[JohnBoucher]

Originally Posted by David Brinza

Speculation is running rampant in this thread regarding a "big musical act" in the Dome following the finals.

There's some evidence to support this: a post indicating the fields were configured to accommodate a stage, a lack of information regarding the finale, (normally the hotel package includes admission to the finale event - no mention of that on the Steele Meetings site), and Dean's promise at kickoff of seeing Will.I.Am later this year.

If we're going to be "entertained" in the Dome after the finals, what are the implications?

Here are a few worth considering:

The weather in St. Louis is unpredictable. I know, I lived there for 18 years. Conditions might be beautiful, but it might just be cold and rainy in late April. Having the finale inside the Dome takes weather out of the equation.

In past years, I've seen teams streaming out of the Georgia Dome before the Finals were even finished. (Maybe they didn't want to stand in line for cold food?) That wouldn't happen if the "show" stayed in the Dome.

What about Dean's homework? Are we attracting spectators to FIRST events who are NOT part of a team? A free concert could certainly boost the crowd in the Dome. But will those spectators be engaged by the robotics competition or the FIRST program? Or worse, could this create crowd control and security issues?

Whatever is planned for after the Finals, I hope FIRST remembers the teams come to Championship to compete. Teams work hard to raise funds, build robots, and work around school schedules to travel to FIRST's showcase event. If teams leave feeling as if the matches were downplayed in importance at the event, then Championship might lose some of it's luster.

A security nightmare if true. Competition has always been open to the public. It would be impossible to keep the plans secret.