Which robot(s) did you like the best this year?

[tindleroot]

Originally Posted by cjl2625

I've heard all these legends about 71, but from TBA, it didn't look like they were overwhelmingly dominant.
They won the championship, but their record that year was 30-14-4, and their OPR was never particularly high compared to other robots that year.

Is it just incorrect to judge 71 that year based on these statistics?

Yes and no. 71 had a fatal flaw that caused them to lose the Western Michigan Regional. If the opponents could push them around at the start of the match so that they were not facing the correct orientation, they were unable to turn back on track.

However, 71 fixed that for (then) Nationals, and they went on to win it in a dominating fashion. Like any year, the best teams aren't always the ones with the highest OPR or the best record. With Hammond in 2002, it's just something you had to see to believe. Many of their videos are available on youtube, I encourage you to watch some (especially Newton SF 1-1), and it becomes readily clear why they were so dominant that year.