[AllThatJazzzz]

Wow, what a refreshing post to see. As a member of team 2614 MARS, which actually just returned from the Pittsburgh Regional, I can honestly say that my teammates and I were all thoroughly impressed with 1114. A remarkable, beautiful robot, operated by drivers with an incredible skill and prowess. My team has had their differences with Simbotics in the past but could not have been more admiring of them this past weekend. MARS students and mentors alike took many opportunities to point out what a force they were. As a matter of fact, we owe them a special sort of thanks for giving our rookie team, 3492 RoboGens, the chance to go to Worlds. Along with 1114's sister team Spartonics, it was truly a remarkable alliance--one that we were not ashamed to lose to.

I am a relatively new member of the FIRST community but it would be my sincere hope that everyone could learn to act with the Gracious Professionalism that my team has been so adamant about instilling in its members. 1114 plays to win--and they do. That's hardly a crime. MARS, for one, admires this team's reliable competitiveness. While we pride ourselves on being a 99% student-conceived, student-built, and student-run team, we simply interact with our mentors in a different way. 1114 has a different team dynamic and in today's world where winners are abhorred and mediocrity elevated, it seems that a team with a drive to win is ostracized....