[Jon Stratis]

Disclaimer: The first and only time I actually sat in the stands this year was during Einstein matches (and my seats were way off to one side... I watched the matches more on the big screens than I did the actual field)

Here's a crazy thought...

Teams save a ton of seats because, at certain times (like opening, closing, and awards ceremonies) all of the team is in the stands. At all other times, those teams need way fewer seats.

So... why don't those larger teams clear out a section of "their" seats after opening ceremonies (you know, the ones for the people who go down to drive, work on the robot, give VIP tours, talk with other teams, etc), and invite smaller teams who may not have gotten great seats to join them? Show a little GP with those seats that stay empty though most of the matches! When it comes time for the awards ceremony, why can't everyone work together and shuffle over to let teams expand to include all of their members? Why does GP exist in the pits and on the field, but not in the stands? Lets get everyone to stand up before ceremonies and spread out a little... call it FIRST's version of the 7th inning stretch.

Something tells me people don't get all this upset because they have a bad angle to see the video of some politician saying how great our program is... They get upset because they want a better angle to view the matches.