Most Competitive Events 2017

[vann2648]

Originally Posted by berkleyfanatic

I think the FIM Southfield event will defiantly have team 33,67,548 as alliance partners.

I can't imagine any of these teams being around for the last pick... But a #1 alliance consisting of 2 out of the 3 seems very likely.

In fact, 33 has won their week 1 on the #1 alliance 6 years in a row now if I'm not mistaken.

[BrendanB]

I find the most competitive events aren't ones with the top tier of FRC in attendance.

For me you take a few perennial solid teams, mix in some teams playing to their strengths, and add in some final day breakouts and the eliminations are up for grabs by any alliance.

That's why I'd say opening events are the most competitive when the powerhouses aren't around. You aren't entirely sure how the game will be played out on the field come Saturday or Sunday so the options for a winning strategy aren't as defined seeing as you are playing the game first. Everyone is still working out some early season bugs so there are some hit or miss matches. It creates this suspense of who will hit their marks or who can try to remain consistent to keep their scores up?

Watching some of the Granite State District elimination matches over the years have been exciting for me. Its a taste to see how the game will play out and the crowd does get excited over the first big scores of the year even if it is just a simple Capture, tall capped stack, or three assist cycle.

When you look back it seems "weak" but in the moment it is extremely exciting and many alliances have pulled of a few upsets in the bracket.

[Dominick Ferone]

I would say most competitive would have to be the most fairly balanced regional. I've attended many different regionals where there's a couple good robots that can dominate. Last year NYC regional for example had a fair number of teams competing for their first time who weren't confident in their bots, don't have huge test facilities and those things.
There were a few teams who clearly at the event it's scary if they got together, that's one reason we tried to build our alliance where one of the few scary alliances we might face could be shut down.

I think the finger lakes regional is a very competitive one. The last two years I went to it, it's never given who might win. 5254 had an amazing bot both years, and went to the finals but got upset.
When we were choosing an alliance in 2015 it was hard to figure who is the best choice for us, because they're were many great choices. Everyone their picked first round or second is a great partner if you needed their skills.

Finger lakes is so competitive because the qualifies always has great match ups where any match can go either way, and it's always so close. So in terms of most competitive regional I might lean towards it because everyone is so balanced in the sense of how good their robots can be.

[Ernst]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

I find the most competitive events aren't ones with the top tier of FRC in attendance.

Yeah, I think that just looking at the top tier is too limited of a view. If an event with 35 teams has the 2 best robots in the world, but then a huge drop off and zero depth, you'll end up with a couple amazing matches, but also tons of boring ones and predictable elims alliances and results.

It's no fun to watch an event get dominated by a couple teams (unless you're on them). I would much rather pay attention to one with a deep field of solid teams. But hey, personal preference.

[Ringo5tarr]

So I personally can't say I know which will events will be especially competitive, but I can say that GKC will not be, If I had to put money on it , Titanium (1986) would have a 75-95% chance of winning with Driven (1730) or Broncobots (1987)(45% Driven, 40% BroncoBots, 15% other) being in the alliance OR getting second place alliance captain. Not sure if I really added anything to the conversation, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in on the regional I know the best.

Also the team I'm on (1764) will get somewhere between 16th and 30th seed if I had to guess.

[jSchnitz]

Originally Posted by Ringo5tarr

So I personally can't say I know which will events will be especially competitive, but I can say that GKC will not be, If I had to put money on it , Titanium (1986) would have a 75-95% chance of winning with Driven (1730) or Broncobots (1987)(45% Driven, 40% BroncoBots, 15% other) being in the alliance OR getting second place alliance captain. Not sure if I really added anything to the conversation, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in on the regional I know the best.

I'm sure GKC will be quite competitive, and 1986 is by no means guaranteed to win it. 1730, 1775, 1806, 1986, 1987, and 4522 are all perennial contenders, plus this year 624 will be in attendance. The upper-mid level teams are no joke either - 935, 1108, 1723, 1785, 1825, 2410, and 3528, just off the top of my head - it wouldn't surprise me a bit if one of those won as a captain / first pick.

[Hitchhiker 42]

Originally Posted by Ernst

Yeah, I think that just looking at the top tier is too limited of a view. If an event with 35 teams has the 2 best robots in the world, but then a huge drop off and zero depth, you'll end up with a couple amazing matches, but also tons of boring ones and predictable elims alliances and results.

It's no fun to watch an event get dominated by a couple teams (unless you're on them). I would much rather pay attention to one with a deep field of solid teams. But hey, personal preference.

I totally second this. Also eliminations with lots of upsets (e.g. 7 beats 2, 6 beats 3, etc.) is fun to watch... reminds me of Hartford this year.

[Michael Blake]

Originally Posted by TheBoulderite

Other events like that include Las Vegas (148, 842, and 1538 didn't go to IRI) and even Silicon Valley (254, 971, 2468 all didn't go to IRI).

Warren... 2468 Team Appreciate _was_ at 2016 IRI.

My former team, 3481, and 2468 shared a trailer at IRI.

--Michael Blake

[cscottm]

Both Events in Minneapolis this year certainly have decent potential, at least based on MN potential, North Star has 1806, 2175, 2169, and 3130 to name a few. While 10K lakes has 5172, 2052, 2502 and others. While they are by no means scary competitive like some others in this thread, in Minnesota, they will be very tough events for all teams involved.

[Caleb Sykes]

Originally Posted by cscottm

Both Events in Minneapolis this year certainly have decent potential, at least based on MN potential, North Star has 1806, 2175, 2169, and 3130 to name a few. While 10K lakes has 5172, 2052, 2502 and others. While they are by no means scary competitive like some others in this thread, in Minnesota, they will be very tough events for all teams involved.

If 5172 is as good as they were last year, they will be about as scary competitive as you can get.

[BronzeStallion]

Originally Posted by Ernst

Yeah, I think that just looking at the top tier is too limited of a view. If an event with 35 teams has the 2 best robots in the world, but then a huge drop off and zero depth, you'll end up with a couple amazing matches, but also tons of boring ones and predictable elims alliances and results.

It's no fun to watch an event get dominated by a couple teams (unless you're on them). I would much rather pay attention to one with a deep field of solid teams. But hey, personal preference.

Going by this logic I would say that the Wisconsin regional is pretty "competitive". Especially considering the 1st seed alliance hasn't won since 2011.

[Ernst]

Originally Posted by BronzeStallion

Going by this logic I would say that the Wisconsin regional is pretty "competitive". Especially considering the 1st seed alliance hasn't won since 2011.

The Wisconsin Regional is by no means stacked, but I think it's pretty fair to say it'll be competitive. A lot of different teams could win this year. Especially without several teams who have attended in the past, I think there will be a lower ceiling than some of the "premier" events that will get a lot of hype over a few standout teams, but a much more even top/mid-tier of teams. Wisconsin has a lot of experienced teams who will field at least decent, and often pretty good, robots. Teams like 537, 706, 1306, 1675, 1714, 1732, 2062, 2194, 2202, 4786, and several others, all have the potential to field a robot that could captain an alliance, win a Regional, and play in CMP elims.

This thread is called the "Most Competitive Events", but the OP asks for the "most stacked" ones. I think those are different. Wisconsin won't have the storied, top-tier teams being brought up in this thread, but it will be a good competition that a lot of different teams could win.

[vann2648]

The WPI district in NE is also quite competitive in the sense that any alliance could win. Last year it was #4 and #6 who played in finals. (Although this year I'd have to put my money on 1519)

[TheBoulderite]

Originally Posted by Michael Blake

Warren... 2468 Team Appreciate _was_ at 2016 IRI.

I forgot about that. Thanks, and sorry for the misinformation!

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Brian Maher

Here are some estimates I did using historical OPR data:

Rank	All Teams	Top 24		Top 8
1	misjo		ctwat		miwat
2	miwat		inwla		nvlv
3	ctwat		nvlv		onwat
4	inpmh		miwat		misjo
5	mitry		cthar		ilch
6	njski		misjo		ctwat
7	inwla		mitry		ilpe
8	ilpe		ilpe		cthar
9	miwmi		njski  		utwv
10	mihow		ilch		txlu

Observations:

• The ubiquity of district events on this list. Of the unique events listed, there were 11 district events, compared to 5 regionals. This list is 69% district events, which comprise 59% of non-DCMP/CMP events next year.
• District breakdown: 5 FIM, 2 NE, 2 IN, 1 ONT, 1 MAR

Great to see my FIM St. Joseph District on this list!

However, since all of the FIM District events* have several unfilled slots now (i.e, many teams are waiting to see which event they will get), there is a strong likelihood that the competitiveness of any given event will change when the rosters are filled. Stay tuned.

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*This also applies to many events in other Districts, and many Regionals.