On "graciously" accepting

[Emily Pease]

I know that "gracious professionalism" is a huge part of FIRST, but I was just wondering if anyone knows when or how the "graciously accepting" (in the alliance selection ceremony) started.

I actually think that calling oneself "gracious" is itself ungracious, and it would be better if, when called to join an alliance, the team captain said: "Team [000] humbly accepts team [000]'s gracious offer."

Just getting caught up in semantics...

[Elgin Clock]

I think someone posted that "Team 0000 graciously accepts" is actually bad english, and it should really be gratefully in that instance.

But, I"m not sure what the "correct" thing to say would be, due to that issue and the other issue you brought up.

I think they should get A for effort anyways if they are accepting that way, and not just saying, we accept, or other things I have heard for people declining in the past which weren't so gracious.

[Greg Ross]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I think someone posted that "Team 0000 graciously accepts" is actually bad english, and it should really be gratefully in that instance.

I was the one who wrote that "gratefully" is probably the word that was meant when "we graciously accept" was first uttered. I didn't say it bad English, though. Grammatically, it's perfectly proper.

If I were to describe another team's acceptance as gracious, I would be saying that the team might reasonably have been expected to turn down the offer (possibly because they could do better with a different partnership), but in a show of grace, they accepted the offer. To describe ones own actions thusly, is definitely not gracious.

[Joobacca]

This is a graciously awkward thread

[Bill_Hancoc]

I dont know about other regionals but GLR was was an all out adverb fight "figurtavly of course" but i was kind of irritated by the teams almost trying to one-up each other for a better "gracious" synonnym but i agree that just a simple yes is just fine and some times others are read into too much

[Alex Cormier]

I remember in one regional, probably Buckeye '03. One alliance started that around 3/4 then every team that had accepted said it also. It's just a a thing one team does and other reply as the same.

We also had this chat after FLR a few of us. It doesn't always work when you put the word gracious infront of anything. Think Battle bots, after a winning match do ya go over to the loser and go we "Graciously kicked your butt"!?

[sanddrag]

Instead of "Team XXXX graciously accepts" how about just a big "yeaaaahhhhh!" ?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Instead of "Team XXXX graciously accepts" how about just a big "yeaaaahhhhh!" ?

Our mechanical mentor tried convincing the person that was representing our team to go "Yeahhhh booyyyyy!" (think rapper style) when we were asked to join an alliance. Lets just say she graciously declined that offer.

[!DOM!]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Instead of "Team XXXX graciously accepts" how about just a big "yeaaaahhhhh!" ?

i know right

[Priyadarshy]

how about saying, team 612 is ready to win

or is that un gp

[Astronouth7303]

Today at West Michigan Regional, no one said "graciously accepts".

Personally, I said, "Yes," at the suggestion of an alumnus.

[Justin 188]

gracious
–adjective
1. pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.

Saying "graciously accepts" is grammatically correct, but I agree, that's not an appropriate word to use there. Being "gracious" is only a distinction within the context of competition; when you co-operate it should be a given.

'Gratefully', 'humbly', 'proudly', 'enthusiastically', those are all much better words than 'graciously'.

[Bruce C.]

Team 647, being an Army sponsored team, and having a heavy military influence, has a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for our Alliance picks.

If we're an Alliance Captain, and doing the picking, we always say, "Team 647, The Cyber Wolf Corps, would like to Enlist team XXX."

If being invited by an Alliance, our response is. "Team 647, The Cyber Wolf Corps, is Reporting For Duty."

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Justin 188

gracious
–adjective
1. pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.

Saying "graciously accepts" is grammatically correct, but I agree, that's not an appropriate word to use there. Being "gracious" is only a distinction within the context of competition; when you co-operate it should be a given.

'Gratefully', 'humbly', 'proudly', 'enthusiastically', those are all much better words than 'graciously'.

Well said. Saying "graciously" is a tradition we should lose, as it makes people sound pompous. Whenever I hear it I picture hedonism-bot from Futurama marveling about how wondrous he is to accept.

Still, alliance selection is the brief pause in the chaos, and a clever or funny acceptance phrase keeps the fun part of the competition in the spotlight. Thank you all who put forth the effort to be witty.

[Vaillancourt88]

One for the old-timers:

YOU LIKE US!! YOU REALLY LIKE US!!

Our team strategy--We get asked, we accept. We will give our best effort to any alliance!