[Jared Russell]

There was once a time (not that long ago) when almost all rookie teams were cannon fodder for the vets. That is no longer the case.

Between the number of FIRST alumni who go onto start or mentor new teams, the way the KoP and tailor made COTS components have improved over the years (thanks AndyMark!), and the increasing quantity and quality of team-produced rookie mentoring material, you simply can no longer judge a robot by its number.