You Cannot Graciously Accept

[Herodotus]

We currently graciously accept.

Could we professionally accept?

[Bcliff358]

There is actually something less moronic then "graciously" accepting. It's called "graciously declining". Hmmm, how in any way are you gracious if you decline another teams offer. It's happened before.

[DGrohnke1023]

This year at GLR I was our team's representative during alliance selections.
I had two thoughts running through my head.
"Please let us get picked" (Thank you 47 and 494!)
and "I need something to say other than graciously accepts"

What I came up with was not particularly memorable but different nonetheless.

"1023 would love to be of assistance."
A direct answer to a direct question.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by Bcliff358

There is actually something less moronic then "graciously" accepting. It's called "graciously declining". Hmmm, how in any way are you gracious if you decline another teams offer. It's happened before.

If you are broken, it is most certainly gracious to decline an offer. If you are an alliance captain yourself and want to form your own alliance, it's obviously because you think you can make a better match by choosing for yourself. In that case, you could be saving the team picking you from making a BAD decision by choosing you, if you believe the two robots would make a less-than-ideal alliance.

In the past, we've been approached (prior to selections) about a possible alliance, but for one reason or another we believed our robot wasn't very compatible with theirs. We told them so, gave them the reasons, and pointed them toward other teams who were more compatible. We were spared the potential awkwardness of declining when they followed our advice and picked the other team, and they ended up advancing farther in the elimination rounds than we did.

I provide this anecdote to show that, yes, it is possible to graciously decline. If that team had picked us, we would have, because alligning with them would have been a bad move for BOTH teams because of poor compatibility.

[XXShadowXX]

Originally Posted by MishraArtificer

At GLR this year, a Trekkie on one of the teams responded with...

"Team XXXX will willlingly be assimilated into your collective."

The sad part was I was the only one in the stands who thought it was funny.

we are the borg resitance is futile

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by XXShadowXX

we are the borg resitance is futile

I swear I am going to have a team called The Borg some day...

[Alan Anderson]

Seen on a VEX t-shirt:

Resistance may be futile, but capacitance has potential.

[bduddy]

Originally Posted by Bcliff358

There is actually something less moronic then "graciously" accepting. It's called "graciously declining". Hmmm, how in any way are you gracious if you decline another teams offer. It's happened before.

How about "respectfully declines"? That's what I would say, although lately my team hasn't even been in a position to accept, much less to decline...

[EricH]

Originally Posted by bduddy

How about "respectfully declines"? That's what I would say, although lately my team hasn't even been in a position to accept, much less to decline...

That works. It's been used before, too.

Translation of "respectfully declines": "We thank you for the offer, but with all due respect, we don't think this will be the best for either team."

[bduddy]

Originally Posted by EricH

Translation of "respectfully declines": "We thank you for the offer, but with all due respect, we don't think this will be the best for our team."

Bold= my edit. There's no need to sugar-coat it: if you don't go to competition to win (fairly and graciously!), don't go. That's the professional part of gracious professionalism.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by bduddy

Bold= my edit. There's no need to sugar-coat it: if you don't go to competition to win (fairly and graciously!), don't go. That's the professional part of gracious professionalism.

It can be both. If you honestly don't think their team will do well if they pick your team, then it's either team. That's also part of gracious professionalism--making sure your opponents compete at their best.

[Scott Carpman]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

I swear I am going to have a team called The Borg some day...

SciBorg is close enough

[roboticWanderor]

our team is bugged by this strange phenomenon as well. as a joke, we were thinging about "GRACEFULLY" accepting thier offer for an alliance, and do a little ballet or someother move over to where they were standing! just a joke, but i would love to see it happen some day...

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by roboticWanderor

... we were thinging about "GRACEFULLY" accepting thier offer for an alliance, and do a little ballet or someother move over to where they were standing! just a joke, but i would love to see it happen some day...

"418 gracefully accepts!" [pirouette, arabesque]

I would love to see that! I'll bet there is someone on your team who has the moves to make it look good, too.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Richard

"418 gracefully accepts!" [pirouette, arabesque]

I would love to see that! I'll bet there is someone on your team who has the moves to make it look good, too.

The drive team rocks. They could manage that.
Don't tell them I said that though....