"i.am.FIRST -- Science is Rock and Roll" airs August 14th

[Joe G.]

Originally Posted by Barry Bonzack

Don't like it? Then lets change the culture.

"You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Barry Bonzack again"

The special did its job. It got our name out, and generated curiosity. Now, its up to us to change the culture.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Barry Bonzack

Don't like it? Then lets change the culture.

Barry, posts like this are why I love you.

And you know what? I don't like it. But this gives me an excuse to try to go out with my team and make them hit the community hard. (Metaphorically speaking)

[Frenchie461]

This is the big FIRST (yes I had to do that) step to spreading the word of what we do. People know what FIRST is, so the next step is getting them involved, whether that's getting them to watch a FIRST event, support a child/friend/relative in the program, or joining a team outright. This our big chance to spread the word and change the culture, let's not waste it. So in the words of one Leroy Jenkins, "Time's up, let's do this."

[Gir_450]

Originally Posted by Frenchie461

So in the words of one Leroy Jenkins, "Time's up, let's do this."

OMG he just ran in.....SEND BACKUP!

[R.C.]

Does anyone know if there is a place to download or view the show after?

Thanks,

-RC

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by R.C.

Does anyone know if there is a place to download or view the show after?

Thanks,

-RC

Check and see if it's on ABC's website.

[torihoelscher]

I think that this special was very beneficial and even the Jc Penney commercials were amazing at showing FIRST off. I am very impressed on how they put the culture and team's dedication to building robots. A lot of teams have been doing this for a long time and it shows their dedication and I'm glad the special emphasized on how serious building, competing, and sharing our culture is to us. I am very happy with this special. It was awesome!!

[JaneYoung]

Not having attended the Championship event this year, I had no expectations of what the Special would look like or how FIRST would be presented in a brief one-hour window. One of the delightful surprises that ended up being very emotional for me - was the commercials, especially during that first 1/2 hour segment. I was so proud to sit there and watch those commercials and say, "That's a FIRST sponsor! That's another FIRST sponsor! That's a FIRST sponsor!" It's great to see their sponsorship at events - it's a whole nuther level to see those commercials during prime time TV like that. It was made of win.

I loved the team profiles and realizing anew that every team has a story that can capture the imagination, challenge the status quo, and change the culture. It was thrilling to hear students talking about their futures in ways that they would not have thought possible before they joined a team.

It was also very cool to think about the Poofs getting nervous during competition. I've never thought about that.

.. Wonder if Will.i.am knows any country music folks...

Jane

[O'Sancheski]

Thanks will.i.am for producing and endorsing this great feature on FIRST.

[BrendanB]

Wait a second, people are nit picking tonight's show after will.i.am paid for everything and took his time to get our name out there? What more do you want?

Shame, shame, shame!


Thank you so much Will!

[Katie_UPS]

If you go to Will.i.am's tweeter page, you might be significantly happier. Its not ridiculous amounts of feedback, but there are two that make it worth it (in my eyes), plus compliments from Oprah (and everyone loves Oprah ).

EDIT: More than two.

[Walter Deitzler]

The next step in getting FIRST out to the public is selling lightbulbs. They make money for the teams but also spread the word about FIRST. If everyone gives a short speech about what their team is doing whenever they sell a lightbulb, the general public won't be able to help but notice us.

[DSM33]

What i found really interesting is that Will has mentioned multiple times that he wants to/already has plans to do another i.am.FIRST special next year which just confirms the reason of Bill stating in one of his blogs that the field setup will remain the same at Championships. This means another stage but I hope its not the Black Eyed Peas (not that i dont like them) so that it doesnt become repetitive every year.

I think that will.i.am may be one of the best things to ever happen to FIRST. Great show.

[skimoose]

First I have to congratulate Will.I.Am. He definitely lived up to his promise to make FIRST loud. There should be no questioning his commitment to FIRST now. All of the CD speculation after the Superbowl on whether that really was a FIRST logo on his headgear has been answered. Thank you again Will.

The special may not have appealed to some hardcore FIRSTers, but that wasn't the target audience. I think the program portrayed FIRST in a great light for those who know nothing about us. Having attended Championships and the concert, I was amazed by how much I missed seeing it live. It was great to be able to relive the whole experience. While you may feel that the special showed too much of the concert, that will bring in more students, mentors, educators, and more sponsors, and that music was what made this television event possible.

My only down side was that an hour just wasn't enough to cover everything. There was very little coverage of JFLL and FLL. I know these programs are robust and well established, but an interest story on at least the Champion's Award team would have been great. That's what I felt was missed most: Recognition for the Champion's Award (FLL), Inspire Award (FTC Hall of Fame), Chairman's Award (FRC Hall of Fame) teams, and at least some mention of the Dean's List Winners group. I think that would have helped complete the picture of what FIRST is all about. Those teams and students that "get" FIRST. Everyone loves the winners, but Dean has always said its not about the robot, so show what FIRST is about.

I also wish ABC/Disney had more belief in the project. They had a splash page on the ABC website, but I only saw three commercials promoting the special. Two on CNN the night before, and one on ABC Sunday morning of the show. So, I too would like to see the ratings for the show, I hope the numbers will encourage ABC or other networks to believe in FIRST and not just allow the program as a Will.I.Am personal project.

Our team watched the special as a group after our awards ceremony. Was the program successful? Emphatically YES! We all left just as inspired as we would be leaving the Kickoff Presentation each year. I could hear students talking about upcoming projects and other robot related things that they thought would be great to do. I heard parents, mentors, and alumni talking about the upcoming year and what's inspired them to volunteer and stay volunteered in FIRST.

Inspired... Yup, that's what the show was all about.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

"That's a FIRST sponsor! That's another FIRST sponsor! That's a FIRST sponsor!"

I'm not sure if everyone knows that will.i.am paid for the airtime from his own pocket. "The preceding was paid programming", just like the Sham-Wow infomercial. Perhaps he made a few dollars back selling those advertisements, probably not. Consider that ALL the pre-show publicity on TV was paid advertising as well.

What do you think an hour on ABC costs at 7pm on a Sunday night?

I thank will.i.am for producing and delivering this program. FIRST got a huge boost tonight. You can't buy this kind of stuff.

You know, I've been listening to will.i.am a lot lately, and my opinion of him goes up a lot every time I hear him speak. This guy is smart, really smart. If this entertainment thing doesn't work out, he has a future in engineering.