As the driver for Team 122 I got a few interviews with the A&E Crew.
I can tell you that the interviewer from A&E was not looking for gracious professionalism. He would ask questions like (all quotes are paraphrased, btw),
"So after winning last year, do you think you'll come out on top this year??"
My responce - "I don't really know, I'd like to, but right now I'm just really happy to have made it this far and to have learned so much."
A&E - "but don't you really just want to go out there and win??"
Me - "Not really, I just want to go out there and hopefully show off all that our robot can do (which never ending up happening at VCU, btw)."
This kept going on and on. A&E would try to get me to say that I wanted to crush the other teams, I would always try to give the gracious professional answer. Needless to say, I was not in the show.
In conclusion, they were looking for exactly what they said they were - The Competition. Gracious professionalism does not (however unfortunate that may be) fall into that category. As for T166 and the comments aired, I don't think that there's a FIRSTer out there who doesn't understand and empithize with you. This episode about FIRST is a good start, but I see it as merely the beginning. Next year let's hope that there's a game that they can explain (although I must say that Jeff Seaton did a wonderful job trying! Go Jeff!). Thank you all, and good night.
~Tom~, who has gotten off his soapbox but thought that his comments should really be heard.
P.S. I just wanted to add on and say that I've heard from others that Grundy is a great group of guys (and gals, don't wanna leave you out) and I can personally vouch for Herndon. I had a great time with you all up in DC.