Quote:
Originally Posted by robotlover77
Sircedric4 your team is to be commended for the example of gracious professionalism you exhibited. As an impartial observer of the entire regional I am absolutely sickened by what transpired. There was a collective rumble that went through the crowd of non Arkansas spectators as the ultimate result was revealed. There is a large faction that saw this for what it was. The fact that the regional winner was determined after the match, based on foul point assessments, after a good deal of elapsed time, with the outcome ultimately favoring not one, but two home teams is suspect in and of itself. The fact that the driver of the team that won, 16, shares the same last name as both the Regional Director (Novak) and another member of the Arkansas Regional Planning Committee seems to me in and of itself a huge conflict of interest. Additionally, a judge was a senior engineer from Baxter, sponsor of the winning team. Considering the outcome I think it is highly suspect and at the very least deserves investigation by FIRST. Had it been a clear victory this would not be a consideration. Anyone that thinks this was a clear victory is either delusional or dishonest. I didn't have a dog in the race and came into this completely impartial. I am just a fan of FIRST and a believer in fair competition. This was a sad, sad day for FIRST.....
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I can't believe what I am reading.
I've been involved in FRC for five years, and FIRST for eight years total. I've seen a lot of good, and a lot of bad. Now, if you were to ask me, at this very moment, which team best exemplifies the spirit of FIRST and "Gracious Professionalism", I'll say Baxter Bomb Squad every time...
I'm appalled that you would accuse one of the sweetest, most professional acting, most generous, and perennially virtuous teams in the history of FRC of rigging an event. Team 16 is a Hall of Fame team, which means they've been awarded the highest honor in FRC. I can't even imagine for a second a scenario where 16 would even consider doing anything like what you're accusing them.
Not only are you attacking the team, you're attacking one family in particular. John and Meredith Novak have been a crucial part of FRC in the Midwest for as long as I've been around the program. There is no doubt in my mind that Team 16's honorable actions partially stem from their involvement with the team. If you ACTUALLY knew the family, or ACTUALLY knew what you were talking about, you'd most likely take all of these ridiculous accusations back.