Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

Here's a list of all the championship winners just to avoid any confusion...

2011
254
111
973

2010
67
294
177

2009
67
111
971

2008
1114
217
148

2007
177
987
190

2006
217
522
296

2005
67
330
503

2004
71
494
435

2003
111
469
65

2002
71
173
66

2001
71
294
125
365
279

2000
255
232
25

1999
176
1
48

1998
45
1997
71

1996
73

1995
100

1994
144

1993
148

1992
126

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

Ok that brings up another question, who deserves it more: 233 or 16?

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

There's been a multitude of posts previous to this that have backed up 233 a lot, so i would imagine the consensus is 233. 16 has been around longer, but i would give the edge to 233, because of their consistency. 16 was only an average team in 06 and 07, and has been one of the best, if not the best, in other years. But 233 has been fantastic throughout, maybe excluding their 2009 year.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

16 has been consistently good since 2008, but 233 has been pretty much as good or better in each of those years, with more success in 2005-2007.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

In Einstein SF1-2, the un-penalized score was 122-114 for the 968/233/60 alliance. The 968/233/60 alliance took four penalties that match. Two of the penalties were for G22, backward line cross violations, while the other two were for hurdler interference. Each one of those hurdler interference penalties cost our alliance an 8 point hurdle. After it was all said and done, the final score of that match was 114-82 for the 1114/217/148 alliance.

That match was especially intense as we hadn't realized that the angle on our arm was off, and as a result we missed 5 hurdles and left a ball on the overpass in autonomous. (We missed more hurdles that match than we did all season long.) I'll never forget the feelings of fear I had as we missed each hurdle, and the audible gasps from the Georgia Dome crowd as they were stunned by what they were seeing. Watching that match is still a bit painful for me. Thankfully for our alliance, Team 217 played their best match of the season and were able to make up for our short comings.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

I agree that overall 233 has been strong, but let's not forget how dominant 16 was from 1998 to 2000 (2 Regional Wins, 2 Finalists, with some of the best robots I've ever seen). Along with a very strong run from 2002-2004 (3 Regional Wins, 2 Finalists, all in an era prior to the dilution of regionals).

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

Well from my POV, the order of the top 3 most deserving teams that have not had their glory moment would be: 233, 16, 968/1625/2056. 968 because they have had consistently an amazing team and well conditioned robots, 1625 because they are one of the kindest and well-mannered teams in any situation they have been put in...oh yea, and they build some of the best robots each season, and do I really even need to list the reasons for 2056 lol 11-0 speaks for itself.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

I'd like to playoff of Karthik's last point a bit. Regional wins meant a heck of a lot more in the late 90s and early 2000s than they do now. There were a lot fewer regionals back then, and until around 2002 or so you could guarantee at least a couple real powerhouse teams at each of them (or during the late 90s, several powerhouse teams). After around 2005, the increasing number of teams and regionals has led to a dilution. While nothing against teams that rack up regional victories today, winning multiple regionals just doesn't mean the same thing as it used to.

No offense to 1114, but I don't think even they would argue that any of their three win seasons (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011) meant as much as 47's three win season in 2000.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

I'd probably argue the fact that they have FOUR three win seasons probably does, though.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

We absolutely wouldn't. What Team 47 did in 1998 was and will remain unparalleled. Not only did they win three regionals in an era prior to dilution, but they won them in the pre-alliance era. This means they had to overcome every team at the event, with no one to fall back on in case of a bad match. Absolutely insane.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

I'll throw my nod towards 233. Absolutely beautiful machines year after year. I'll never forget their epic 22 tetra match from 05.

I also have to tip my cap to 16. I'm so glad to have seen the resurgence of the Bomb Squad over the past few seasons. In the early 2000s they were building the best robots in FIRST. Their cams from 2004 are still one of my favorite mechanisms.

-Brando

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

Just to clarify how insane that 3 regional season was in order to beat what became team 177 that year in the New England regional it went to the 5th tie breaker!!! We were both capable of putting up the same ridiculous score. The winner was determined by who had the highest ball of their color in the goal.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

There are so many teams that could be mentioned I figured I had to come up with some criteria to help with my argument. My opinion is that a team must have made Einstein at least two times to really be considered one of the best to have never won championship. This eliminated 16, 121/78, 2056 and 1625 from my list. That left me with the following teams: 233, 60, 175, 968, 1218, 33, 340 and 1126. From that list my pick was 233, followed closely by 33 and 1126.

The PINK team builds some of my favorite robots year after year and they are always there in the later rounds at championship. Their 2005 robot is easily one of my favorite robots of all time.

The Killer Bees are a team that I have had a ton of chances to interact with here in Michigan and were an easy pick for my personal favorite team to have never won championship (excluding mine of course). If there is a spot for team that I want to win to championship they are easily the pick there.

Finally, I think 1126 has been one of the most underrated teams in FIRST for several years. I don't know if it is their region or something else, but I don't think these guys get quite as much respect as they deserve.

I would like to give a special mention also to 60, who has probably the least luck when it comes to Einstein out of any team in FIRST. Their three trips to Einstein were 01, 02 and 08 where, unfortunately for them, three of the greatest robots ever awaited them. (Another weird thing that I find interesting is that the 08 Newton alliance had 968, 233, and 60, all three teams with cases for the Best Team to never win championships)

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

So long as we're tossing out "other great teams to never win," I'll submit 64/39 into the pile. Between the two team numbers, they have at least seven regional victories (and two more regional finals appearances) and two trips to Einstein. 64's 2005 season is still the most awarded season in FRC history, as they took home 13 trophies, including being crowned Galileo champs and winning the Las Vegas regional.

Re: Best Team Never To Win at Championships?
 

I miss the days of 60 and 64 dominating...