Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to attend Championship!

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by Jared341

I just can't wait to tell him, "I think you're the greatest, but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense."

Tell your old man to drag Lanier and Walton up and down the court for 48 minutes!!


Surely you can't be serious!!

[Hjelstrom]

Cool! For all the youngsters who haven't ever heard of Kareem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM6xCirDOKs

[DRH2o]

WOW!

Wish we were going to be there. We named our robot Lew Skyhooker as a tribute to him and his sky hook.

http://web.dps.k12.va.us/schools/gwh...%20pt.%202.pdf

[mathking]

Originally Posted by IndySam

This is when CD needs a like button.

Yes indeed!

And thanks Hjelstrom, that video brought back some pleasant memories of childhood.

[JohnBoucher]

The battles with Walton were epic!

[Alexa Stott]

Originally Posted by qzrrbz

He was a staunch supporter of "a good defense is a great offense"?

Joke
------->
Your head.

[torihoelscher]

This is getting better and better. I love FIRST SO MUCH! Last year was the Black Eyed Peas, this year Kareen Abdul Jabbar!!!!!!! Oh My Goodness!!!!!!! Whats next? A shooting showdown between Kareen and a robot??

[Steven Donow]

Originally Posted by torihoelscher

This is getting better and better. I love FIRST SO MUCH! Last year was the Black Eyed Peas, this year Kareen Abdul Jabbar!!!!!!! Oh My Goodness!!!!!!! Whats next? A shooting showdown between Kareen and a robot??

From reading the press release, it seems so.

[Andrew Bates]

Honestly I think it would be much cooler if someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson, or Bill Nye came. Better yet, let's get some engineers who are working on big fascinating projects come and talk. It seems to me like those people would fit much better into the FIRST goals and do much more to inspire people than a basketball player no matter how good they were.

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by torihoelscher

A shooting showdown between Kareen and a robot??

World champs v Kareem. Blindfold him during hybrid mode

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Andrew Bates

Honestly I think it would be much cooler if someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson, or Bill Nye came. Better yet, let's get some engineers who are working on big fascinating projects come and talk. It seems to me like those people would fit much better into the FIRST goals and do much more to inspire people than a basketball player no matter how good they were.

What are FIRST's goals?

Are they to encourage scientists and engineers to do their thing? If that's the goal, then there are the TED talks. The SAE competitions. Research papers.

But if FIRST's primary goals are to get science and technology recognized (and what is the R in FIRST?), and to change the culture, then who better than an athlete? Who better than arguably one of if not the best to ever play basketball, taking on a robot designed to play a derivative of basketball? These guys are heroes to many a young kid (though some of those young kids may be grown up now, some of them engineers). If they're taking an interest in science and engineering, the kids are going to wonder what that's all about. Get inspired.

I think that fits into FIRST's goals quite nicely, don't you think?

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Bob Steele

Surely you can't be serious!!

I am serious, and don't call me Surely.

I can't wait to meet Roger Murdock!

Andy

[Andrew Bates]

Originally Posted by EricH

What are FIRST's goals?

Are they to encourage scientists and engineers to do their thing? If that's the goal, then there are the TED talks. The SAE competitions. Research papers.

But if FIRST's primary goals are to get science and technology recognized (and what is the R in FIRST?), and to change the culture, then who better than an athlete? Who better than arguably one of if not the best to ever play basketball, taking on a robot designed to play a derivative of basketball? These guys are heroes to many a young kid (though some of those young kids may be grown up now, some of them engineers). If they're taking an interest in science and engineering, the kids are going to wonder what that's all about. Get inspired.

I think that fits into FIRST's goals quite nicely, don't you think?

I look at this from an inspiration stand point, what has KAJ done that means people should look up to him and aspire to be him? He was an outstanding basketball player, an actor, and a all around good guy and good face for basketball. That's all good but I don't see where that fits into inspiring kids to pursue STEM paths.

I can see how him attending the competition can help from a recognition standpoint, yes he is a big name, yes he will draw additional media. I'm sure some kids will continue to move towards STEM paths because KAJ says it's a good thing. I'm just not sure this is the best recognition possible, FIRST should be recognized for what it does, not by what celebrities it can attract to pat the kids on their back.

Don't get me wrong, I think this does help and is a good thing, the recognition will help spread FIRST's message. I just wish FIRST would bring in more engineers and the likes. Speakers from TED talks would be great, after all these are the people would inspire people to follow their paths, the same paths FIRST is trying to promote.

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by Andrew Bates

Honestly I think it would be much cooler if someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson, or Bill Nye came. Better yet, let's get some engineers who are working on big fascinating projects come and talk. It seems to me like those people would fit much better into the FIRST goals and do much more to inspire people than a basketball player no matter how good they were.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is much more than a former basketball player. He's a Cultural Ambassador for the United States, appointed by Hillary Clinton. He's written a children's book highlighting the accomplishments of African American inventors. He's also an advocate for STEM education. So before anyone assumes that he's just someone who specialized in putting a ball in a net, please do some research and you'll learn that Kareem is a great role model who has a lot to teach us. Just because someone's an athlete, doesn't mean they're automatically a bad fit for FIRST.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Andrew Bates

I look at this from an inspiration stand point, what has KAJ done that means people should look up to him and aspire to be him? He was an outstanding basketball player, an actor, and a all around good guy and good face for basketball. That's all good but I don't see where that fits into inspiring kids to pursue STEM paths.

To be fair, you could ask the exact same question about will.i.am (musician), George H.W. Bush (former president), Jon Dudas (patent office) or _____(one of the Google founders who spoke at Championship; the name escapes me right now). Every one of them has been at the Championship, speaking. But other than patents (which can be very dry, boring, and otherwise "who cares" to the outside public), what does any of them have to do with inspiring kids to STEM? What have they done that people in general should look up to them?

I can see how him attending the competition can help from a recognition standpoint, yes he is a big name, yes he will draw additional media. I'm sure some kids will continue to move towards STEM paths because KAJ says it's a good thing. I'm just not sure this is the best recognition possible, FIRST should be recognized for what it does, not by what celebrities it can attract to pat the kids on their back.

I think that's 90% of it. It is additional recognition of FIRST, and not for what celebrities it can attract. You see, to be a decent journalist, you do need to get some background. So you go to cover KAJ at this robotics competition, and you start asking questions, maybe not to KAJ, but to the organizers. To the teams. To onlookers. Then you find out what FIRST does and write at least somewhat about that.

Don't get me wrong, I think this does help and is a good thing. I just wish FIRST would bring in more engineers and the likes. Speakers from TED talks would be great, after all these are the people would inspire people to follow their paths, the same paths FIRST is trying to promote.

Here's the biggest problem with that sort of line. Speakers at the TED talks--"Who's that? Oh, some dude who came up with X technology that isn't practical right now. Meh. I'm going to the mall." That isn't necessarily my response--but I'd be willing to bet that other than a few people, it'd cover a lot of today's youth and/or adults--FIRST's target audience. Interesting topics? Yes. Interesting speakers? Maybe. Interested audience? Probably not. Some of the other options, like Bill Nye--I don't even know if he's on the air anymore--might work, for people that are already out of school and saw this cool show as a kid. (And I don't have a clue who Neil deGrasse Tyson is.) In other words, still not getting to the target audience.

But, if you want to go that way, I'd go for Adam, Jamie, Kari, Tori, and Grant, AKA the Mythbusters. That's a group that both sides--the engineers and the general populace--could relate to.