2011 Lesson Learned: The Negative

[Grim Tuesday]

I think the biggest issue was the difference between the qualification game, and the elimination game.

In quals, it was still to your disadvantage to play defense, despite the system being changed this year.

Furthermore, with many low scoring matches (remember regionals, guys, not just champs!), many of them were decided by whomever had the best/working minibot. Once eliminations rolled around, minibots became much less important.

This meant that teams who were minibot specialists, and weren't so great at scoring got seeded high(er) than they should have, and ended up losing.

I also disliked how the GDC made a way they "wanted" the game to be played, and it did not involve defense. They went so far as to change the rules such that certain varieties of defense we illegal...5 weeks into the season.

Also, I felt that they game wasn't too approachable to those outside of FIRST. Your doing what? People say. Hanging logos. How can you hang a logo? Then you would have to explain that it was actually inflatable tubes shaped like pieces of the FIRST logo.

It felt a bit like an advert for FIRST.

Finally, I'm not a fan of Will.I.am. Sure, he's cool, but is he the new cool? He obviously doesn't 'get' FIRST, as his "it's dope" comment at kickoff notated. We don't need celebrities, performers, or anyone else to help us feel cool. I would rather Andy Baker be at champs than Will.i.am.

Now, dont get me wrong, I had a great season, so after I finish my homework, I can get off my soapbox, and go into the positives thread!