[cglrcng]

I snipped this from a post of mine in the "We are Listening" thread (and added a bit more)...Just some thoughts, suggestions, conversation.
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If you build it they will come. And come they (we) are, as we all spread FIRST far & wide with outreach (we / FIRST reward(s) that outreach, inspiration, and growth with the very highest awards FIRST has to offer...HofF, CM, EI, WFA, and much more), and along the way, that growth will have extreme costs (and HUGE Planetary HUMAN REWARDS),....So change is inevitable, we grow it, we must change with it.

FIRST will never be able to please ALL THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME, they know it, and we know it....Now, lets work together to solve the problems caused by our metoric growth and expansion of The FIRST Mission & Ideals...Which we should be celebrating, instead of cringing (or being angered), from/by its results.

FIRST is listening, and we as a group (a huge community), are some of the largest problem solvers I have ever witnessed in my 58 year lifetime. If you can design a system to snatch 2~4 of those RC's off the shelf in .02 seconds, this problem should be a snap to come up w/ a reasonable solution to determine a world champion in 2017, and far beyond.
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This year 600 Robots in 8 divisions in one place, 20% of all participating teams represented, next year the same (hopefully, but may drop again to 17% w/ more growth), and the following year (2017), 800 Robots in 8 divisions in 2 different places, 25% of all teams represented again.

(FIRST may need to actually back off that "Geographical Assignment or Placement," add in a single lottery the first year to determine whether each team is N/S, w/ 400 evenly & randomly going to each location in 2017, and after that add an odd/even last digit Team # switch of location every 3rd. year (odd the 3rd year switch/even the 6th year switch, or even 1/2 teams switch each year by lottery at season beginning), to mix up what teams play where each year so that all teams qualified & attending will have exposure to all other attending teams throughout a 4 year run). Someone else could run the math to get fair & equal exposure to all, exceptions could be made for financial hardship cases only, & on an even trade request basis only.

Add 1 final place in 2017 and beyond, mid-June (maybe FIRST HQ), where those 8 championship competing teams are rewarded w/ an all expenses paid (see the $50.00-$100.00 setaside from all 800 Championship Team entries idea below to finance that program), face off to determine a FIRST FRC World Campionship Title, in a Nationally televised best of 7, or best of 9 match event to see who the real World Champions really are. (I would go 1 further...allow after the 2 N/S event Winners~Just the last 8 Teams Standing, an unbag period of 3 weeks before the mid-June event, allow both Alliances to effect repairs, practice new drivers if graduating seniors cannot possibly move on, strategize, & cheesecake all they wanted).

Or, if that isn't agreeable, just ship all 8 of the robots to NH immediately from the N/S events bagged in the crates untouched from last match/no holdout allowance. 1 or 2 Truck(s)/ 2 weekends (Houston to Detroit, then...Off to NH w/ all 8 crated bots & 8 Sets of Team Tool Crates, etc)...Teams will see them in NH in 3 weeks or so. (Hey, I know where FIRST could find a whole lot of Grey/Yellow Totes to pack those tools in after this years Champs! They now own them). Now that...is true Recycling!
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There are other ways beyond the existing signed contracts years (I had discussed something like this w/ my wife last Fall)...1 Event site 4 Days 400 Robots/Teams. Then out w/ the 1st bunch...In w/ the 2nd. Bunch next 400 Robots/Teams...You (FIRST) stores the robots and pit gear for the winners only of days 1~4, they fly home/then back in for the finals on the last Friday PM/Saturday AM. Just the drive team and essential personell paid for say 12 of each (Each of the 4 teams can/may send the rest of the team on their own dime if they wish). The venue goes dark 1~2 days (Sunday~Monday), for cleaning & admin. to breathe. Back at it again big on Wednesday ~Saturday (Championship Matches Saturday Night like usual).

That way, the same venue/hotels/fields, etc. can be used, and it is still a true single location FRC World Championships. You move that around between 4~5 geographical locations N/S/C/E/W. (You are only inconveniencing 4 total teams...4 teams w/ a 50/50 shot at a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!) How many would actually turn that down? How many of us wouldn't help them if they really couldn't afford it? Not many! (FIRST could set aside $50.00~$100.00 of all 800 teams entry fee to Champs to create a fund for the returning 4 teams=$40~&80K=10K per team in financial help to return to battle 1 week later for the World Championship Title).

12 Team Members Ea. X 4 Teams X $600.00 Flight Avg. per person=$28,800.00/1 night hotel 48 X$100.=$4,800.00=$33,600.00 Total (gas money to get home or food Bal., or addl. airfare $6,400.00) =Very Doable! (Of course as FIRST, I'd be hitting up a Major set of Airlines or Other Major Corporations wanting top billing exposure, to Sponsor the returning teams playing for the Championships myself for both the home & back round trip flights! And building the returning teams 1 room night into the actual event contract.) </;-)~ (TV Rights could add to the revenue & 4~8 returning team help stream, if billed & sold properly).

(There would be no strategy that would help any team, as nobody would know who plays the week 1 winners, until they were even back in town and ready to play again on Einstein). Just attempt to strategize when you have no clue of who you will actually play. If a later date is chosen like mid-June, both alliances would know immediately following the 2nd. event...Strategize to your hearts content. Then meet on the Competition Field and playoff for the Wins & the Title. But, if there is additional travel involved for those 8 teams, make it a big battle, make it the SuperBowl Championships of FIRST FRC!

OK, there would have to be a televised production of the Championships, so the rest of those playing week 1 and back home would have viewing access as usual to the following Saturday Championship Matches. Invited Teams are rotated based on when they last played as far as week 1 or 2 at Champs (or by simple luck of the lottery draw each year).

With 8 divisions this year, you may visit other teams pits, but you won't really have much true exposure to many outside your actual Division. And in 3~4 days, can you really visit 599 other teams? (Working fieldside this year, I may even catch a glimpse of my own team occasionally...maybe! But I will get a good look at 1/8th of the teams present, about 10 minutes at a time. In retrospect, if it were 2017, that would be 1/4 of the teams present).
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Just throwing out some other future ideas here. (They promised those venues and cities 2 FIRST Championships in those contracts no doubt...Don't expect that suggested often FLL/FTC~FRC split to fly....Big chances it cannot now, no matter what! Nor, I think, would USFIRST ever want it to).

1 more thing...FIRST has never to my knowledge said it was a FRC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (except "The 2015 FTC World Championships" this year I just noticed on the main FIRST page logos...LOL) (The community did that all on their own), they bill it as "The 2015 FIRST FRC Championship!" Do the banners this year actually say "2015 World Champion / 2015 World Finalists?"

I know what participants say...But, what does FIRST bill it as? They are the Creators, they are MANAGEMENT. (We are Customers, The Community, Volunteers, Invested Owners, Participants).

We are growing, growing, GROWING! BIG Change is HERE! (So, get used to it!) Be the problem...Or.....Be the solution. Rant over. Ideas put forth...Take them, leave them, toss them all.

There's my $0.32 cents after reading 815...ummm, NO, now over 950 postings in 1 single sitting.