[Andy A.]

My biggest fear, possibly unfounded, is that this game will go the way of numerus other years games.

FIRST has, for better or worse, started a trend in the game of a single, relativly easy big scoring item. I take this to be a token for rookies, so they have something they can do and still have a shot at doing well.

The problem comes from 90% of every other vet team realizing that they can control the game by controling that one scoring object. Last year it was the hill. The year before that it was the three goals. This year, it is the bar.

I really, really fear that in the first 30 seconds, every bot that can is going to go right for the bar, and there will be a royal slug fest between all 4 bots and who gets to hang. The number of ball handlers this year pretty much shows how weighted the game is to that 50 point bar.

Maybe this is because my team can't hang. But still, who wants to watch 2 minutes of pushing and shoving over a silly bar? I don't blame the teams that are going for the bar at all- it's probably the winning ticket. My team realized that, we just decided that we'd rather stay out of that and do something a little bit diffrent.

Speaking for my self, I would much rather play a fast paced and dynamic game then a pushing match followed by a minute of watching my 'bot dangle.

I'm sure many will start posting reasons why I am completely off base, and there are so many ways to score points. Go ahead. It won't change my outlook on the game or what I think is likely to happen. The only thing that will change that is never seeing it become a trend in matches.

-Andy A.