[Michael Corsetto]

Maybe 2009 was the year of upsets? Such as 71 and 1114 losing in the quarterfinals, or 968 getting pinned and losing in the Semi's. I realize every year has upsets, but examples like these are pretty shocking to me.

More so than previous years, I think veteran teams' advantage came not from their robot but from their strategy. 217 this year stands out to me in this regard. It is fair to say that Lunacy was won by the dumpers, but 217, a turreted shooter, strategized the heck out of every match and had one of the most successful seasons in FIRST history. So maybe, as far as robot design is concerned, the playing field was leveled, but thats not all it takes to win. Powerhouse teams recognized better than most that strategy (and driver training) was incredibly important, and were able to develop superior game plans to get the W.