Championship Preview 2007

[Andy Grady]

Well folks, here we are once again. Just days away from the event that we all strive to make each year. This is where all the drama unfolds, golden moments are etched in time forever, hearts are broken in the passion of defeat, and the sweet sound of the victory roar from the crowd is heard. This is what we all play for...its the Georgia Dome.

So, who comes out on top? Who has what it takes? Who will overcome the odds, make peace with lady luck, and utilize nerves of steel to come out as the "King of the Rings"?

Lets take a look...

We start at Archimedes where standing tall at the top of the division is the most successful championship tournament team of all time. The Beast number 71 is ready to make a run for the elusive number 5. Is this Hammond's magic number? Well...you may have to ask the Martians about that one. They once shared the gold on Einstien, but now the Martians are looking to start a legacy of their own.

Let us not forget though...this is the year of the upcomming star. Remember the number 1403...you may be hearing a little something about a team named the Cougars come elimination time.

Then there is Buzz Robotics team 175...

They have been to Einstein so many times, and have fallen short of the ultimate goal. This year...they are stronger than ever. Could this be the year they break the curse, and bring home number 1?

Or how about a return of a little team from Woodside California to the promised land? Winners in Sacramento, they are looking like a very good bet for a championship run.

Oh by the way...you might want to pay attention to a little ramp bot from Oregon named the Spartans. Team 997 is no fluke. Very reliable at lifting, great on defense. This may just be the formula you need to stand on the brightest of stages.

Who knows though...maybe the Arch will be tickled Pink...as in 233, or Green, as in the Swamp team 179. Florida has hope on Archimedes with these two monsters. Pink's roller claw is solid as always, and the Children of the Swamp have one of the more impressive hybrid bots out there.

Of course, dont ever...ever forget "The Poofs", here they come again folks...


If you want drama or just pure firepower, than look no further than Curie. Ask most experts and they will tell you that there is a very good chance that something very special could come out of that division this year.

At the head of the pack, the force from the north team 1114, Simbotics. Canada is having a surge in powerhouse teams these days, and Karthik's crew is looking to add a big gold medal to its already impressive resume. In order to do it, however, they may have to go through some of New England's best. Team 126 Gael Force is fresh off a massive victory in Boston over another Curie Division powerhouse, team 121, the Rhode Warriors. If that isn't bad enough, there is the very quick and powerful team 716, Who-C-Teks and national finalists in 2006, team 195, the Cyberknights. It could even be a team who made alot of noise with their drafting strategy last year at championships...the partner of Simbotics at GTR, 176, Aces High.

Of course, New England isn't the only area of the country that sends powerhouses to Curie. The Midwest also is sending some of its top guns. Cyber Blue is on the heels of a monster year, already racking up two very strong victories in Indiana and Long Island. Could this be the year of Blue? Maybe instead, this will be the year to be HOT. The HOT Team is on the cusp of breaking big with their very solid hybrid bot. Another Midwest power on Curie? How about team 48 Delphi Elite, fresh off a victory at Buckeye. They too could be a major factor come Einstien time. Also, don't for get about a little team called Las Guerrillas.

Then you go west...

To Beachbots country. Team 330 is comming off a strong two regional victory season. They didn't hit the wall, they broke through the wall, and now Championships is the new target.

Speaking of west...dont count out team 60, Kingman either. They are always tough and are looking to build on their victory in Arizona.

One more team to remember on elimination day...a team who may be the key to the whole division....

A little Floridian team we like to call...SPAM.


In the next corner of the massive Georgia Dome will sit a field we like to call Galileo. Once again another strong division from top to bottom. We start with Raider Robotix out of New Jersey. They had a victory in one of the toughest enviroments to play the game, in the Mid-Atlantic. They finished second at the Connecticut Regional and stood a very good chance of
taking that one too. Could Championship gold be in their future? Not if the upstate new york and rochester region has anything to say about it. Say it with me...X-Cats and Sparx and Division by Zero...oh my! These are three teams who could very easily tear the Gali field open come elimination time.

Then we go back...

Back in black...

The Technokats are hungry. They had a victory in St Louis, and they are looking to strike fear once again. This time into the hearts of the combatants in the Galileo Division. Could this be the year that the Championship Gold returns to Kokomo...for the first time in the alliance era?

Or will it go to the Cosmos?

There is a team out there...they are a silent killer. They have sneakily swept into two regionals this year, and they have succeeded at both those competitions. That team? 123, Team Cosmos out of Hamtramck Mi. Will they siliently take out the Galileo division?

How about another group of silent killers on Galileo. They are called "Rookie All-Stars". There are two in particular that you should watch real close on elimination day. The new era canadian powerhouse team...number 2056, Patriotics out of Ontario. Two...yes, two massive victories in the fastest growing robotic region in the world. Also, there is a tough rookie team out there, a future star of New England. Remember the name ALARM folks, team 2079 has the poise, intelligence, and makeup to be a massive factor on Galileo.

Maybe Galileo will have a force come out on top. A Frog Force, that is. This team produced a hybrid robot that offensively is dangerous when left alone, and carries a pair of very reliable ramps. With a victory at Great Lakes in hand, they are ready to make a run at Championship gold.

Or maybe...just maybe...it will be Robbe's year.

Robbe Xtreme is fast, they are accurate, and they could very well be one of the major factors on Galileo.

Or...it very well could be the NJ Regional winning team from one state over...

Say hello to the Cybersonics, world. This could be their year.


We round out the divisions by going over to Newton, where I utter the words..."Remember the Gila-Monsters?" Well, the name may not exsist anymore, but a good chunk of that once powerhouse team is alive and well. They also carry Arizona regional gold. Remember the name of the 39th Aero Squadron. There is another team with alot of history in Newton, who is ready to once again place itself on the top of the heap. Last year, they were Chairmans Award winners, this year they are going for more. Welcome back to the show team 111, Wildstang. Stang has been tough this year, winning in the Midwest. Will this momentum carry through to Newton?

Or could it be another one of our very historic Newton teams?

Team 190, Gompei and The Herd is comming...

They went into the house that the Cheesy Poofs built, Silicon Valley, and swept the rug out from under team 254 for the first time since the regional's birth. They shocked the world. WPI is looking to do it again...this time on Einstien.

Remember though...this IS the year of the future superstar...

Another New England team is ready for the challenge...

Enter team 1124, The Uberbots. These guys were so powerful at the Connecticut regional, that even the top dogs had no answer for their outstanding speed in scoring. Not only did they fight the elements of snow and cold that weekend, they fought threats of suspension from their own school. And what do they have to show for it? A regional championship. Atlanta is now in their sights.

Then of course...there is always...Da Bears! Team 247 is having a great year, two regional victories on the board at Detroit and at Pittsburgh. Can they nail down the trifecta by mauling the big dance?

There is another very solid team ready to use its offensive skills to power through Newton. You might want to pay attention to a little team from Wisconson called the Chargers, team 537. They were a force at the Wisconson regional, putting tubes up so fast that the announcer couldn't keep up. They are dangerous, and could be making plans for Einstien.

Then there is the Manchester NH representative...team 501, The Powerknights. Such a fast, sneaky robot, they stormed through the Granite State Regional. One would think that they might have a good day on Newton with such a large field of combatants.

Of course, there is one more team to watch out for in Atlanta. This team has made a resurgance in 2007 and they are hugry for the big prize. Hailing from the great state of Texas, team 148, The Robowranglers cannot be denied. With a strong finals showing in St. Louis, the offensive monster has alot of momentum going into the Dome. Be afraid, Newton, be very afraid.


So that is it folks, just a little preview into the three days of pure robotic chaos that we will all bear witness to this comming weekend. The scary thing? The teams I mentioned above are only small portion of the truely amazing teams that will grace the Georgia Dome floor. Any one of them could sit on top of the world come saturday evening.

The true question I have for you is...

Do you think you are ready?...

It is impossible to be ready for this.

Let the games begin. Good Luck to everyone.

[Freddy Schurr]

One Word: WOW!. Amazing speech to get us ready for the Championship.

Everyone has a shot at the big dance this year, so watch out.

[BobC]

Good job Andy!! I could not have said it better myself!! LOL See ya in Atlanta buddy. Maybe we can go to a hockey game.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Is this finally be the big year for New England? Will 175, 176, 195, 501, or 1124 take home the gold? Or, will this be the year Midwest defense finally gets the credit it deserves? Will our friends from the coast of California show that there's something more to the beach than surfing and terrible dramas? Or, will the forces from the north be able to re-claim their Championship glory coming off a great year in 2006?

Either way, the 2007 Championship is sure to be one of the best we've seen in a long while. The divisions are relatively even. Expect "bunker buster" alliances to get split up on Curie and Galileo, and expect relatively unknown teams to rise from the darkness in Newton and Archimedes. Einstein will be stellar. See you on Thursday!

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

Of course, there is one more team to watch out for in Atlanta. This team has made a resurgance in 2007 and they are hugry for the big prize. Hailing from the great state of Texas, team 148, The Robowranglers cannot be denied. With a victory in St. Louis, the offensive monster has alot of momentum going into the Dome. Be afraid, Newton, be very afraid.

???

[BandChick]

Thank you Andy! What an inspiration!
And what a hard weekend we all have ahead of us!

[Schnabel]

Originally Posted by IndySam

???

Now on to the first timers in Atlanta as we baah to the digital goats. Also on the winning alliance in St. Louis, this team is one beast of a ramp with a simple design that works every time.

How's that?

Also, 148 did not win in St. Louis. They were the runner up.

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by IndySam

???

Woops, I stand corrected. Finalist in St. Louis!

I was up pretty late writing this stuff last night, doing research, watching video. I'm bound to have made a mistake or two.

Plus, it doesn't help that the FIRST website lists finalists first, then champions.


Note: I'd also like to credit Karthik with his scouting database, which helped me heavily in my research.

[BRAVESaj25bd8]

Even though my team wasn't in it, this was one of the most enjoyable posts that I have ever read. Great job and perhaps you should look into being some sort of analyst for a FIRST pre-game show or something for a webcast. All of this info really got me excited for nationals. Thanks and once again, great work.

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by BRAVESaj25bd8

Even though my team wasn't in it, this was one of the most enjoyable posts that I have ever read. Great job and perhaps you should look into being some sort of analyst for a FIRST pre-game show or something for a webcast. All of this info really got me excited for nationals. Thanks and once again, great work.

Thank you for the kind words. Ya know, there are so many great teams, and so many great stories, its impossible for me to get to everyone. Fact of the matter is, every team has a very valid reason why it could be a champion this year. Thats the beauty of this game, you never know what is going to happen. I just can't do a team by team breakdown of each division...that would just take wayyyy too long and there isn't enough archived video for me to cover it all! (Speaking of which, I want to credit SOAP too, I've seen more video this weekend than my eyes could handle!)

As for being an analyst...well, I'd love to write full time about FIRST and robotics and all that fun stuff...but I love my job of tinkering with electrical stuff all day long. But...I do get to take my vacation this week to have a great time doing something I love while watching the drama unfold.

Only a couple days left!

[Karthik]

Andy,

I love it. These are the stories that make FIRST so dynamic. I can't wait to see how it unfolds. You know, in my ideal world, me and you would have our own FIRST commentary show, that would air before the Championship.

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

Note: I'd also like to credit Karthik with his scouting database, which helped me heavily in my research.

Thanks for the credit, but this year's database was 95% done by Team 1114's behind the scenes strategy guy, Geoff Allan. Oh, and the amazing Roberto Rotolo.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Hey, Andy. Would it be possible to get you to do a run down of a couple of matches on video? Or comment as they go on? Like one from each division or something? I'm looking for innovative ways to present FIRST to the public. I don't know, maybe if you don't have time, someone else with a great imagination and good "commentary" ability could do it. Any volunteers? (I'm looking to do this on Thursday, Friday and Saturday would probably be way too inconvenient).

Just something I've been cooking up in my head since I saw TBA do an ESPN style "broadcast."

Jeremiah

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by Budda648

Hey, Andy. Would it be possible to get you to do a run down of a couple of matches on video? Or comment as they go on? Like one from each division or something? I'm looking for innovative ways to present FIRST to the public. I don't know, maybe if you don't have time, someone else with a great imagination and good "commentary" ability could do it. Any volunteers? (I'm looking to do this on Thursday, Friday and Saturday would probably be way too inconvenient).

Just something I've been cooking up in my head since I saw TBA do an ESPN style "broadcast."

Jeremiah

Jeremiah,

As much as that would be a really cool thing, and I'd love to be a part of it. I am going to be pretty busy doing volunteer stuff all weekend long. I wish you the best of luck with your video though!

Oh, and Karthik...one of these days man, we'll do a pre-show! Would be quite a blast. Maybe we can team up with the Blue Alliance guys and do something after practice rounds on thursday or something.

[Sgraff_SRHS06]

I won't be there, but I would add this line:

Who will FIRST select as its ultimate philanthropist? The Miracle Workers have been serving us for years, but will t-REX's (1727) Baltimore projects or Miss Daisy's Team-In-A-Box and world traveling prevent them from going into the HOF? Or will 399 FLIRT its way towards the prize?

F

[TheIrishOne]

Andy, that is truly inspiring. I can't wait till Thursday!!!!