Highest Seed not Chosen for Finals

[Rick TYler]

So here's a bizarre, possbily embarrassing topic.

What's the highest-seeded team NOT chosen to be on one of the eight final alliances in your tournament? We finished seeded 17th of 37 in our regional (we should have finished around 10th, but we made some mistakes in team operation that will NEVER happen again), and were not chosen. The embarrassing part is that three robots that WERE chosen didn't score a single point in the finals. One of them was a "brave little toaster" that didn't have an arm. Or the ability to turn. (To make it a little more poignant, we gave them materials and fixed their software for them.)

So, how many 17th seeds don't get picked? We were the highest non-chosen team in our regional. Another embarrassing fact, now that I think of it.

Some facts: Three times (don't laugh) we went onto the field without testing our arm only to find out that someone had failed to seat a cable in a Victor correctly. We lost all three of those. In the rounds where we didn't do something stupid, we went 5-1, scoring an average of four tetras per round. Our only other loss was when an alliance partner racked up 40 points in penalties in a match where we would have won by 16 (and they got chosen for the finals after finishing seeded about 30th).

Hey, I'm not complaining. It was our fault. We could have picked up two more wins if we hadn't shot ourselves in the arm. Or hand. Whatever.

Still, at least eight robots seeded lower than us were chosen. Is this unusual, or Just the Way Things Are? Thanks.

[Koko Ed]

Team 73 the Visioneers were seeded 13th and not chosen at FLR.

[Ashley Weed]

Over time, you personally will see more and more of this. Teams will get "overlooked" because they don't have a noticeable name, they are a rookie team (although now it is not so true as rookies are not "true rookies" anymore), and teams will pick teams just because they are "friends". The lowest I know that has been overlooked was 13th/14th and that was in 2003 at the Championship.

It would be interesting to have the data to know if a team lower has been overlooked, as usually at least 9 & 10 get bumped into Alliance Positioning.

[Adam Richards]

14th/47 at the Orlando Regional. If two more teams had merged that were choosing alliance partners, they would have been picking teams themselves.

[Allison K]

2003 Championships my team was ranked 16th out of about 70, and we were not chosen for alliances. That was the year we had won Great Lakes too.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Allison K

2003 Championships my team was ranked 16th out of about 70, and we were not chosen for alliances. That was the year we had won Great Lakes too.

I think that was Children of the Swamp.

[Jack Jones]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

So here's a bizarre, possbily embarrassing topic.

What's the highest-seeded team NOT chosen to be on one of the eight final alliances in your tournament? We finished seeded 17th of 37 in our regional (we should have finished around 10th, but we made some mistakes in team operation that will NEVER happen again), and were not chosen. The embarrassing part is that three robots that WERE chosen didn't score a single point in the finals. One of them was a "brave little toaster" that didn't have an arm. Or the ability to turn. (To make it a little more poignant, we gave them materials and fixed their software for them.)

So, how many 17th seeds don't get picked? We were the highest non-chosen team in our regional. Another embarrassing fact, now that I think of it.

Some facts: Three times (don't laugh) we went onto the field without testing our arm only to find out that someone had unplugged a cable. We lost all three of those. In the rounds where we didn't do something stupid, we went 5-1, scoring an average of four tetras per round. Our only other loss was when an alliance partner racked up 40 points in penalties in a match where we would have won by 16 (and they got chosen for the finals after finishing seeded about 30th).

Hey, I'm not complaining. It was our fault. We could have picked up two more wins if we hadn't shot ourselves in the arm. Or hand. Whatever.

Still, at least eight robots seeded lower than us were chosen. Is this unusual, or Just the Way Things Are? Thanks.

What really must be embarrasing, or at least would make you feel "ungracious", is sitting there wishing someone would break.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

What really must be embarrasing, or at least would make you feel "ungracious", is sitting there wishing someone would break.

Would any team in that position not feel that way?
It may not be graciously professional but everybody wants to play.

[Allison K]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

I think that was Children of the Swamp.

What was?

Anyway. I went and checked the details. We were 15th out of 73 in the Archimedes Division, and weren't picked, but I can imagine with 73 teams to scout it wouldn't be difficult too miss something. Especially because that our the first year in blue (as opposed to yellow in previous years) and first year as the hammerheads.

[karch]

oh... I know who you're talking about..

alliance 8 REALLY slipped up there. also, and this is hearsay... I heard 955 was just about to get picked by alliance 1 as pick two, but then 8 chose them.

i remember your guys' wooden bot (who doesn't), and it really was very impressive. i am feeling your pain.

[abeD]

This has happened to many teams out there...I can recall in 2002 my team was around 11th and didn't get picked. I was mad and so was my team but hey we learned our lesson and since then we have been as outgoing and noticeable as possible with flyers brochures and things like that. Not getting chosen is just a part of the FIRST experience sometimes...and most fairly new teams come out better for it.

[Cory]

Back in 2002 at nationals we were seeded 11th in Einstein and didn't get picked.

The last picking team was seed #10.

We lost our last match like 52-50 to 16... we would have been the #1 or #2 seed had we won

[Andrew Rudolph]

2002 Nationals 10th Seed, we were 4th the entire competiiton until our last match we lost and that dropped us to 10th, and only one alliance from the top 8 was made.

[abeD]

Alot of times what happens when you're a high seed for a long time teams forget that you're not in the top 8 and for that reason are not on their lists of teams to pick. (happened to us in 2002).

[Cory]

Originally Posted by abeD

Alot of times what happens when you're a high seed for a long time teams forget that you're not in the top 8 and for that reason are not on their lists of teams to pick. (happened to us in 2002).

Yeah, we were in the top 7 all weekend until our last match. That can be a part of it. Another part is not selling yourself to other teams. It's especially critical to do so when you're in a division with 70 something other teams, where any one team can be easily overlooked.