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I thought the show was good. I especially liked how they looked specifically at a couple teams, and their experiences throughout the season. It was incredibly easy to relate to what Grundy went through (e.g. struggling to finish on time, running into trouble with weight limit, being mentally & physically exausted towards the ship date, etc...). A&E did an outstanding job relaying to the viewer what it is like for students and coaches to participate in FIRST.
On the other hand, I think A&E could have done more to show what FIRST is all about. Keeping in mind that it is an entertainment show and not a documentary, and especially that the show is labeled "The Competiton," I cannot complain about their approach (I thought it was great for the most part). However, it would have been nice if they took a minute or two to make it clear that FIRST is not just a competiton (it isn't just "all about winning", as they quoted a student saying early in the show). FIRST is a way of inspiring students (and the general public) to figure out something they want to do in life, and to look at technology in a different light. Instead A&E seemed to highlight some more negative aspects of teams (I seem to recall terms such as "morons!" and other similar comments among teams)... While in reality the competitions are still 99% graciously professional.
Although the A&E show was nice, let's hope next years game will allow us to get a lot more publicity, and that we can do better than being compared to people who make chicken noises.
Patrick
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