A comment about alliance selection in off season events

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Citrus Dad

I can't disagree with you more. Again, you're missing my point. This is not a decision that should be left to individual teams. It is a decision that should be made at an organizational level, either the event organizer or at the Regional or FIRST HQ level. Individual teams cannot effectively make an individual "disarmament" decision to avoid making certain alliance decisions. It must be a mutual agreement. At the international level, that's why we have treaties--actions by individual nations trying to influence world events are rarely effective unless there is a treaty.

As you well know, it is almost pointless to email individual event organizers--they'll simply blow me off. And I can't physically go to discuss this issue with each and every event organizer. CD is where issues can be aired publicly and where a larger

I'm actually not trying to call out individual teams, because teams usually will respond to the rules and intent of the event organizer. I'm a bit unhappy that certain teams chose to select their own B bot, but the event organizers had not stepped in to prohibit that. So they did what they thought was in their own best interest. This is an issue at other events--I just chose a salient recent example. Unfortunately what was in an individual team's best interest was not in the best interest of the region as a whole in my opinion. (See T^2's comment above for confirmation--and I know him personally and know how extremely dedicated he is.) As a professional economist I frequently must address the divergence between individual self interest and societal best interest. This is just such a case.

I do see your point but at the same time I think that oversteps the autonomy that event organizers have in running their events. If you (and teams who attended the event but were not in the elimination rounds) have not contacted the organizing committee there is little to no point in referencing a specific event and hoping for change.

If the issue is addressing "the divergence between individual and self interest and societal best interest" what is your opinion on teams at official events only picking the best teams for elimination partners when in the interest of FIRST as a whole the argument can be made to instead pick teams who aren't the best or don't have a history of participating in eliminations?