Battlebots sponsorship?

[Dallin]

How would everyone feel towards a Battlebots sponsored team?

[David Kelly]

....all the power to them. if they are inspired into engineering, science, and technology it shouldn't matter who sponsors them. i think it would be neat to see BattleBot teams crossing over to FIRST. I know there are a few of FIRST teams that go into BB right now, or have gone there all together.

[Dallin]

The reason im asking is because I've seen the tension between "Battlebots and FIRST" and I've competed in both myself. We are starting a new team(we split off from the old one) and Battlebots might be a sponsor. I wouldn't want to be treated differently or even talked bad about because of this.

[Brandon Martus]

One thing I could see happening (however dumb it may seem).. people will see BattleBots as your sponsor and think "Oh, they're out to destroy. they are going to hurt us." and any un-intentional bumping, damage, etc. could come off as your inner-BattleBots-spirit coming through. Destroy-destroy-destroy.

Other than that -- robotics is robotics is robotics. If you're inspiring youth & learning stuff -- its all good.

[Matt Reiland]

Without having a chainsaw on the front of your robot I think it would be great. I wouldn't worry too much about people thinking you were out to get them. In all reality most of the FIRST bots are over engineered to take quite a beating anyway.

Hopefully you won't charge up your pneumatics with 2000psi Liquid CO2 and send us into the roof.

They have quite a few topics over on the Battlebots Forum on, of all places, 'Delphi Forums' most of them flat out wonder why FIRST people don't like them since the two are very similar.

[Alex Forest]

aside from the whole, destruction vs cooporation thing of course...

[Matt Reiland]

Originally posted by Alex Forest
aside from the whole, destruction vs cooporation thing of course...

There is so much more to Battlebots than just the 3 minutes that are shown on TV and hyped up on Comedy Central. The build and the Pits are VERY similar, as is the design of mechanisms that always try to give you the edge over your opponents. Most of them now are starting to use the IFI control system.

You want to be sponsored by Battlebots, I say go for it.

[Joe Matt]

I would welcome a BB sponsorship over BBIQ. IF we can see an obvious leaning towards the standards of BB (such as not being gracious on the field or a violent bot), then I'd argue against it, but lets not bring up all the stuff here, this is for sponsorship, not a BB vs. FIRST debate.

Thanks.

[Andy Baker]

I cannot see any real arguements against having a BB sponsorship for a FIRST team. It would be excellent. You would get alot of attention... most would be good ("hey, that's cool, BB is sponsoring a FIRST team") while there may be a loud minority who may whine or complain about it. Don't let them get you down.

A BB sponsorship for a FIRST team could be an olive branch between the two organizations... I hope you can make it happen!

Andy B.

[Joe Troy]

Dallin, I don't know much about your team beyond the team name and sponsors listed on the FIRST website (NASA/Environmental Aeroscience Corporation/Starbot Inc. & STAR Academy), however, I do know that a sponsor that is committed to student achievement and to the ideals of the FIRST Competition is invaluable. If Battlebots wants to be that kind of sponsor and supporter then the FIRST community should welcome their involvement.

Good luck in your partnership...I hope the team and students find success!

[Jeff Waegelin]

I think it's a great idea. I like the "olive branch" aspect of the whole thing, especially.

[BSMFIRST]

I think it's a good idea. I'd definitely play down the sponsorship though. It may come off as a trojan horse advertisement.

Is this just an idea, or have you talk to BattleBots about this?

good luck
Dan

[Dallin]

Battlebots has agreed, but it's basically in the air as far as if we're going to put their name on our shirts or whatever. I was just wondering how we'd be treated if we did.

[dlavery]

Go for it. If BattleBots really is able to sponsor your team, then I agree that the "olive branch" aspect will be helpful. FIRST and BattleBots, although they approach the issue from VERY different perspectives, are both pursuing some common goals. And I would be surprised if any of the teams that truly practice gracious professionalism would give any team a lot of flack for the sponsorships they have gathered.

But your question brings up an interesting point. I have never seen it explicitly written down anywhere, but there seems to be a de facto policy in place that says teams don't seek sponsorships from tobacco companies, liquor companies, adult publications, used car salesmen, or the U.S. Congress . I suspect that this may be defined at some level by the policies of the individual schools supporting the teams, but you never know. Are there sponsors from whom you would never accept support? Or from which FIRST should never accept support? Has your team ever discussed the "quality" or "corporate values" of the sponsors that you seek?

-dave

[Gadget470]

Are there sponsors from whom you would never accept support? Or from which FIRST should never accept support?

I think as long as they fill in one of the following pre-req of 'Products legal for minors to be involved with' and are willing to sponsor, they should be welcomed by teams and FIRST.

Products legal for minors to be involved with encompasses every team's current sponsors, i.e. beverage companies, pharmecudicals, local stores, banks, engineering companies, etc, and also leave out things such as tobacco and alcohal.

I don't believe a high-school program should be getting funding from something such as a cigarette company, even if it's financially only. The message just isn't right and there is no way to construe it as being a good thing. There is more to a sponsor than just their money, a relationship is formed between the students and sponsors and it's not good for students to have the thought that 'these people (tobacco, alcohal, gun shops) are good people and it's good that they sell what they do because that in turn gets us money'

Any company with a product that either negatively effects people or is illegal to be used/possessed/handled/etc. by high schoolers should not be a sponsor.