have always and forever wanted to see the Liberty Bell.

Jane

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Team 639 will be there. And of course we are stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

433 & 1218 will be hosting a team social Friday night!
The FIESTA will be 7-9:30 at Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 W. Willow Grove Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19118.
All teams and mentors are invited! We will have snacks, music, GP, and socializing. Cost is $2.00 at the door. We will be handing out fliers on Thursday, as well as making announcements.

Firebirds/CHASS FIESTA. Be there. or be square.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Awesome! Thanks! :)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

You missed one: Lemon Grass.



Their menu was featured extensively in the 2007 Philly Announcer Game. Who can forget such crowd pleasers as "tutti fruty duck" "Buddha dumplings", and my all-time favorite: "also helpful for the relief of muscle pain and cramps"?

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

You're all wrong if you listen to my two friends from Philly (I haven't been there long enough to cast my own vote). One says Pat's for steaks, Geno's for fries, but the other says Tony Luke's is better for both.

And for George: Since it is Drexel, you need to fit in something about a dragon, or dragons. Inflatable dragons would be even better, so I'll give you bonus points for that (and can explain the very odd story behind it on the field between matches - field reset team :D ).

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

[quote=Graham Donaldson;941734]You're all wrong if you listen to my two friends from Philly (I haven't been there long enough to cast my own vote). One says Pat's for steaks, Geno's for fries, but the other says Tony Luke's is better for both.

Hey Don...

Team 223 goes to Tony Luke's.
I didn't want to say anything because it is so small that everyone can fight over Geno's and Pat's and leave Tony's empty for us.

(Congrats on all the success in Virginia and thanks for the new camera cable.)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

So, in the absence of Looking Forward, I figured I'd do some predictions for Philly.

The Philadelphia Regional is always an interesting event, and this year looks no different. Last year we saw a surprisingly strong alliance created in the 6th position storm through the Eliminations and take down the number one seed. If Philly defense is still alive and well, we could see the same happen again…

Onto the teams though; of the 44 teams competing in Philly this weekend 17 have already competed in the Eliminations, but only 2 Champions and 2 Finalists are in the Field. On top of that, 12 teams have not yet competed in 2010, and some of these could prove to be wild cards. In my usual fashion, I’ll break my predictions into Locks, Tips, and “Others”.

Locks:

341 – Of all of the teams going to Philly this weekend, Miss Daisy may have the largest Target on their back. 341 Pulled off seeding in the top spot even after getting a DQ Friday afternoon for “Aggressive Play”. They looked Dominant throughout Saturday Morning, and went on to win their Fourth Regional in Four Years. Expect Miss Daisy to make an impact this weekend, especially if they have some help.

103 – The Cybersonics are always a force to be reckoned with, and this year is no different. Their low and powerful machine uses a kicking mechanism derived from their 2008 trackball launcher combined with a “Wind Tunnel” ball possession mechanism similar to 25’s. 103 may have exited the Florida Eliminations in the Quarter-Finals, but I doubt they’ll let it happen again. Expect them to make some tweaks and go out in Philly as strong as ever.

365 – Once again MOE has fielded a competitive machine. With its Adjustable Kicker, Ball Possession System and Autonomous Targeting, MOEmentum is sure to stir things up a bit. With some help, 365 might be able to take home their Third Philly win in Three years.

2753 – The Wildly successful Rookie from 2009 is back again with an equally capable Machine. With some smart driving and Game play there’s no doubt in my mind that Overdrive will make it into the Eliminations, if not into the Finals. We’ve already seen that their design is proven, as their Pseudo-Twin,
2016, has already taking home two trophies, one Champion and one Finalist.

1218 – Vulcan Robotics is one of the two Finalists competing in Philly this weekend, and I wouldn’t expect anything less than a Semi-Final Appearance from them. 1218 has a Holonomic Drive coupled with a Capable Vertical bar Hanger and the ability to score well at times.

Tips:

56 – Robbe Extreme has fielded a Capable Robot once again. 56’s Kicker was a great asset in New Jersey and they were able to kick from the far zone with ease, this kicker coupled with a decent hanger made them a strong opponent or ally on the field.

272 – The Cyber Crusaders have a powerful adjustable kicker and a vacuum ball handler that should help them out a lot throughout the weekend. According to my sources they kick a bit too high though, so we’ll see if this ends up becoming a problem in the long run.

816 – The Westech Anomaly was one of the top “strikers” at New Jersey… when they moved. After being plagued with numerous control system problems throughout the weekend, The Anomaly managed to make their way to the Finals as a member of the Number two alliance. If they can get the kinks out of their machine in Philly, they should be one of the top strikers once again.

1647 – LRR has yet to play a match in 2010, but they’re planning capitalize on the Ball redirection strategy that seems to be all the rage right now. While they may not be able to control the falling balls as well as 469 or 51, they can without a doubt get them into their near zone with their mechanism. With some smart play and a strong offensive partner, 1647 may be a part of a pretty strong alliance.

395 – 2Train Robotics was part of the Winning Alliance in Philly in 2009. They’re back this year with another capable machine. 395 should be a player in the elims for sure.

3123 – I’ll admit that I don’t know much about the Wildcogs, but any Rookie that manages to get onto a regional winning alliance and has an 11-5-1 record from that event must be good, right?

Others

In addition the 11 teams listed above, the Elimination Alliances will be probably be composed from some of the following teams: 84, 223, 316, 321, 433, 639, 708, 709, 1143, 1391, 1640, 1712, 2729

Notes:

There are 32 Breakaway “Veterans” competing in Philly this weekend. Hopefully this will lead to a higher level of game play and fewer penalties.

Seeding will be interesting. “Philly Defense” will have a huge effect on where teams seed, should teams choose to play defense. Smart teams will probably begin to score for their opponents to drive their scores up – but hopefully it won’t come to this.

And if your team wasn't mentioned, or you didn't like what I predicted, then go out there and prove me wrong. (Seriously, do it.)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Great job, Dustin!
I've got a couple things to add.:
The Wildcogs have a very good striker with mecanum wheels. They also have a flare for the dramatic, scoring multiple goals during the finale period to win several DC elim matches.

Here is my prediction from another thread:

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Good Luck Chuck!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Dustin, Great JOB!

I would like to add a few things as well to us. Since the robot has multiple kickers, we can defend the opposing alliances goals from far distance kickers and redirect them instantaneously. Also, we are capable of being an offensive threat and autonomous threat as well.

I know the entire team is very stoked for the competition. It should be a great 3 days!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Robert,

I've seen your robot in action... I know it can kick.

But why kick when you can sit under the ball return and do the same thing... ;)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Thanks Dustin for the kind words, :D

2753 has been hard at work on getting their machine up to Team Overdrive standards for the Philly regional. You can expect to see a much more reliable kicker and roller system along with a fully fixed and functioning lifting arm. Hopefully they can implement these fixes and get out on the field early Thursday.

Hope to see everyone there!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

That day back during the build season didn't cross my mind 2 hours ago haha. I should have just said we're versatile. :p

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Is this the same restaurant that has spinsch?!?

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

After meeting you at Chesapeake, I am looking forward to meeting you guys again.

If anyone is interested, 2199 has completely redone our kicking mechanism, so that it works 100% of the time now, and we added a roller "ball magnet." After dipping out in the Semi Finals in Chesapeake, we are looking forward to try and improve with an improved robot.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Yup - the very same. Also featuring "shirmp in the blanket". I'm thinking I better go there for dinner Friday to see if they've made any changes.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Hmm... the dining hall isn't open this week. I may have to try this "shrimp in the blanket" dish...

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

That would be "shirmp" (sic), and I can recommend the "evil jungle princess" (if you like it hot) and the pad thai, haven't had the shirmp, though.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

To the Foodies: Fight nice!

Chuck's on his way! He get a death grip on the platform, and responds appropriately when we all cheer, "Up, Chuck!"

Philly looks awesome!

Remember to have fun! See y'all on Thursday!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Tyler, 2753 (and all the other teams mentioned) earned everything I said about them. But, if I would've known that you're going to be back in the Overdrive camp for Philly, I may have bumped them up a bit... Lol

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I might be a blue monkey now, but I still bleed yellow.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Sorry for being off this thread for so long!

Yes, Miss Daisy is going to be webcasting the Philadelphia Regional once again if that's okay with everyone else. Here is the link that I've set up for it:

http://webcast.team341.com (easy enough to remember?)

Hopefully the A/V guys will be as helpful as last year and give us their feed. We might do some testing on Thursday but will go full force with broadcasting on Friday & Saturday.

Thanks!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Ok so I am absoutely stoked for the competition tomorrow! I returned not too long ago making sure the team had all of the necessary tools and parts for tomorrow. You have no idea how excited 1647 will be tomorrow! It's going to be epic! :P

See everyone tomorrow at the Practice Rounds!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Best of luck to the folks on 816 and 2753. Keep me updated you two.:)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I am extremely pumped for tomorrow!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Who isn't pumped for tomorrow?! :eek:

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

If I found someone not pumped for tomorrow, I would have to hurt them. lol

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I'd like to see you hurt me....:cool:

sorry but I have two days of class till I can get pumped.... around 3pm on friday i'll get there watching the webcast and then all day saturday at competition....

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Very excited to be attending the Philadelphia regional for the first time. I've heard good things, should be a very competitive competition - good luck everyone!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Pumped, stoked, psyched, and ready to go, I like the sound of all that! Walking around the pits there were some awesome teams as usual, and some good looking rookie machines too.

Have fun tomorrow everyone and rock the house! Let Drexel know we're back on campus :)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

After seeing the match Schedule for tomorrow, I am so excited. I can't wait to play some matches alongside some old friends. :D

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I hope everyone is coming to the Fiesta tomorrow night! We will be handing out fliers and directions in the pits tomorrow.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Congrats everyone on making it through day one. I hope everyone had a blast. You should all get some sleep and be there bright and early tomorrow pumped and ready to go.

See you all at 8AM sharp!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Yep. pumped.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I spy a twin robot!! :P Good to see 2753 make the recommended upgrades and kicking along...

56... well this looks nothing like we faced in NJ...

seems like everyones having a lot of fun, c ya guys tmrw.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Awesome first day of competition guys! It looks like a pretty even field to me from what I've seen fieldside - should make for a very interesting finish to qualifiers and an even better eliminations.

Speaking of fieldside, I also want to give a shout-out to the entire field crew - not only the awesome people I work with on reset, but our queue-ers, FMS people, field supervisors, MCs and announcers, and FTAs. Between the hard work everyone's putting in and the cooperation of the teams, we ended matches two and a half minutes EARLY! And finished awards before five! I've never seen it at a regional before. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow - see everyone bright and early!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

So the team was very excited today ending up where we were. If we had figured out our drive problem quicker it would have been easier to play better. Although, I was very impressed and excited while driving today and yesterday. The team and myself are going to be improving on our bot with some minor enhancements but nothing to effect the basic functions. The team and I really enjoyed playing in the regional. Everyone did excellent and that was something that really made me excited about the matches. The next match was always a new feat we would have to overcome but, on behalf of the team, I would like to make a few statements.

Team 2729 - Storm Robotics

Storm, you guys were great out there but the real help was with the battery situation we had on Friday. It was awesome that you guys had the software to check the highest voltage readings. *NOTE: Contact them if you are having battery trouble!

Team 639 - Code Red Robotics

Code Red, you guys were awesome to play within match 42. Not only that, you were well organized and only made our strategizing time quicker. The quarter finals with you was extremely tough but very exciting. I am looking forward to playing with you guys in the future. Also, thank you for the Sportsmanship Award. We thought that was awesome that you guys gave us that! :D

Team 341 - Miss Daisy

CONGRATS ON THE WIN & CHAIRMANS AWARD! Also, we loved playing in that 18th match with you. We truly had a strong alliance there. You guys are really strong and have a lot of heart. Finally, thank you for the Ingenious Design Award you gave us. That boosted our spirits and we are truly happy you guys gave us that! :yikes:

Along with 341, congrats to all the teams who made it to and past the quarter finals!

Team 87 - RVR

What a beast drive system guys! After seeing your robot at CDR about a month and a half ago, we truly weren't very impressed. You guys one uped us on that one. We were all stunned at the grudge match that went down in the quarter finals. We were not expecting that guys, keep it up.

Team 816 - Westech

You guys really did great getting back out there after you were just plagued with problems. I know the smoking pwms and the shot cRIO didn't hold you guys back. I really hope to see you guys competing in Atlanta with full force. Dustin, if you guys need any help we're here. Hit up DiVinecenzo and we'll get you anything you need.

Alliance Teams - Team 433 & 484

I know it's not the outcome that we wanted but we did our best and that's what counts. I enjoyed playing with you all and hope to do the same in future events. Thanks for being a part of the alliance and joining up with us. It was our first time choosing alliances and we struggled but we managed to come out with a decent team. Cheer up we got other years guys! :)

All Teams

Congrats guys! Philly is a very difficult regional and I'm happy we all made it through with big accomplishments. We all know more about engineering and how to apply it now. Everyone continuing on, good luck in the next competitions. Everyone else, we will see you next year!

Staff, Judges, Refs & Volunteers

Thank you for making this regional so great! Not only that, thank you for allowing our mentor to receive the Woodie Flowers Award and our team to receive the Industrial Design Award! I hope to see all of you there again next year!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I'd like to thank and congratulate a number of teams and individuals for a wonderful weekend.

816 and 709:
You guys were terrific alliance partners. We gave the #1 seed a serious run for their money in the quarters, and I don't think anyone outside of our alliance really thought we stood a chance. Our team wasn't pleased with our qualification performance, and didn't really expect to be picked, and playing with you guys (and gals) in the eliminations lifted our teams' spirits.

To Shaun McNulty. Thanks for the help in developing the strategy in the elims and the extra pair of eyes off of the field. You were a big help for our shot at almost taking down the #1 seed.

341, 365, and 486:
We couldn't have asked for a better set of opponent's to lose to. Congratulations on taking the win (3 in a row for MOE!), and being incredibly gracious and spirited competitors. Daisy's magically repairing drivetrain was incredible to watch in F-3 (did you manage to shake the chain all the way loose or something?).

357:
You guys are a terrific team and it was a pleasure for me and the students to associate with you guys all weekend long. It's a shame we never got to be on an alliance together, and even more of a shame you guys didn't take home any team hardware. Just because you didn't win, it doesn't change what you've accomplished as a team, and you have every reason to be extremely proud of both your efforts and your results. Thanks for all the help you guys gave us, and congratulations to Kyle on his Dean's List selection.

To Pete Kieselbach, Jess Finkowski, and the rest of the volunteers:
I don't think I've ever had to delay for time during the eliminations because we were ahead of schedule before. It was incredibly how quickly you had this event running, and it was truly an awesome experience to work with all of you. Thanks for everything. I truly think Pete is the best FTA in the biz, and given how many I've competitions I've been to and my friendship with FTA's like Jeff Wetzel, that's nothing to be taken lightly.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

What an awesome three days.

So many people to thank, so many stories to share.

Drexel University: I am starting to realize that the venue itself is often a very underrated contributing factor to my enjoyment of a FIRST event. The DAC is just a wee bit too small for the people and energy inside, which is PERFECT. The entire building rocks all day.

Pete Kieselbach and the field crew: Thank you so much for making this what I believe was the best run FIRST event that I ever been to in my 10 years of involvement. When things are working great on the field, it spreads a sense of calm into the pits and into the stands, and everyone's day goes better. We brought plenty of rookies, parents, spectators, and new sponsors to this regional, and you really helped to make FIRST look great out there.

Lockheed Martin: Thank you for your new involvement and support of FIRST in the Philadelphia region! By supporting our team and many others at the regional (not to mention FIRST itself), you truly ensured that the program could reach as many students as possible. We hope our team made you proud! It is awesome to be able to go into work on Monday with the knowledge that my employer truly "gets it".

Team 87: Your robot is a heat seeking missile! We are so glad you guys were able to make it out there for SF 1-2, and you defended us as well as anybody has all year. We will wear the dents and bruises you gave us with pride!

Team 816: You guys really did have us on the ropes in the quarterfinals. See you in Atlanta!

Team 272: Sitting next to you in both the pits and the stands is an absolute privilege. You are one of the favorite teams of both myself and many of my teammates because of your spirit and enthusiasm, and the great and unique bots that you bang out every year.

Team 365: We did it (again!). Your robot's mid-zone sniping was the perfect compliment to our striking, and we bailed each other out time and time again. Miss Daisy had some chain problems early, but MOE was able to pick up the scoring slack. Later, when MOE was flipped, our drivers went on a rampage to empty the near zone. Good things happen when we are together. Thanks to John, Bob, Joe, Brian, and all the other MOE mentors that are an inspiration to us every year.

Team 486: You may not have been the flashiest robot on our alliance, but you were the most consistent. Your defense helped to open up the whole field so that MOE and Daisy had room to operate. And many thanks for helping get Miss Daisy back on her feet after we were hit by the rocket that is Diablo.

What happened in Finals Match 3: Early on, our driver noticed that the left side of our drivetrain was completely locked up. We had either jammed a chain, or rattled the axle on our input roller loose and into a wheel. Our driver - a rookie who is an absolute star in the booth - never gave up and tried everything he could to get it working again. Eventually, by thrashing the drive forward and backwards, he got the problem to rattle free - just in time to dive into the near zone and close out the match.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

First off, a huge thanks to teams 2729 and 1391. 2729 took a chance on us even after having robot issues for a good part of the regional. We came out in our last qualification match and had a great run with them.

The first elimination match with 1391 showed how this is truly a game of ball control and what happens when you have two robots that can pass balls effectively. 1391 - your vertical hanger was simple and effective, up there with the best. It's a shame things didn't work out for us, but I couldn't have been more proud of our alliance.

Thanks Sean. I was immediately impressed by the friendliness and maturity of 1712. This being my first year with 357, I was proud to see the students not being discouraged even after a rough two days of competition. Kyle Tress receiving one of the Dean's list awards made everyone's day; it was great to be able to celebrate as a team through his achievement.

Thanks to everyone who made the Philadelphia regional a successful event.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I must say, being a rookie team, everyone at the philly regional made it a great experience for us. Whenever we needed help (which was pretty often) a team was always there to lend a suggestion or a tool or whatever. Thanks again!

I felt we did pretty well, despite being the only rookie team to not win an award. We just had some mechanical errors at the worst possible times (our chains broke at the master link when we only had 1-2 matches to repair it. Turned out our frame had gotten bent. Then in our final qualifier a PWM cable came out of our spike relay so we had no compressor and therefore no kicker.)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Rob - As always, it was a pleasure working with the Iron Devils to help you out with your battery problems. After all, you did loan us some pistons early on to help us get our kicker going during the build-season. Storm Robotics is proud of our sister school team and its success this past weekend, make sure you spread that word to the other Iron Devils. Remember, we're a few miles away if you ever need anything!

From Team 2729, a HUGE thanks to both 357 and 1391 for being such wonderful members of the alliance. 357 - after that last qualification match, we knew that we could rely on you to be our striker and you definitely pulled through. 1391 - Holy cow (or moose), what a boot from that far zone, a clutch hanger, and a great moving robot. Ryan, you are absolutely right in saying that we couldn't have been more proud of that alliance. The best part of that alliance was that you were all awesome people to work with, it was easy for all of us to communicate and we had a TON of fun back there.

TO ALL OF THE TEAMS
Thank you for being the awesome teams that you are. Yes, the arena is tight, but everyone totally demonstrated class and gracious professionalism throughout the entire competition. Keep up the good work Philadelphia! You always continue to impress and raise the bar of excellence.

TO THE VOLUNTEERS, REFEREES, AND JUDGES
Thank you for working with all of the teams provide them with the best experience imaginable. You know you're doing an awesome job when we need to slow the competition down a little bit because we're moving to fast :D

BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE this next year. I am looking forward to seeing you all in the future!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Well I’m finally home from Philly, my feet hurt, I have no voice…but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.


First a few thank you’s:

Pete: You are by far one of, if not the best FTA in FIRST. You fix every problem before it starts and keep the field running smoothly. It is an absolute privilege to work an event that you are at.

Mike/Ducky: Great job at keeping the scoring table going, and letting me do my thing to build up the suspense. I had a blast talking to you all weekend.

Team Queing: You had those teams running smoother than I can ever remember. You helped keep the flow going and made sure the party didn’t stop.

Field reset: You are often overlooked but you have an amazingly important job, without you, we wouldn’t have done as well as we did.

Jess: Amazing job supervising the field. One of the tightest ships I’ve been on and it showed! According to Pete we had the fastest average reset time of any competition to date, and we had so much time we let the audience dance!

The refs: You have an absolute nightmare keeping track of all the action, but you did it with poise and grace. Anyone who has a problem with your calls should try reffing an event themselves then they will realize that your job IS NOT EASY.

Carol Kaufman: Thank you for giving me my shot at Philly, and inviting me back every year. Philly won’t be the same without your smiling face and energy

My partner in crime: I don’t know when it happened, but is seems like Chiniqua and I have taken over the Mid-Atlantic region. She’s one of the classiest women I know, and it is an absolute joy to work with her every year.

The audience: You have the most spirit of any event I go to. The time flies by and even though it is hotter than hades in the gym, you make it fun. Thank you for keeping the energy up and for putting up listening to my droning on for 2 days.


Now the congrats:

341: #1 seed, RCA, and winners? Not to shabby for a weekend’s work. Plus you showed the epitome of GP by using your time out to help your opponent (whether it was in the rules or not)

433: RCA at Pittsburgh and EI at Philly, you’ve always been a favorite team of mine, and now your hard work is starting to pay off.


341/486/365+103/56/1143: Those were some of the most intense finals matches I have seen. You definitely gave the crowd something to cheer about.


That’s all I can think of right now, thank you to those that I missed, and congrats to those I left out.


Philly has become my favorite event to go to, and I’ll be sure to come back year after year as long as you’ll have me.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

We complemented you guys perfectly: You guys could bounce balls to us, and we could strike them immediately back into the goal! It seemed like the only match where your awesome trampoline worked to its full potetional was when we were with you! I still can't get over how fast it deployed and went down.

I would like to thank 341 again for that amazing time-out that they gave us to help get 87 working again. The last match we played with you was great, with us losing due to a flap coming loose, and a penalty being assigned.

I would also like to say WOW another time to 365 for the amount of midfield shots they made with their truly awesome targeting system. We cant wait to play with you guys next year!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

On behalf of Team 56 Robbe Xtreme, I would like to comngratulate teams 341, 365, and 486 for their win this weekend. You guys sure put up a great fight in the finals and made it really exciting.

I would also like to thank teams 103 and 1143 for working with us in the eliminations tournament. We made up a great alliance on and off the field, and it was a pleasure to play alongside you both.

[b]341[b]- Taking the #1 overall seed, Chairman's, and the regional title was very impressive. It was a lot of fun to play against you guys in the finals. We tried to play some defense on you, but you were too good. Congraqtulations and we can't wait to see you and hopefully play with/against you in Atlanta.

[b]365[b]- Getting back together for another run at it this year would have been fun, but there is no other team we would rather lose to than you guys. These finals were some of the most exciting matches I have ever seen, but knowing that we lost to the best alliance there helps ease the pain. Congratulations on yet another Philly win and we can't wait to see you in Atlanta.

[b]486[b]- Trying to play defense on you in those final three matches was tough. You put up such a great and powerful fight that it was tough to hold you back. Congratulations on such and incredible win!

[b]103[b]- Working withthe Cybersonics this year was incredible. We put up a great fight in those final matches, and didn't make it easy for them. It was a pleasure to work with you and we hope to see you in Atlanta.

[b]1143[b]- Working with you was great. You were technicians in that home zone with just pushing every ball in that was fed to you. We had loads of fun working with you and we hope to do it again soon.

Congratulations to all teams on a great competition this weekend. We had tons of fun playing with and against all of you this weekend. We wish all of you the best and good luck to those who are making the trip to Atlanta in a few weeks. Great job teams!

We would also like to thank all of the volunteers and organizers of this weekend's competition. You made everything run smoothly and made it fun and enjoyable. This would not have been able to happen without you. Thank you!!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I learned that problem (and the solution) the hard way during the NJ regional. Just hot glue 'em in and it works like a charm ;)

anyway, I had a great time at the Philly regional, and would like to thank everyone there :)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

On behalf of everyone on MOE 365, we want to thank everyone involved with the Philly Regional for yet another memorable experience. We are privileged to call Philly our home regional and to have the support of our family and friends at this event.

Many of those we appreciate have already been thanked in previous posts, here are a few that deserve another shout out?

Carol Kauffman - you have been Philadelphia FIRST to us since day 1. We will miss you greatly. Enjoy your "retirement!" Don - we look forward to working with you more. We know you are a class act (and we want to see more of your hats)!

Miss Daisy 341 - thanks for picking us. You had a number of terrific teams to choose from. We are grateful that you selected us. With 486 as our third partner, we learned over the course of the eliminations how to utilize our collective strengths as an alliance. We love cheering with you guys! Also, congrats on all the awards, especially the RCA. Best of luck in Atlanta!

Drexel - Philly wouldn't be the same if it wasn't hot, crowded, and loud. That's what makes it exciting and vibrant. However, if it weren't for the Gracious Professionalism of all the spectators and team members, it would not be as enjoyable as it is. Thanks to everyone who waited patiently in crowded aisles or walkways for bots or others in the crowd.

Volunteers - What makes Philly great is the long-time relationships that are built and nurtured, especially among the volunteers Thanks to everyone who spend a few days of their lives giving of themselves, so many of us could reap the benefit. From announcers, emcees, FTA, pit empress, queuers, inspectors, crowd control, and everyone else. Thank you!

To those teams finished for the season, don't forget all the local off-seasons in our area - PARC, Battle of Baltimore, Monty Madness, Duel on the Delaware, Brunswick Eruption, Ramp Riot, and others. Our local off-season is really like a second FIRST season. Take advantage of the opportunity!

For those teams headed to Atlanta - all the best and safe travels!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I've finally found the chance to get my thoughts together from this past weekend and I believe some thank you's are in order.

Team 1712 - Thanks for stepping it up in Elims and for being so willing to try out some interesting strategy, we were close to toppling the number 1 seed. It was also awesome that your team was cheering so loudly for us throughout our elimination run.

Team 709 - You were my favorite defender at Philly. I never saw you gals get a penalty and your Defense was amazingly effective, we would've never pushed it to three matches without you.

Team 341 - Thanks for giving us a bunch of PWMs and offering to help after our robot went up in smoke. Congrats on the win, you definitely earned it.

Shaun McNulty - thanks for coming down and helping us out. It was awesome to have your assistance throughout the weekend. See yah at the Championship.

Brian Lucas - Thanks for helping us with our cRio issues, I doubt we would've gotten back out there Saturday morning if you hadn't helped us.

Pete Kieselbach and the Entire Field Crew, thanks for keeping the event running so smoothly and Saving our Robot by stopping the match when it started to smoke, and thanks even more for letting us fix it right there on the field so we could play the match out.

The Referee Team - Thanks for explaining all of the calls you made towards us, and helping us work through them so that it wouldn't happen again.

Finally, thanks to 816 for giving me this opportunity to Coach and making things so fun. You guys continue to get better as the season progresses, and now we've only got one place to go from here... The Championship. :D

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

On behalf of Team 341, I just wanted to thank a few groups and individuals involved with the Philadelphia Regional

Pete Keiselbach, the Philly Field Crew, Refs, and Volunteers
Incredible job. It is so important for the quality of everyone’s experience to have a consistent flow of matches. Your hard work made a huge difference. You should write down everything you did this weekend and pass it along to HQ. They could definitely learn a lot from this crew.

Carol Kauffman
Best wishes on your retirement. You built the best regional in the country and stayed another year to get Donald off to a great start. Your dedication to the advancement of students is unparalleled. We will never know how far and wide your positive influence on young people has traveled. We will miss you.

To Teams 56, 103, 1143, 639, 1640, 87, 816,1712, and 709
You are true competitors the outcome was never certain right up until the final buzzer. We played 8 out of the 9 possible matches with every match being close. Just amazing teamwork and competitive spirit by everyone involved.

To our Partners 365 & 486
We developed a true partnership this weekend. We had very few matches in which we were all working and on our wheels. I was really impressed with how you both picked up for our failings whenever we were in trouble. That was true teamwork.

Drexel U.
I also wanted to say how exciting it was to be back in the Drexel Gym. The Philly regional is crowded, hot, loud, and we love it. I always tell our team how fortunate they are to live so close to the most exciting regional in the country.

Best wishes to everyone traveling to Atlanta or preparing for the 2010 off-season.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Sorry to bust in on everyone's thanks and congratulations but, are the match videos going to be archived on TBA? I know Miss Daisy had the feed for the webcast. If so, did you guys archive it and are going to give it to TBA? I know a lot of us here want to see those matches! :)

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I'll have to check with Kir to see if she archived the regional. I know she was trying to do it. I am just not sure if she was successful in getting it to work.
I will get back to everyone in a day or so.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I know that some members of our team have videos of some of the matches--Il see of we can get them uploaded.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I've uploaded about 50 of the best photos taken by some MOEsters. There's some great shots - most have at least a little green in them, but not all. I'll take a few of them and post on CD-Media.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8285488...7623735599254/

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Had a great time on my vacation to Philly. Working with George, Chiniqua, Pete, Jess, and the refs is always a blast. I don't get to come often, but I think Philly has become my home regional away from Florida. Keep up the great work.

433: You all are one of the most fun and spirited teams I know. I'm already looking forward to seeing you again in Atlanta.

Ryan: Dude, next time I'm there we need to try to hang out more. how on earth did you end up on 357 anyway? it was great to see ya again!

And of course a special thanks to Bethany and her mother for picking me up from the airport, providing transportation to and from the event, and putting up with me for a weekend.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

So, I've got a picture request for all of those who had Cameras the Saturday of Philly:

Can someone send me any pictures they have of 816's Robot smoking, and the scramble to fix it that followed?

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

There's a great one in the set I uploaded:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/8285488...7623735599254/

Here is a small version of it:

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

I LOVE George's expression in the picture when MOE is upside down.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

George's expression when MOE is flipped is priceless, and that truely is a great picture of 816 smoking. I think DAWGMA has some more, so if someone wouldn't mind sending them to me or TheFro, please do.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Hello everybody,

I hope you are all recovering well from all the excitement this past weekend.
If you were at the Philadelphia Regional this past week have good pictures I would appreciate it if you could send it to me.

Also, any pictures you guys may have from previous years would be appreciated. We are trying to recreate the archive of images that was on the old Philadelphia FIRST website that was lost. So, to anyone: please send me pictures labeled with your team number and year.

You can send the pictures to either pross@usfirst.org or phil.j.ross@gmail.com

Thanks everybody!

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Here's a neat video from the event that Drexel's College of Engineering just posted on its Facebook page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo_mOwcszFg

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Awe, we [639] arent in the video :(. Looks like they took all their footage from one match. Also, that is the first fiddle+rap combo I have ever heard. Very unusual.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

6ABC was filming at the event on Friday; did anyone see the broadcast? I couldn't find it on their web site.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

The story is posted here but there is no video yet.

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Philadelphia Regional was amazing this year, here was my team's recap of how we did, feel free to check it out, also some of our pictures
http://wiki.team1640.com/index.php?t...lphia_Regional

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Hi every one, Great regional, looks like the 6ABC video is up, however it's blocked for me here at work, I'll watch it when i get home
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=6048479

in addition to that, feel free to check out my team's recap of the Drexel competition
http://wiki.team1640.com/index.php?t...lphia_Regional

enjoy

Re: 2010 Philadelphia Regional!
 

Hey, thanks for making that great write up!
Congrats on your first post: You were a great Ref at both FLR and Philly.

I would also like to say how impressed I am by your robots drive system, as we attempted to use the same type of swivel-wheels last year, and failed with the regalith. This year it worked great, especially as it gave a little bit of Umph against the ubiquitous mecanum robots.