2016 Smoky Mountains Regional

[lovelj]

Originally Posted by jspatz1

That is just awesome. Scary good. Looks like this event it is shaping up to be a great field of teams. This is our first time to attend SMR and we are very excited to meet and play with all the regional teams. We too have been trying to get in a little practice.

Awesome. Practice makes perfect, eh? http://youtu.be/hB9rgsuIWok

[SoccerTaco]

Here is a little bit higher quality video from 3824 - our last practice run before packing up for SMR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPyaFmobwI

We are looking forward to storming the castle this weekend with both old and new friends.

-Steve

[guniv]

I'm excited to share that 3966 will once again be hosting a Business Meet-Up on Thursday afternoon in Room 120. Team contacts should have recieved our flyer for the event today in a non-descript email from the regional director. There is absolutely no fee to attend, and the event will be in a combined presentation and roundtable discussion format. It's for teams to share what they do with others.

The flyer is also attached to this post, and we'll be handing them out either tonight or tomorrow morning. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. We hope to see someone from every team there!

[lynca]

Anyone willing to help upload robot pictures for the teams at Smoky Mountains ?

https://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2016tnkn

All of these pictures will appear on the TBA android app and make scouting easier.

[HelloRobot]

Originally Posted by M. Mellott

Any suggestions on a "gotta-go-there" restaurant for dinner for us out-of-town teams...preferably one that can handle a party of 25, and preferably west of the venue?

If you're wanting to eat closer, anywhere in Market Square is good. I like Tomato Head and Cafe 4 (There's a second Tomato Head location further west if you're staying closer to there). For dessert, there's a Rita's Italian Ice in Market Square or Coolato Gelato on Gay Street by the Tennessee Theater. Coolato Gelato also has paninis and salads, but I haven't tried them.

I have to suggest the K-Town Tavern (formerly the Peerless) because it's owned by a close family friend. They have burgers, pizza, seafood, steak, tex mex - basically a diverse group of good food - something for everyone. It's about 20 minutes from downtown. They have flaming cheese, which is cheese in a skillet that they light on fire.

Of course, there are always chain restaurants. Cumberland Avenue west of the Convention Center near UT has lots of places, like Cookout, Sunspot, and Mellow Mushroom. You'll find tons of places, including S&S Cafeteria, Hard Knox Pizza, among others, further along Kingston Pike/Cumberland (the road changes names).

[HelloRobot]

My team and I are very excited for the competition! I'm kind of sad, though, because I'm a senior. I'm hoping to volunteer there next year when I'm in college, or wherever the closest regional is. I have a couple weeks to decide...

[ctt956]

Originally Posted by Rohawk1

+1 For Barley's. They have Team Trivia tomorrow night at 8 and live music the rest of the week around 10pm if you're looking for great pizza and beer (for the mentors of course). Oh, and they have a game room upstairs with pool and old pinball machines (and more beer). Your bus driver might have a fun time parking though since it's downtown.

Old pinball machines?! Awesome! Now I want to go there!! Any other interesting stuff in that game room? Anyone have a link to the webcast?

[Boltman]

Any webcast?

[theopolisme]

Originally Posted by Boltman

Any webcast?

I asked on Facebook and apparently it is "being planned" - will update here if they respond again.

[HelloRobot]

Originally Posted by theopolisme

I asked on Facebook and apparently it is "being planned" - will update here if they respond again.

https://www.twitch.tv/team1912combustion has it.

[Jen Lawrie]

On behalf of team 1466, I wanted to say that our team had a great experience at SMR this weekend. The finals between 3824-2481-4740 and 2614-1986-4264 were really competitive, and I was so happy to hear that all six teams involved in that high-level play qualified for worlds. It was great to see Mark Buckner win the Volunteer of the Year award for all he does to promote growth of FIRST in east TN.

Thanks to our alliance partners 2393 and 283 for their sharpshooting in quarter finals. I also have to say it was a pleasure to have paired with our neighbor 2393 for the third year in a row at SMR.

I wanted to specifically congratulate team 1710 on their Chairman's win and 1986 on their Engineering Inspiration win. I am relatively new to FRC and I coach a team that's about 75% sophomore or younger. I'm not sure if either of your teams have been out to Knoxville before, but I can tell you that the first impressions 1986 and 1710 made on my students were incredibly positive. A common topic of discussion among 1466 students and mentors this weekend was how much we admired our pit neighbor 1710's extensive and impactful outreach programs, and how well 1986's students could describe in detail the thought process and challenges behind design choices. I hope our teams get to cross paths again.

[lpickett]

Congrats to 1986 on the Engineering Inspiration. Looks like you are up against 1987 at Champs.

[barn34]

2481 had a lot of fun travelling to the great state of Tennessee for the SMR event. Huge thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the event possible. It was great to be able to meet a lot of new teams that we haven't had the pleasure of competing with before. Great job, everyone!

We'd also like to give massive thanks to our great alliance partners from 3824 and 4740.

It was a pleasure to team up with 3824 on the 2 seed alliance. You guys have got an amazing scoring machine this year and your team raised that scoring bar even further as the elim rounds went on. Amazing job and the Roboteers will look forward to crossing paths again in the future. Good luck and we will see you in St. Louis!

4740, you guys were great partners and played a great defensive role for our alliance. This whole event was essentially a war of attrition and you guys were the perfect personification of that - as well as the great spirit of gracious professionalism. We were just one of several teams that offered up assistance in getting your bot assembled and through inspection on Thursday, and then were also helping with software, comm issues, bumper brackets, etc. through the elims run on Saturday. No matter what the challenge, you guys perservered through it all and played some great defense. Your drivers were great to work with, you played your role as perfectly as you could. Awesome job, guys! Best of luck and we hope you are able to enjoy your experience in St. Louis! You've earned it!

I also cannot say enough about the amazing finalist alliance from 2614, 1986, and 4264. Those were some absolutely crazy finals matches, and it was a ton of fun sharing the field with all 3 of you for them. It's always great when all 6 robots involved are able to play in St. Louis. Incredible job!

Also, congrats to 1986 on winning Engineering Inspiration! It's always great to cross paths with you guys and one of these times we'll hopefully get to share the same side of the alliance glass. Best of luck in St. Louis and we look forward to seeing you there!

Huge shoutout and congrats to 1710 on their well earned Chairman's Award, as well! Couldn't have gone to a more deserving team. It was a pleasure to compete with you guys and we look forward to seeing you in St. Louis, as well!

[Breakaway3937]

3937 would like to thank the RD for the Smoky Mountain Regional and all those involved in planning and volunteering. We had a blast!! It was great to step into such a wonderful venue and well ran event. I know how hard it is to run an event, and you guys made it look easy!

We would like to thank our alliance partners 1710 and 4576 for playing with us in the elims. Hopefully we will all get a chance to compete together again some day. Also, congrats to 1710 on the RCA. You guys definitely deserved that honor for what you are doing not just for FIRST but for students everywhere.

Congrats to 3824-2481-4740 on the win! What an alliance and what a finals match up. All you guys have such incredible machines. See you in St. Louis.

Once again, on behalf of Breakaway, we would like to thank all involved in the SMR for hosting us and such a great event!

[Alpha Beta]

Originally Posted by Jen Lawrie

I'm not sure if either of your teams have been out to Knoxville before, but I can tell you that the first impressions 1986 and 1710 made on my students were incredibly positive. A common topic of discussion among 1466 students and mentors this weekend was how much we admired our pit neighbor 1710's extensive and impactful outreach programs, and how well 1986's students could describe in detail the thought process and challenges behind design choices. I hope our teams get to cross paths again.

Thank you for sharing this. This was our first time this far east (Since World's moved away from Atlanta). Every interaction I had with a volunteer or another team was extremely positive. Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

On behalf of Team Titanium (FRC 1986) I wanted to thank the regional director, planning committee and all of the volunteers for hosting a fantastic event. This was a very competitive tournament in a great venue. We had a wonderful time.

Congrats to 2614, MARS for seeding 1st at the event. You had a great 20 point autonomous, smooth cycling machine, and a sweet hang at the end. Thank you for making us the top draft selection in the tournament. Our double hang in the final match was a thing of beauty.

Thank you 4264, The Fellowship of the Spring, for joining us on our finalist run. You picked up the defensive strategy quickly, had a great autonomous, and made a huge difference shutting down the other side. I'll never forget how my jaw dropped when (in the first final match) you did a Duke's of Hazards style jump over the rockwall ending in a Monster Truck stomp (unintended) on the defending 4740. It was epic. Congratulations on earning a wildcard berth to champs. Your robot and your imagery will be a welcome addition.

Huge tip of the cap to the winning alliance, 3824 (Holding the #1 slot for most of the tournament), 2481 (Mr. unblockable/unstoppable), and 4740 (Clutch Defender). We set the event high score with 3824 in qualifications, and I would love the opportunity to play with (rather than against) this team again. 2481 is one of the smartest, hardest working powerhouses in the mid-west. We cross paths often, and I count them among our great friends. Together... some day I hope to answer the question of what we could do together on the field.

Wanted to give a shout-out to 5744. I rewatched all of your matches yesterday on Twitch thinking about the time we spent together on Thursday programming together. Your words "Thank you for not just doing it for us, but teaching us how to do it." meant a lot to me as we built the autonomous code, and custom dashboard to go with it. Very proud of you guys.

Super impressed with the Rookie All-Star winners, 6219, Cuttin' Edge Robotics. I have a family connection at one of your sponsoring high schools that made me swing by the pit Thursday, and I was blown away be the enthusiasm, dedication, and engineering skill that you all displayed. Expecting great things.

We are no stranger to 1710, both hailing from the Kansas City area. Well deserved chairman's team who is on my short list for winning it at Worlds in the near future. Very competitive low goal robot this year as well.

Last of all I wanted to reiterate how proud I am to be a part of Team Titanium. Our team bus was full, but our stands were nearly empty (except for the scouts). As I wondered where everyone was, I realized how many people we had in white shirts volunteering at the event. A big thanks to our student leadership as well for keeping us organized and on task. We are honored to represent the Smoky Mountain Regional at championships as the Engineering Inspiration Award winner. I think our team cheered louder after finding out we won this than we did when winning the KC Regional.