[Jim Meyer]

To me this question boils down to one very simple question: Do you want to see the best teams win?

Sure everyone can provide examples where things worked out different ways. If we assume that the seeding process actually works and puts the best teams at the top seeds, the serpentine draft works against those "best" teams actualy taking medals home.

IMHO, if FIRST wants us to achieve the recognition that sports like football, basketball, etc. have achieved they need to make it less of a science fair and more of a competition. The whole system seems to be designed so that any team can win. Wasn't it Woodie Flowers that talked about how false praise doesn't really do anything to boost your self confidence? Every year we have a "champion" who is... maybe the 65th best robot in the nation? (4 divisions, 8 top seeds and 8 first picks per division) It'd be almost impossible to have the best 3 teams in the country win the championship.

When "co-operatition" was introduced, it was sold as a model of the business world, where companies have to work together to succeeed. When introduced it worked quite well. You'd often have the top two teams at the event win. The serpentine draft system works against that mental model of trying to replicate the business world.