The Best Team(s) to Never Win an Official Event

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by tickspe15

461 still hasn't won an event.
They've been an event finalist 6 times including one division finals appearance. They also have won 5 engineering inspiration awards and two chairmans in their 17 seasons. Hopefully their finals curse ends soon, preferably with 1747

I agree 461 has to be hands down the best team to have never won an event.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by IndySam

I agree 461 has to be hands down the best team to have never won an event.

+1 on this.

I'll add that Steve Florence is among the greatest of FIRST's unsung heroes. That he does not (yet) have a WFFA is even more incredible than the team's hard luck breaking through for a Winner's blue banner.

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by Richard Wallace

+1 on this.

I'll add that Steve Florence is among the greatest of FIRST's unsung heroes. That he does not (yet) have a WFFA is even more incredible than the team's hard luck breaking through for a Winner's blue banner.

+1 I am also astonished that this is true.

[Logan Byers]

Originally Posted by Richard Wallace

+1 on this.

I'll add that Steve Florence is among the greatest of FIRST's unsung heroes. That he does not (yet) have a WFFA is even more incredible than the team's hard luck breaking through for a Winner's blue banner.

Correction: Flo won a Woodie Flowers Award in 2006 at the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Logan Byers

Correction: Flo won a Woodie Flowers Award in 2006 at the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland.

Aha! Thank you for the research on that. Now TBA should update the 461 history page.

IIRC, some scorekeepers have not always entered team affiliations for WFFA. And even when they do, TBA sometimes doesn't pick them up. For example, Frank Dressel got the 2006 St. Louis Regional WFFA and the scorekeeper recorded his team number, but it doesn't show up on 931's TBA history page.

[Cothron Theiss]

Some that come to mind from Tennessee.

2393
In many ways, TNFIRST is concentrated most strongly in Knoxville. 2393 is one of the backbones of FRC in Knoxville. They share a build space with 3824 and 5571, they're a constant source of information and support to other teams, and they're some of the kindest people in FRC. Since 2013, they've earned the Creativity Award, the Innovation in Control Award, the Excellence in Engineering Award, and the Entrepreneurship Award three times. They were Finalists at SMR in 2013, the #1 seed at SMR in 2014, and have always been a team to watch out for at SMR.
(Their 2014 bot is also one of my favorite robots in FRC that I've gotten to see in action. The thing was brilliant.)


3140
This team is also one of the core teams promoting FRC in Knoxville, and they work very hard to keep raising the level of competitive play at SMR. They were quarter-finalists at SMR in 2014. In 2015, they were semi-finalists at the Georgia Southern Classic Regional and SMR, after seeding #2 at SMR. In 2016, they were semi-finalists after seeding #6 at the Arkansas Rock City Regional. At SMR, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the alliance that went on to win the event.

5571 isn't old enough to be considered for this thread yet, but the fact that they went unpicked for Eliminations this year is still a crime.

[TheBoulderite]

For Colorado, I'd say 4499, 1410 or 1339. All build steady robots and have consistently appeared in the playoffs, but none have won a regional yet.

[SharonO]

From Kansas City, I believe 1939- The Kuhnigits have never won a regional. They were Regional Finalists in 2010, 2011 & 2013, won multiple Chairman's and Engineering Inspiration awards, and always build asthetically pleasing robots as evidenced by their many, many Imagery Awards.

It is always a pleasure to be on an alliance with 1939.

[holygrail]

Originally Posted by SharonO

From Kansas City, I believe 1939- The Kuhnigits have never won a regional. They were Regional Finalists in 2010, 2011 & 2013, won multiple Chairman's and Engineering Inspiration awards, and always build asthetically pleasing robots as evidenced by their many, many Imagery Awards.

It is always a pleasure to be on an alliance with 1939.

Many thanks! I think our team is in what I would describe as the robot version of the "friend zone." We aren't quite good enough to be a number one or two seed or the first pick of the one or two seed, but we are generally a little too good to be around for the second pick of one of the top alliances, so we usually end up in a five to seventh seeded alliance.

Our best shot was 2013 in GKC as the 2nd seed captain with 3928 and 1987 but alas, the Kraken (1986) and SWAT (1806) were too much for us to handle. Here's hoping our luck changes this year!

[runneals]

Originally Posted by holygrail

Many thanks! I think our team is in what I would describe as the robot version of the "friend zone." We aren't quite good enough to be a number one or two seed or the first pick of the one or two seed, but we are generally a little too good to be around for the second pick of one of the top alliances, so we usually end up in a five to seventh seeded alliance.

Our best shot was 2013 in GKC as the 2nd seed captain with 3928 and 1987 but alas, the Kraken (1986) and SWAT (1806) were too much for us to handle. Here's hoping our luck changes this year!

I totally second that about 2013 (although I guess I am a bit biased). And you guys should definitely win the best team mascot award. I can't get enough of your mascot/team bunny brand So freaking adorable/scary.

[Billfred]

For South Carolina, never is a long time--teams that have played at that high a level with any consistency have hung a banner, and several that don't play at that level have backed into one at some point.

However, one team that seems chronically slept-on is 1876. Let's lay out the resume:

2016: 19-7, Palmetto 8 seed (QF), Orlando 7 seed (SF)
2015: Palmetto 2 seed (SF), Orlando 16 seed (QF)
2014: Palmetto 2 seed (QF), Orlando 32 seed (QF)
2013: Palmetto 30 seed (no elims)
2012: Palmetto 7 seed (SF)

Despite numbers that would be the envy of many a team, their trophy cabinet contains exactly two trophies going back to their 2006 inception: the 2006 Palmetto Regional Highest Rookie Seed, and the 2016 Orlando Regional Industrial Design Award.

[D.Allred]

Originally Posted by Billfred

For South Carolina, never is a long time--teams that have played at that high a level with any consistency have hung a banner, and several that don't play at that level have backed into one at some point.

However, one team that seems chronically slept-on is 1876. Let's lay out the resume:

2016: 19-7, Palmetto 8 seed (QF), Orlando 7 seed (SF)
2015: Palmetto 2 seed (SF), Orlando 16 seed (QF)
2014: Palmetto 2 seed (QF), Orlando 32 seed (QF)
2013: Palmetto 30 seed (no elims)
2012: Palmetto 7 seed (SF)

Despite numbers that would be the envy of many a team, their trophy cabinet contains exactly two trophies going back to their 2006 inception: the 2006 Palmetto Regional Highest Rookie Seed, and the 2016 Orlando Regional Industrial Design Award.

Billfred, You beat me to it. I definitely agree with that pick.

Beachbotics have brought a super competitive game over the last several years especially considering they had the #3 and #1 OPR at their two events this year.

David

[Bluman56]

In the NYC area, I would probably say 333. For the past couple years especially they've built solid robots. Obviously I haven't been around for as long as them, but for a team as old as theirs, I would have expected them to win already (granted the previous team I was on had their first regional win in 2014 during their 15th year of existence).

[Cothron Theiss]

Originally Posted by Billfred

However, one team that seems chronically slept-on is 1876. Let's lay out the resume:

1876 is coming to Smoky Mountains Regional for the first time in 2017. Maybe this'll break their streak, and they'll take home a win.

[Thayer McCollum]

Originally Posted by TheBoulderite

For Colorado, I'd say 4499, 1410 or 1339. All build steady robots and have consistently appeared in the playoffs, but none have won a regional yet.

I'll second that. But for some reason I thought 4499 had won a regional. I guess that shows what I "know" about my friends across town.