Quote:
Originally Posted by JB987
Can't wait to move our pit a mile away to arena where Einstein/closing ceremony would take place with this proposal  On another note regarding a two tiered system...FIRST has already indicated one of the motivations for the changes is to insure a large +/- 25% can benefit from the inspiration and experience of attending a Championship. Many posting in this thread have indicated much of that inspiration comes from "top tier/elite/whatever you want to call successful teams". Wouldn't a two tier system ensure that half of teams every year going to a "Championship" won't get the desired exposure to any of the top teams? As it now stands, teams at each event would at least interact with half of the top teams in a given year's competition.
Don and company (at the town hall) have indicated they are looking into ways for teams to cross geographic assignments and even mentioned they would consider ways to have champs from each event compete for a true world champion. Why open another can of worms with complex tiered systems when a simple compromise that results in a true champion could be facilitated? |
- First, many, many top tier teams will end up at the Challengers event. Based on this year under System A, from Northern California, 971, 846, 701 and 2085 would have been in the Challenger's event. I'm sure that others can list other similarly stellar teams that fall into that category. In addition, HOF teams that don't qualify for the Premier event would go to the Challenger event. Yes, the effect might be diluted, but the added 200 teams still would see top teams. And I don't think interacting with half of the top teams is a better outcome than with the FRC-wide excitement generated by having ALL of the very top teams in one venue. Diluting the field will dilute the interest.
- Second, sending the two "championship" teams off to play a final championship in front a few hundred spectators completely undermines the excitement that FIRST is trying to generate through the sports metaphor. The thrill of Einstein is felt by all of the spectators, not just the teams playing. Say focused on why FIRST constructed FRC in the way that it did. This isn't kids' soccer where everyone gets a trophy for trying. It's competitive to make it matter. If it doesn't matter then students will lose interest.
I posted about this in the Town Hall video thread: if the final championship just brings together the the top two alliiances in a different location, the top tier teams may decide that going to one or the other champsplit may not be worth the cost. They may decide going to a unified event like IRI is more attractive. IRI doesn't have many teams from the West traveling there now due to the cost, but that barrier disappears if those teams decide to go there instead of Detroit or Houston.