2008 Greater Toronto Regional!

[Bochek]

Originally Posted by J Flex 188

Referee's have about the hardest job in a single FIRST event. Until you have been through the challenges of attempting to pay attention to about a million different things going on, it may be wise to hold off on judgement in terms of his response to you.

Since I was not there, I cannot comment on the validity of your concerns in terms of how the rules were enforced. But what I can say, knowing the head referee, is that he has been doing this for a long time and he would not intentionally attempt to bias, disregard or ignore any calls that he is supposed to be making.

Being a mentor means understanding more than a student on the team and holding yourself to even higher standards than what you would expect of those same students. It is hard in the heat of competition to restrain yourself and compose an objective opinion, but it must be done in order to have your voice heard.

Congratulations to all the teams that competed this weekend!

It could just be that I am comparing to waterloo, which was so very well reffed (I am still working on re-watching all the videos of the 168 point match tho, and yes, i am thinking that it didn't actually happen.)

And yes, i do realize that this game is very difficult to keep track of, but if something like this happens on the Einstein field i think your going to find a large amount of very annoyed teams.

[PatrickN]

Originally Posted by Bochek

It could just be that I am comparing to waterloo, which was so very well reffed (I am still working on re-watching all the videos of the 168 point match tho, and yes, i am thinking that it didn't actually happen.)

And yes, i do realize that this game is very difficult to keep track of, but if something like this happens on the Einstein field i think your going to find a large amount of very annoyed teams.

I thought it was pretty obvious then, and equally obvious now, that the score was incorrect. The error is clearly with the hybrid score, where the blue alliance somehow gets credit for 3 hurdles which increases their score by 24 (they received 64 points when they should have gotten 40 - 6 lines and 2 balls). After that everything is scored perfectly.

Probably doesn't matter though, they'll probably smash that score eventually.

[Spiffizzle]

Team 1676 arrived home to New Jersey from the Greater Toronto Regional at 5:00am. However, our exhaustion and my lack of voice was well worth it, the regional was GREAT!

Congratulations to Team 1547, Where's Waldo, on their Regional Chairman's win! We were so happy to spend time with you guys, AGAIN, and were even more excited to end off on that note! (Come back to Trenton next year!) But wait, we can spend time together again in Atlanta!

Congrats 1305, Ice Cubed, on Engineering Inspiration! I don't personally know your team as well, but from what I encountered this weekend, I definitely have nothing negative to say about you guys!

Thank you Team 176, Aces High for picking us. And both 176 and 1053, Glebe Gryphons, for being an awesome alliance!

Congrats to Team 1114, Simbotics, 2056, Patriotics, and 2166, Appleby, for your Regional Win! Definitely a field dominator!

Congratulations to Team 2624, the BotCatz, for the Rookie All Star Award! I personally spoke to your members, answering questions about how our team functions. The questions you guys thought to ask were impressive, you truly do "get it".

Finally, thank you to everyone for being so kind! Being strangers in new territory is difficult pretty much anywhere but FIRST!
Personally, my first experience in Canada was a great one and I hope to visit Canada and the GTR again in future years!

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Kate Mosley

1114 does the best scouting I have ever seen in FIRST. They have exact statistics on every single team at the regionals they attend - how many lines and balls they do in hybrid, how many laps they do, how many hurdles they do, how many places they make. They use this as the basis of their pick lists.

Agreed, we model our scouting after theirs, and in three years of doing it their way, I can absolutely say "it works". Presently we use six people with wireless laptops to record everything each team does, 100%. We set up a wireless network and put all the recorded data onto a server, which is always available for every team to see, download and use. We'll be in Atlanta, hopefully with some partners, recording (and sharing) everything on all four fields.

Originally Posted by Richard

So, predictions? I'll go out on a limb and project 1114 as the #1 seed. They can't seem to score in less than triple digits.

Yeah, some limb. Like "The sun will rise". 1114 will be awesome on Einstein. Best bot I have ever seen. Ever.

Originally Posted by Bochek

Coming from a team competing at GTR, i was appalled at the quality of the reffing. Multiple times i took video footage evidence to the head ref and he basically told me to suck it up and leave.

As well he should. If you want it changed, volunteer to join the referee staff next year, and eventually you can work your way up to head ref. Maybe by then you'll understand why it is the way it is.

On average, it all evens out.

[Pat Fairbank]

Congratulations to teams 1114, 2056 and 2166 on the win, and thank you to 1507 and 247 for being great alliance partners. It was nice to be on the opposite side of the elimination bracket from 1114 for once, after being on the same side three times last year.

Here are some photos taken at GTR.

[cbale2000]

Hey, does anyone know what happened to the gameday.soap108 site? I was told there would be video archives on that site, but it seems to be down.

[Karthik]

"Never a dull moment at the GTR..."

That line definitely sums up the entire weekend. This event was filled with excitement and intrigue. The arena was electric all weekend long with 66 amazingly spirited teams.

Special thanks go out to our alliance partners 2056 and 2166. It was a pleasure to work with two teams who we're so close with. We had high hopes for 2166 ever since you visited our shop in Week 2. We'd been hoping to pick you all season long, and glad the opportunity presented itself. As for 2056, I'm still in awe at the parallel paths our two teams have taken. It really is something else.

Congratulations to the finalist alliance of 1507, 1503 and 247. As soon as alliance selection ended, I looked at this alliance and said "These are the teams to beat". For those who didn't attend or watch, Team 1507 was one of the highest scoring robots at the regional, while 1503 had made huge improvements since FLR. I'm not entirely sure how Team 247 was available as the 22nd team in the eliminations, considering they had a 4 line hybrid mode.

A special thanks to Team 703, who made one of the classiest moves that I have ever seen in FIRST. On Saturday morning, they realized their despite the fact their drivetrain was still working, they were on the verge of a possible catastrophic failure. They gave a letter to the other 65 teams, letting them know the situation, and recommending that they not pick them. I have seen too many teams hide technical difficulties, and only reveal them after being picked. Team 703 handled this situation both graciously and professionally, and for this I commend them. Hopefully in the future more teams will learn from this wonderful example.

Congratulations to Team 1547 on their Regional Chairman's Award win. Back in your rookie season, 2005, I predicted that your team would soon become a perennial RCA winner in Canada. Your program has a huge impact on everyone that encounters it. I'm glad that I've been able to witness the journey. I know you will do Canada proud with your presentation in Atlanta.

I'm still trying to gather my emotions after such an amazing weekend. I don't think the magnitude of it all has sunk in yet. It's suffice to say, this really had been a magical regional season.

Thanks to everyone who made this event possible. You all rock.

Finally, I'd like to know what people though of the Discovery Channel coverage of the event. The crew spent a lot of time on this coverage and I thought the host, Shannon Bentley did a fantastic job. Of course, I only saw the coverage through the other side of the lens, so I want to hear the input of the home viewers.

[Qbranch]

Congratulations teams! Toronto was DEFINITELY my favorite regional to watch... even brought the ol' sprint cellular modem along to listen to it on the road. Great job on playing a fantastic regional!

[EDIT]
Amazing, huh... the FIRST comminity's FIRST two-time 3-regionals-in-one-season winners! Congratulations 1114!
[/EDIT]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Finally, I'd like to know what people though of the Discovery Channel coverage of the event. The crew spent a lot of time on this coverage and I thought the host, Shannon Bentley did a fantastic job. Of course, I only saw the coverage through the other side of the lens, so I want to hear the input of the home viewers.

After the GREAT coverage the discovery channel provided in Toronto, I was left wishing they'd covered more regionals! Having a reporter there 'on the scene' made it so much more exciting... just like watching a big game on ESPN or the like. I think FIRST should seriously consider arranging for some form of floor reporter at as many events as possible.

Kudos to the Discovery channel! I sure hope they cover Atlanta!

-q

p.s. Does anyone involved in getting the Discovery channel to Toronto know anybody I could poke to improve the chances of them covering the Championship? If so, please let me know!

[MWTrek]

Aces High had a great time once again.

First I wanted to thank everyone at the event. I've found that GTR has something that the other regionals I've attended are missing. The event seems to have a different kind of competitiveness to it. Every team exemplified Gracious Professionalism. Everyone was helpful and friendly. The volunteers and event coordinators should be proud of their event.

Next I want to thank specifically the MC, Karthik and the announcer, Steve. We all noticed how you guys understand what FIRST is really about. I appreciated what Kartik said during alliance pickings about the crowd's reaction about teams declined an alliance.

Also, team 703, I wanted to mention my sympathy for your team. Your robot was certainly one of the best robots on the field this weekend. It is unfortunate your competition was cut short. Karthik is right. You should be commended for the way you handled the unfortunate circumstances.

Thanks to teams 1676 and 1053. We gave the 2nd seeded alliance a run for their money. 1676, it was great working with you. Your team appeared to be mostly student lead and your students were very professional. It was great that you offered your scouting data to all of the teams during the regional. 1053, thanks for working so well with us. It was great to have a team who could play a little defense but also hurdle when we were in a pinch.

And lastly, Congratulations to team 1114, 2056, and 2166. 1114, again your team had an excellent robot. We enjoyed playing with you in the qual rounds (sorry about that penalty in hybrid mode). 2056, what a record, nice work. 2166, you had a nice robot, and i was surprised to see that you were still around to be picked by the first seeded alliance.

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by Qbranch

Amazing, huh... the FIRST community went from 3 teams to 5 this year for three regional wins in one season. Congratulations 1114!

Actually, it only went from three to four. 1114 already accomplished the feat back in 2006, so you guys are the only addition to that very select group this year. Of course, two teams winning three regionals is huge when you consider that it took eight years for a team to do again after 47 originally did it way back in 1998. Also, this makes 1114 the first team to win three regionals in a year, twice.

[Laura 1547]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

Yeah, some limb. Like "The sun will rise". 1114 will be awesome on Einstein. Best bot I have ever seen. Ever.

I want to second that. Watching 1114 play is like watching...I don't even know! It's like magic is happening right in front of you. An absolute joy to watch. It's not even as if someone is driving the robot; it's as if there is just an invisible person pushing the robot around. If I have anything to say about it...1114 will give every other team on Einstein a run for their money. (not to jinx anyone)

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Karthik

A special thanks to Team 703, who made one of the classiest moves that I have ever seen in FIRST. On Saturday morning, they realized their despite the fact their drivetrain was still working, they were on the verge of a possible catastrophic failure. They gave a letter to the other 65 teams, letting them know the situation, and recommending that they not pick them.

I agree completely. I spoke to some of the team out in the parking lot later that day, and basically said what Karthik said above, emphasizing the class act they are. That bears repeating: Team 703 is a Class Act.

Originally Posted by MWTrek

Next I want to thank specifically the MC, Karthik and the announcer, Steve. We all noticed how you guys understand what FIRST is really about. I appreciated what Kartik said during alliance pickings about the crowd's reaction about teams declined an alliance.

I partially agree. The first time, when someone actually Boo'd, absolutely 100% agree, Karthik did the right thing. But the second time, when a team respectfully declined an invitation, I didn't hear it as Booing, I heard it as a lot of people saying "Ooooh" - which is what I was saying. Ooooh as in "how dramatic", and not expressing any negative thoughts or feelings at all.

No disrespect to Karthik - from the field, sounds are different, he may have heard something that I (way up top) couldn't, and I don't have any problem with what he said or did.

(For those of you not there: during alliance selection, one team was Boo'd when they were announced, and Karthik laid into the Boo-ers, and rightly so, for their lack of GP. The second time, just a few seconds later, when a seeded team declined to join an alliance, the whole stadium went "ooooh"*, which probably sounded like a big "Boooo" on the field, and he repeated his message.)
*My interpretation only

Big Props to our Game MC, extremely professional and enthusiastic, right there with the best I have seen. Not to diminish Steve's efforts, either, which were also world-class. How these guys keep their voices after 3 days of this stuff baffles me.

Don

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

No disrespect to Karthik - from the field, sounds are different, he may have heard something that I (way up top) couldn't, and I don't have any problem with what he said or did.

(For those of you not there: during alliance selection, one team was Boo'd when they were announced, and Karthik laid into the Boo-ers, and rightly so, for their lack of GP. The second time, just a few seconds later, when a seeded team declined to join an alliance, the whole stadium went "ooooh"*, which probably sounded like a big "Boooo" on the field, and he repeated his message.)
*My interpretation only

Just to clarify what I heard down on the field, when Team 1114 selected 2056 there were clear "boos" from what I would guess to be a small group people around the arena. It disappointing to say the least. The second time, when 1507 declined 188's offer, the majority of the sound was "ooohs" from the crowd, but there was a smattering of "boos" mixed in. At least this is how it sounded on the field. Hopefully I was wrong and it was just 100% "oohs", but I definitely recall hearing "boos".

Thanks for all the kind words Don, hopefully we'll be seeing Team 1676 back in Canada next year!

[DonRotolo]

So then it was a good call both times. And, THANK YOU for having the guts and presence of mind to say what you did - it was absolutely the right thing to do and hopefully made some impact on those boors (and the Boo-ers).

Don

[rjmah]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

Agreed, we model our scouting after theirs, and in three years of doing it their way, I can absolutely say "it works". Presently we use six people with wireless laptops to record everything each team does, 100%. We set up a wireless network and put all the recorded data onto a server, which is always available for every team to see, download and use. We'll be in Atlanta, hopefully with some partners, recording (and sharing) everything on all four fields.

Thanks so much for the scouting. Our team was short on members at GTR so I used your data to look at our team stats vs. others. I wonder how many teams realized this resource was available. Although you gave out cards on how to access, it's so easy to misplace it. Also, I needed to come up to the stands to get in range of your wireless.

I was pleased to have wireless access in the pits this year so we could watch the Discovery Channel webcast and see current ranking information. Maybe next year you can connect to the GTR hub. I think all you'd need is to agree on IP range and one DHCP server. May I suggest using the 10.x.x.x range which gives you lots of nodes.