2009 Season Looking Forward

[Richard McClellan]

The Looking Forward analysis was awesome this year....I really think there needs to be more discussion like this. I was reading the Championship analysis out loud a few weeks ago and someone not familiar with FIRST overheard what I was saying and asked what sport I was reading about, which I think is an accomplishment. He was impressed with the depth of the analysis of all the teams, and thought it was a real sport, which is what FIRST needs to be seen as from the public point of view. Dean's homework this year of getting the message of FIRST to the public could really be accomplished by showing this kind of stuff to the public.

So, what if all of these Looking Forward posts were to find their way into the sports section of local newspapers? It could be a good move in that it really makes the general public more aware that robot competitions are actually sports. I mean, seriously, ESPN already airs poker tournaments and spelling bees as sports. The only hesitation I might have would be for FIRST to get lost in the mix with the other sports which have all of the trappings and negative aspects that FIRST is trying to avoid. But I think it would be a good thing. What do you think?

Actually implementing this would be difficult obviously since the media decides what goes where and putting a robotics competition with other sports would be pretty unprecedented, but should this be a goal to strive for?