[Ryan Caldwell]

I'm amazed at how civil this thread has kept, kudos to you chief.

Robots break when they're driven hard, when they are driven to win.

I was able to speak with Paul immediately after the fall and assessment of damages. This was more than a 2 hour fix evident by the lack of full functionality in the elimination tournament. It's one thing not to be picked on the world championship stage, its another completely to decline when there is a possibility (no matter how slim) of getting things fixed and functioning.

I think Paul went above and beyond to talk to all 15 top teams and let them know what the odds were.

I think 1538 made a solid decision plus the first replacement bot was a good machine. Worst case you have world championship top 12 rank team as your third pick.