[SilenceNoMore]

I have chosen not to use my real name or state for fear of retaliation against my team. What I am going to say is going to upset a lot of people.

This year has by far been one of the most disappointing and frustrating years that I have participated in FIRST. I have never in my entire life encountered so much incompetence, ineffeciency, and unprofessional.

Where do I start? The kit of parts was absolutely a mess and when replacement and extra parts were ordered they took weeks to get their destinations. Overnight means two weeks in their book. I have come to the conclusion that FIRST is propping up companies that would otherwise fail in their free market. Parts in the kit were substandard, especially the drill motors. If FIRST is strapped for cash, they should not include as many parts in the kit or raise the entrance fee, no provide poor quality parts to the teams.

At the two regionals we attended, the field crew and refs were rude, unprofessional and generally treated everybody like first graders. I guess they don't think that this punchline "gracious professionalism" applies to them. I personally witnessed refs dismiss questions, mock some teams robots as "crap", and even grab one of my teammates when they simply asked a question of a ref. His crime? He was blocking a walkway. At our second regional, the refs didn't seem to understand the game because they missed the practice rounds and were seemingly not paying attention during the games. At the first regional, the refs looked like they would blow a gasket at any moment, they were so high-strung. It was ridiculous!

If you were a field crew member, please stop treating us like five year-olds and show us some respect! We aren't out to get you! We are not the enemy!

The scoring and annoucing systems were also appalling. Not only did FIRST get our team sponsors and partners wrong (despite the fact we updated the TIMS info MONTHS before kick off) they only announced them during the first matches and they didn't even bother to put them up on the board before a match. What happened to last year's system? Why did it look like they threw it together in Flash the morning of the practice rounds? FIRST has got to understand that many companies are buying advertising space, nothing more. Hopefully, not many sponsors showed up to the event because, they would of been miffed at the lack of recognition. If their name is not getting maximum exposure, they will not sponsor a team. FIRST is certainly NOT helping teams get more sponsors in that regard.

Some teams totally subverted the idea of gracious professionalism this year. I personally witness many teams lie, cheat, and practically steal in order to be recognized as "gracious professionals". One common practice was for a team to go out and make a list of spare parts that each team had. When one team was looking for a part, the team with the lists would go a team with the part, claim they needed it themselves, and give it to the team requesting the part without any mention that they got it from another team. It is for this reason, that I cringe when I hear the term "gracious professionalism" because I know it has become nothing more than a punchline.

I would like to think that Dean Kamen is helping the situation, but he is not. He is just as responsible for the current environment in FIRST as anybody else. His perception of the world is totally skewed and out of wack. He honestly believes that he is preparing for us for the real world. He is not folks! In the real world, suppliers who mistreat their customers go out of business. In the real world, people see past bs and brown-nosers. In the real world, people who are incompetent are fired. Dean Kamen's visions are so totally wrong. Does honestly believe that cities will be redesigned for his Segwey? I would beat him with a picture of Barry Goldwater for even proposing that we waste billions of dollars of the American People's money for his own silly little transportation device. Harsh? you bet! True. I think so.

Thats all I am saying for now. More will come. Trust me.