Toughest regional?

[santosh]

I think that peachtree this year will be a clash of the titans

[Squeakypig]

MSC is always a good one. Last year for Logomotion it wasn't overly exciting, but all of you who watches the finals for Breakaway at MSC know what it can entail. 217, 67, and 2612 vs 1918, 469, and 2834. You have 3 world champions (2 of them being multiple-winning world champions) and 5 matches of heart stopping action. That's right, 5 matches, all thanks to HOT hanging after the buzzer in the first match and not being able to do so in the rest of the matches for the win. To this day, it is my favorite match I have ever seen in FIRST history...closely followed by watching 71 Hammond crawl it's way to victory.

[avanboekel]

Midwest will be a good one with 111, 16, 148, 1625

Toughest NEW regional will be Central Valley. 254, 1717, 973, 968 (I think), 330, 971, 368, and a bunch of others!

*To all of those teams, 256 would LOVE to alliance with you.

[Koko Ed]

I think one day the chmpionship will be the toughest event around (even tougher than MSC) once FIRST completely converts to the District models (gripe about it all you want this is the future of FIRST and it's the right thing to do) teams that are more competition ready will be at teh championship to do battle.

As for non district regionals my top three are:

1. Connecticut Regional - There is is some seriously sick depth at this regional.
2. Queen City Regional - Every year there is a brand new regional that gets blessed with big name teams showing up to coronate it with their presence and this one is it.
3. Central Valley Regional - Another new regional getting the royal treatment with some heavy hitters on the West coast (and TKM from Hawaii) at the expense of Las Vegas which is usually the most powerful regional due to the presence of these teams. Two and three can easily be interchanged and I wouldn't argue.

Honorable mentions: Chesapeake. Midwest.

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

...once FIRST completely converts to the District models (gripe about it all you want this is the future of FIRST and it's the right thing to do) teams that are more competition ready will be at teh championship to do battle.

With CVR, California is trying out a new regional model, though not too much info has been given out on it yet (RC, any cool stuff you wanna share with us?). However, Jim Beck, CA regional director, told us that California will be trying out a district model in the near future. Anywhere from 2013, to 2017.

I for one welcome our new district model regionals.

[XaulZan11]

It's easy to name the top 3 teams at a regional and cite it as the toughest regional, but I think the depth of a regional is equally important. Midwest was mentioned a couple of times in this thread. While it probably has the biggest group of elite teams at the top each year (16, 71, 111, 1625, featuring appearences within the past 3 years by 1114, 217, 118, 148), its been extremely shallow the last two years to the point where the top 3 seeds almost have first round byes.

Wisconsin and Midwest both the same week has really hurt Midwest's already lacking depth. 148 is a new addition but 45, 118, 1675, 1732, 2041, and 2826 won't be there this year.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by XaulZan11

It's easy to name the top 3 teams at a regional and cite it as the toughest regional, but I think the depth of a regional is equally important. Midwest was mentioned a couple of times in this thread. While it probably has the biggest group of elite teams at the top each year (16, 71, 111, 1625, featuring appearences within the past 3 years by 1114, 217, 118, 148), its been extremely shallow the last two years to the point where the top 3 seeds almost have first round byes.

Wisconsin and Midwest both the same week has really hurt Midwest's already lacking depth. 148 is a new addition but 45, 118, 1675, 1732, 2041, and 2826 won't be there this year.

Midwest has been hurt the past few years by having either Wisconsin or Boilermaker or both on the same week and drawing away good teams from them. That's why this year Midwet is actually Queen City because alot of those teams are going there all at once instead.

[Koko Ed]

What I don't understand is why do people keep listing GTR or Waterloo as a tough regional. It's the most predictable regionals out there. It's 1114 and 2056 hooking up with some lucky third team who'll they'll carry to a blue banner and they sweep through the elims. It's been that way for years. It aint gonna change.

[akoscielski3]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

What I don't understand is why do people keep listing GTR or Waterloo as a tough regional. It's the most predictable regionals out there. It's 1114 and 2056 hooking up with some lucky third team who'll they'll carry to a blue banner and they sweep through the elims. It's been that way for years. It aint gonna change.

Exactly my point. Its extremely hard to win if you aren't 2056 or 1114.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by akoscielski3

Exactly my point. Its extremely hard to win if you aren't 2056 or 1114.

That's not tough. That's predictable. The antitheses of tough.

[iVanDuzer]

GTR East has the potential to be an absolute fireshow this year. In addition to 1114 and 2056, 781 is also coming out after a regional win and championship finalist last year. 610 and 188 were division finalists last year with 469 and lost to the eventual Champs in 3 matches. And 548, who made a big splash in Michigan last year, is coming out to play. You can't say that none of last year's success is going to blow over to this year. If any of these teams build a robot like last year's then the whole game is blown wide open. And this is ignoring the mid-tier teams that are also at GTRE.

It's been that way for years. It aint gonna change.

If any year is going to change that, it'll be this year. All it will take is for someone to seed higher than 1114 or 2056. It's a tall order, sure, but there are teams here that can do it (heck, 188 came this close to doing it in both 2009 and 2010). And if it does happen, all bets are off.

[akoscielski3]

Originally Posted by iVanDuzer

GTR East has the potential to be an absolute fireshow this year. In addition to 1114 and 2056, 781 is also coming out after a regional win and championship finalist last year. 610 and 188 were division finalists last year with 469 and lost to the eventual Champs in 3 matches. And 548, who made a big splash in Michigan last year, is coming out to play. You can't say that none of last year's success is going to blow over to this year. If any of these teams build a robot like last year's then the whole game is blown wide open. And this is ignoring the mid-tier teams that are also at GTRE.


If any year is going to change that, it'll be this year. All it will take is for someone to seed higher than 1114 or 2056. It's a tall order, sure, but there are teams here that can do it (heck, 188 came this close to doing it in both 2009 and 2010). And if it does happen, all bets are off.

Yes this is definitely the year it WILL happen. I have been taking to other teams that are going to GTR West with us, (we arent going to east or waterloo) coming up with strategies and helping each other out with the designing.

188 is probably the 3rd best team their. 1503 is right behind them. there are tons of teams at the 3 Ontario regional that are highly competitive. All that needs to happen is get 1114 and 2056 apart, then game on.

The toughest regional is the one where everyone helps each other and acts graciously professional.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

The toughest regional is the one where everyone helps each other and acts graciously professional.

Perhaps I don't understand something, but please explain?