Re: 2011 IRI
 

Well, our team just got home shortly after almost 18 hours of travel time and two stopovers. :ahh:

For those that didnt make it this year, you really missed out on great exciting matches. Other than the fact that our team nearly had a heat stroke lunch time during our 19 match break, it was exciting finally being able to play with teams you only hear about year after year.

Thanks to all of the volunteers, especially Andy, Chris, teams 45, 234, and host 1024 for putting on yet another organized and fun-filled event. Having the silent auction, awards for participants, shows and shipping support really sets the example for other off-season and FRC regionals to follow.

Thanks to Team 33 for selecting us with the 3rd pick and to our alliance members 217 and 2056 for such a great alliance. Things went so smoothly from start to finish and no one ever complained. I'm sure match 77 had a lot to do with the selection (perfect score), and for that Jim, we are very grateful. To be able to contribute in the finals via the Thunderchickens, was such a generous act.

Thanks to everyone for allowing our team to have such a great time once again, as we are sure to come back in 2012.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Glenn,
It was great to play with your team this weekend.
I think that this may have been the first time we have ever played together on the same alliance. The results were pretty good:
- The first time we played, we got a perfect score together.
- The second time we played, we won the event.
I think we should play together more often :)

Re: 2011 IRI
 

soo much fun!! IRI was a blast.

on behalf of 2016, I would like to thank 1126 for picking us, we know our game was a bit off this whole tournament... but we had a blast playing with you guys and finally getting to play with PINK!!!! since DC we had been trying to get a match with these guys but I suppose it had to be at IRI

I will also want to include 3098 for great observations and adjustments during our couple of elim. matches, you guys are a solid team and i expect to hear from these guys more and more....

we were glad to be able to participate here..

Re: 2011 IRI
 

It was our pleasure to work with you guys! And don't worry about "being a bit off". A lot of teams were at less than full strength at IRI. The plus side is, your team, even "a bit off" is a very strong team, and a pleasure to work with to the end!

It was great getting to work with you and your drives team; it's obvious you all know what you're doing, as a very professional and easy-to-work-with team! I hope we get to play again somewhere next year!

So on behalf of 1126, I thank you for being such a great alliance partner! Putting up 123-ish points against 1114-987-67 is nothing to be ashamed of, and, had we faced any other alliance, I think we may just have come out on top.

Best of luck in the future!
-Leeland Somerville

Re: 2011 IRI
 

I completely agree! As Paul Copioli said, only at IRI can division winners, championship finalists not get picked until the last pick of the regular draft. And I'm glad we were able to pick you guys (as well as get you two matches with PINK). Even though you were "a bit off", I'm glas to have had the opportunity to learn from you guys in the short time we had together!

Re: 2011 IRI
 

I am so glad I got to go to this year's IRI. I had a blast!

Thanks to Andy and Chris for such a great event.

I was so excited to be able to judge the talent show this year! As snarky as we all were, I admire all of your students' bravery in putting themselves out there. Thanks to Karthik, Adam, Gina, and Billfred for being some awesome company up there.

Thanks to teams 303 and 1114 for letting me interview them for a project for work.

The IRI is always a fantastic event, and I was so happy that I didn't miss it once again.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Ouch. :)

I think this is a scenario no one considered because it wasn't a factor in the regular season.

I also believe the "IRI Version" of the game is going to be played at other off-season events, so this can be discussed and a ruling made by the ref crews at those events.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Best solution I've got: let the analyst hit tubes stuck on the nets back into play. If they knock off one of their own tubes, it's on them.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

From section 2.2.1
Based on this I would say that the Ubertube on the net was still 'on the field' and in play. Someone in the alliance station knocking it off the net should garner a <G58>. I agree with how it played out at IRI.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Bring back the pokey pokey sticks.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

A little late here, but the sentiment still applies...

Thanks to everyone who put together the 2011 IRI. The event was an amazing show from start to finish. The level of play was probably it's highest since 2007 or 2008, with so many teams bring their best efforts. Kudos to the IRI planning committee for making a couple of small rules tweaks that made the game substantially more interesting for both spectators and participants. By deflating the minibot scores and inflating the value of the bottom row of the rack, the last 30 seconds of the match became far more dynamic. It takes real courage to try and improve what was already a pretty good game, but once again the folks the IRI made it even better.

I want to give some special thanks to our alliance partners 987 and 67. This was our first chance we've ever had to work with 987 and I'm pretty sure all the Simbots are sick of listening to me talk about awesome these guys are. I've been in awe of your robots since your devastating machine in 2008. As for HOT, we got spoiled getting to work with you for two years in a row before the greats walls of Michigan of appeared. :P Having the chance to work with both of these amazing teams at the same time was a huge honour. Our strategy sessions were great and there was some definite on field chemistry between all three robots. All of us on 1114 are sick about how our miscues (radio resetting after the collision in SF1.1, and our first match of the entire season not scoring an ubertube in SF1.2, even worse putting the ubertube on the stupid net) cost us in the semis. We're sorry to have let you down, and will absolutely not let that happen the next time we have a chance to work together. Also, a shoutout to Team 1732, a team who easily should have been picked long before they came back to us. Seriously though, when you hear about an alliance of 1114, 987, 67 and 1732, doesn't that just sound like something out of a Fantasy FIRST draft? (Of course, basically every IRI alliance seemed that way this year)

Congratulations to the winning alliance of 33, 2056, 217 and 359. We knew we had to be absolutely perfect to beat an alliance as stacked as yours. Short story, we weren't perfect and you were. You guys had a well deserved victory. A special mention goes out to 2056. These guys had the worst possible luck at Championship this year, where they definitely deserved a better outcome. It was great to see them earn a well deserved win at IRI, and make a statement to all those out there who ridiculously called them "overrated".

Back to the insanity of IRI. 67 and 217 were second round picks? We're talking about arguably the two most dominant teams in FIRST since 2005! Phenomenal.

Finally thanks to everyone who bid on our elevator at the charity auction. We're very proud to have raised $450 for the IRI charities with the donation.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Perhaps the GDC should recruit people from the IRI?

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Thank you to Carolyn, Renee and Libby for organizing the NEMO meeting. It was great to see the room packed with mentors, networking, sharing concerns and suggestions for improving teams!

Re: 2011 IRI
 

IRI shirts that were ordered at the event have been mailed!

All were sent USPS, so you should see them in a few days.

Re: 2011 IRI
 

Got mine!