"We Are the Champions" and GP?

[aaeamdar]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

There is another arguement a lot of people are making that you unfairly lumped into #1 and #2.

I really didn't expect my last posting to evoke yet more criticism, but...

I didn't lump anything in with anything. You've either misinterpreted what I said or chose to read very selectively. Yes, a goal of FIRST is to celebrate excellence. Yes, I'm all for that. Yes, I realize that some teams will win and some teams will lose. However, if you think (as I do) that the song takes a taunting tone towards the losers, then its "celebration" of the winning teams is no excuse. I said specifically that there were two "eminently reasonable" arguments to be made.

And no, Alan, there is no personal history that makes me extraordinarily sensitive to this song. Even your anecdotal reference doesn't really help me understand where that came from. If you don't see how the song puts down the losers, take another listen.

To both Adam and Alan, I must say again that we seem to be at an impasse over something very simple: what, exactly, is meant by "losers" and "champions" in the phrases "No time for losers" and "We are the champions"? If (in the context of FIRST) we define losers as teams who didn't try, had a defeatist attitude, and we define champions as every team who came to the competition and participated positively, then you are both exactly right, and my argument has no basis.

However, if this is really what we mean by "champions" and "losers", then explain to me, if you would, why this song is played [i]right after the final elimination round, when there is both a clear "champion" and "loser" (or regional winner and finalist, if you will). If we use this broader definition of champion and loser, then why not play this song, say, at the beginning of the competition, to celebrate all the teams that were able to build a robot and make it to the regional? Or at the end, to celebrate all the teams who stuck through to the end, regardless of whether they won or not?

The bottom line is this: the "champions" in the song are the regional/championship winners, and the "losers" are either (take your pick) everyone else, OR the finalists, and neither one of those choices is conducive to the argument that this song is anywhere near clicking with gracious professionalism.

Alan, I was not making any sort of reference to "Le Tigre" as I have never heard of who/what that is. The tone/notes I was referring to were the notes of "No time for losers" which constitute (_approximately_): starting note, minor third down, perfect fourth up, major second down, minor third down. The "taunt" I was referring to was something a little child might say before/after sticking out his/her tongue. I'm not sure how to more completely express this.

Paul

*EDIT*: Yes, Travis, that is exactly what I was talking about. Didn't see your posting until I had already posted mine. Does that clear anything up?