[Cody Carey]

WARNING: I'm going to post a differing opinion than almost EVERYONE in this thread.


A refund would not cause people to cheat any more than they already do. The fact that you shelled out $10,000+ dollars just to play the game means that you wouldn't have anybody in it "just for the money". The $2,000 refund/break in costs next year would only serve to help the winning team "stay alive" and compete next year.

Professional Fighters get payed to win their respective competitions, and I haven't seen a more Graciously professional group of people. They spend 15 minutes hurting each other, trying to win... and get up, shake hands, hug each other, and all is forgiven, because that is what they do.

How about that DARPA robot race from L.A. to Las Vegas? They get a $1million prize, and that doesn't even begin to cover the costs. It didn't spur cheating, It didn't turn the competition into bloody Maul, and it most certainly didn't decrease their degree of Gracious Professionalism.

Now, I think that the Ideal prize would not be raw cash, but a refund of the cost of the regional/championships event that has been won. (I say "won" not to reference any particular award)

I know that a cash prize of some sort wouldn't motivate me personally, as it would go to the team... It would just be a Pleasant bonus at the end of a regional to know " Wow, the team coffers are a little less in the red".I would go as far as to say that it wouldn't motivate "good", "graciously professional" people to cheat at all, as they already know the right path.

And I leave with you a wonderful quote that I stumbled over somewhere near the 4th page of research for this post:

"Any time you do something, you're out there in front of God and the world. It's pointless to get too wrapped up in winning."


-Cody