Is it Gracious Professionalism to ...

[Kris Verdeyen]

Originally posted by Jnadke
By complaining about them complaining, you are condoning what they are complaining about. You are saying "We don't care what the other team did to you, just do it to them".

That is exactly not what he is doing. The way to correct the problem is not by complaining to the world, but by either telling the offender that the behavior is wrong, or by turning the other cheek.

Originally posted by Jnadke
In case you haven't noticed, the game has changed significantly this year. It is tons different that any previous year. We have shoving, hitting, tipping, basically BattleBots without some of the destruction.

The game is not any more of a contact sport than any other year (except perhaps 2001, which can be considered the exception that proves the rule). Every year, the game is "tons different". That's the point. Last year, we got the same chicken little crap (thanks Koko Ed for the perfect metaphor) in a game that was ultimately very interesting to play and to watch, and caused no more ill will than any other game.

Originally posted by Jnadke
It will go downhill from here. Many of the "intermediate veteran" teams will see that it is okay to beat another robot into the ground. Next year depending on the game we will probably see many more wedge designs. Who knows, I'm sure many teams will modify their robots in time for nationals to include a wedge design. It will become a game of whoever has the lowest ground clearance wins.

It is imperative that we prevent it, before teams begin to think this type of behavior is okay. FIRST is about INNOVATION. 50 different wedge designs is NOT innovation.

FIRST is not necessarily about innovation. FIRST is often, to quote inventor goddess M. Krass, "an opportunity to tackle problems that have long been solved". The drivetrains and arms and control systems that we build might be tweaked to the game, but they are not brand new. And if wedge designs are what will win the game, then wedge designs are what you will see playing the game.