Bills Blog - Champs info

[XaulZan11]

I don't want to judge this decision without knowing the details/reasons and seeing how it works out but here are some thoughts:

--One of my favorite things about going to Atlanta was walking into the dome for the first time with a rookie student and having them exclaim how grand the dome looks with 6 fields on the floor. I hope this isn't lost in St. Louis.

-- The lack of qualification matches on Saturday (and longer days on Thursday and Friday) make me (and others who already posted) wonder if eliminations will start on Saturday morning. It would add an interesting twist to Friday night scouting meetings if you know the top 8 for sure.

-- As Mike mentioned below, perhaps two divisions will share the same field in the dome. If so, I think it would be interesting to have Curie Alliance selection, Newton alliance selection, Curie quarterfinals, Newton quarterfinals, Curie semifinals.... Thus, alliances would have additional time to strategize before each round.

-- I hope there is plenty of seating in the pit fields...

In the end I expect there to be some headaches and issues as it is a pretty drastic change from previous championships, but I don't think it will ruin the event. But, if teams want to back out of the 'train wreck', I'm sure I can think of some teams who would want to go

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

All I'll say now is I'm glad we didn't qualify.

Man... you don't think that is just being a TOUCH over-dramatic? C'mon... really?

[TJ92]

Originally Posted by Karthik

I'm fine with it. I have no problem playing in the pits.

I'm sure some teams, like your own, would be fine with doing this. However some teams, like my own, lack the cash most years to attend even when we are good enough. For the teams that only get to go once every 3 or 4 years it is greatly distressing to not get your money's worth. Like I have said previously I have never gotten the opportunity to attend the Championship Event. However if this is as bad as it sounds I almost don't want to be a part of it.

This sounds a lot like a MI District. While they are fine for what they are and preferable to regionals, I don't want the Championship Event to just feel like half district and half Championship Event.

For the sake of all teams attending I hope it turns out better than this. Teams that are good enough to make it deserve to have something special and sponsors deserve the money they donate teams to be spent better.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by JVN

Man... you don't think that is just being a TOUCH over-dramatic? C'mon... really?

I meant this more as "I guess there's a silver lining to not making it this year" but I'm not having a particularly good day with communication.

Since our first trip would be after 2011, FIRST will know whether or not this worked by then.

[BrendanB]

Imma be miles away from the pits when the switch over happens. EVERYONE will be in the pits when the switch happens so they can get good seats.

Intimate isn't bad but I feel that that is what happens at small regionals. I just feel like intimate/switching will be a huge headache and crowded/crazy always brings out the bad in people. Stand issues are already bad enough with saving seats and all and who knows how bad it will be in the pit fields when they switch.

FIRST just might be doing the locomotion... I'll just make sure I'm miles away when the trains collide head on!

[XaulZan11]

Originally Posted by TJ92

However if this is as bad as it sounds I almost don't want to be a part of it.

It won't be. This this a classic case of overly-dramtic complaining on CD. I don't always approve of the decision FIRST makes, but I have to believe they will be prepared and thought-out enough to ensure this isn't a disastor as some make it seem it will be.

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by TJ92

I'm sure some teams, like your own, would be fine with doing this. However some teams, like my own, lack the cash most years to attend even when we are good enough. For the teams that only get to go once every 3 or 4 years it is greatly distressing to not get your money's worth. Like I have said previously I have never gotten the opportunity to attend the Championship Event. However if this is as bad as it sounds I almost don't want to be a part of it.

This sounds a lot like a MI District. While they are fine for what they are and preferable to regionals, I don't want the Championship Event to just feel like half district and half Championship Event.

For the sake of all teams attending I hope it turns out better than this. Teams that are good enough to make it deserve to have something special and sponsors deserve the money they donate teams to be spent better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm eager to be playing matches in the pit, compared to what we had at the Georgia Dome last year. But given the choice between spending all our time in the pit fields, or moving back and forth and dealing with all the associated hassles, I'd take the pit in a heartbeat.

Anyways, before we all get worked up over this setup, let's wait and see what details emerge. It can't be as bad as everyone is making it seem.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by XaulZan11

It won't be. This this a classic case of overly-dramtic complaining on CD. I don't always approve of the decision FIRST makes, but I have to believe they will be prepared and thought-out enough to ensure this isn't a disastor as some make it seem it will be.

Hmmm over dramatic? Maybe.

I think what a lot of people are wondering is why? WHY is this happening if Jones is bigger? Why do teams need to move? At lunch teams need to pack up, move, and eat. Hopefully their will be a longer break to ease the rush of teams trying to get good seats again.

I hope FIRST really is thinking this through but it just doesn't sound like a good idea. I don't think releasing it without more details is good either!

[Justin Montois]

Originally Posted by XaulZan11

-- I hope there is plenty of seating in the pit fields...

I really don't see how they are going to have enough seating to accommodate roughly 86 teams for each field. Chesapeake has bleacher seating on each side of the field and it barely accommodated 60 teams.

[Chris Fultz]

Given the choice, I would rather play all my matches in one place or the other and not have the move 1/2 way through.

But I know for many teams and students, this could be their only visit to the Championship event and it is a very cool thing to be out on the dome floor playing, even if it is only for 1/2 the time.

We will make it work and adjust as we need to.

And, it isn't that much different from most regionals, where you are effectively playing "in the pits" because you just walk from the pits to the field to the stands - all one level and all close.

The other benefit is that we have students who are on the pit crew or talk to judges who never see us play a match at CHP due to the travel time. This solves that!

[JohnBoucher]

What does this mean?

Saturday
Closing Ceremonies, including the final FRC matches and award presentations are scheduled 4:00pm-6:00

What happens Saturday AM?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

What does this mean?


What happens Saturday AM?

Maybe they're gonna go all Battlecry and have 16 alliances. battle it out in all the divisions.

[Alpha Beta]

I wonder if they needed room for the Collegiate FIRST event in the dome.

April 20th is a long ways to wait for more information. It sounds like they are still working out the details. I wonder what kinds of things are still up for negotiation and how our comments here might influence the final decisions. This is not the kind of change I was looking forward to as the Championship Event comes to my home state.

[johnr]

I was wondering about saturday morning too. So if your not playing maybe you can get your room refunded and head home early. I say this in jest,mostly.

[miketwalker]

Originally Posted by johnr

I was wondering about saturday morning too. So if your not playing maybe you can get your room refunded and head home early.

I would say with almost certainty that if there aren't qualification matches Saturday morning (and alliance selection is on Friday), we will see at least a few teams leave the event after Friday to save money.