[Raul]

It was hard or me to believe that Joe had not already been selected as an UFH. It is really very difficult to express all that Joe has done for FIRST. The very latest being the NBD implementation and white paper he inspired.

My very first memory (not the most vivid - Mike Martus already explained that one) about Dr Joe was when we started corresponding on the then new CD forum in 1997. The CD team was the only team to go to all 3 available regionals that year. I noticed that CD seeded higher and higher as they gained experience, so I asked Joe if he thought that going to multiple regionals was an advantage. I do not remember his exact answer, but I vaguely remember getting the impression from him that strategy was just as important as a good robot design. They proved that in the National finals against Beatty when they used a delay tactic to negate some of team Beatty's advantage of quickly capping with torroids. He inspired me to start think a lot more about strategy.

Well, I can go on forever about Joe, but I will stop now and conclude by saying that he is one of the most special people that I have gotten to know in the FIRST family of friends.

OK, one more - Joe, I do not mind playing the straight man for your gags, even if it gets me all wet!

Raul