It's Championship, Not Nationals

[raymaniac]

I think that World championships or Globals will work until we get teams from other planets...

Dave, you and the rest of the people at NASA need to get working on that...

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by raymaniac

I think that World championships or Globals will work until we get teams from other planets...

Dave, you and the rest of the people at NASA need to get working on that...

If I said 'Globals' out loud, it would get stuck in the roof of my mouth and would sound like gumballs - and I don't think my mother would ever 'get' Globals. She 'gets' The Championship and she 'got' Nationals.

Come on Thursday!

[Brandon Holley]

I have watched this thread for a couple days, haven't replied, but have thought a little bit. Here is something I would just like to say:

I think everyone is aware that "nationals" does not represent what the actual competition entails. However, people must also understand it was nationals for a long time, and its hard to break out of that mold. I constantly am correcting myself for saying nationals instead of championships, but its just how I learned it. It has been almost 7 years in FIRST for me, and when I first learned about NATIONALS, thats what they were known as.

I agree with the big push to try and get everyone on board the championship bus, but please understand when people let nationals slip out, its not because they are being disrespectful to teams competing from outside of the U.S., but because thats how they probably learned about nationals/championships. I know thats what my situation is....thanks everyone.

[jerry w]

If you are just looking for an easy term to use, then you should say that you are going to WORC.

The World Of Robotics Championship (WORC) can describe the entire event. It involves people from all over the world, doing all forms of robotics. Also, it is a lot of work. However, it is the most fun work that I have ever done.

WORC is easy to say and follows the pattern of naming FRC, FVC, etc...
but WORC is easier to say then most of the other acronyms (except NEMO).

I will see you at WORC in ATL.

jerry w

[kawelch]

Originally Posted by jerry w

The World Of Robotics Championship (WORC)
jerry w

I'm going to work?

[emoss_5]

i just call it "The world finals"
cuz well yea most of the world is there... the robotics world anyways.
know matter wat is called its still fun

[robochick1319]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

It's been 7 years since it's been called Nationals, so people, please stop calling it that. There are many international teams, both in FRC, FLL, JFLL, and FVC, and calling the competition Nationals instead of the proper title, Championship, ignores those teams and their achievements. Calling it Nationals doesn't make you old skool or anything; it makes you look lazy and frankly somewhat ignorant.

Please, it's Championship. The sub-forum is labeled it, FIRST hasn't called it that in many years, and teams from all over the world attend the event, it's not a "national" event in any stretch of the imagination.

*gets off soap box*

Ok I admit it! I do still call it Nationals.

Sorry but old habits die hard. As a kid growing up with this thing I have always known it as Nationals and always will.

But let's be honest here. If it were REALLY a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP wouldn't there be a LARGER number of foreign teams. No offense or anything but most teams are STILL from the U.S.

I love the idea of a Worldwide Championship but when you are telling people in the community about your upcoming FRC event and you call it World Champs you are implying the MOST countries attend the event. When in fact for FRC there aren't more than 10 or 11 I believe. Out of nearly 200 or so countries that is hardly a world competition.

And furthermore, dude, does it really matter?

I think we all just need some more time in the sun to relax and unwind.

HAGS!!

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

I just wanted to remind people that it's called Champs for a reason, and that as FIRST gets bigger and has more attention placed on it, we need to standardize what we call it. It's like using a combination of the new and old logo.

That's all that needs to be said. Especially with Dean's HW this year, we need to all be on the same page.

You don't see McDonald's throwing around "i'm lovin it" and "Did somebody say McDonalds?" anymore do you? No..

[JaneYoung]

When the winners of the robot competition were announced on Einstein this year, how were they presented? (We had to leave a little early.)

And, how are award winners marketing their wins to the press this year?

Oh also, when teams approached sponsors for money to help them get to Atlanta, how did they market the event to their sponsors?

(We still have plenty of people on our team that use the term, Nationals, btw.)

[Boydean]

I have been calling Championships since I found out that they started calling it Championships. I know when I walked up to the pit admin the little screens said "Welcome to Nationals" but that must have been a typo.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

I love the idea of a Worldwide Championship but when you are telling people in the community about your upcoming FRC event and you call it World Champs you are implying the MOST countries attend the event. When in fact for FRC there aren't more than 10 or 11 I believe. Out of nearly 200 or so countries that is hardly a world competition.

The FIRST Championship is more than just FRC. Hang around in the FIRST Lego League side of things for a while and you'll quickly recognize the international flavor of the event.

And furthermore, dude, does it really matter?

YES. It matters.

Informally, it doesn't really matter what we call it, but this forum is large enough and visible enough that I prefer to keep a certain formality in mind. We dilute the message unless we all use the same term for the same thing. We contribute to the imperfect understanding of FIRST by the general public when we keep using outdated names. We fail to present a coherent picture of what we are if we aren't vigilant about our self-image.

This year, and last year, the big gathering of FIRST folk in Atlanta was officially "The FIRST Championship". The word "National" hasn't been part of it since it was held in the Epcot parking lot in 2001, when all FRC teams were automatically able to attend and there were no qualification requirements.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

I love the idea of a Worldwide Championship but when you are telling people in the community about your upcoming FRC event and you call it World Champs you are implying the MOST countries attend the event. When in fact for FRC there aren't more than 10 or 11 I believe. Out of nearly 200 or so countries that is hardly a world competition.

Other sporting events get away with it.

MLB and the World Series for example, when there is exactly one international team (Toronto Blue Jays).

The Super Bowl winner is called the "world champion" and the NFL contains zero international teams.

FIRST actually is an international competition. Why not erase all ambiguity, and call it the title it rightly deserves--FIRST World Championships (or FIRST World Championship Event)?

[qwertyuiop[]\]

Originally Posted by Cory

The Super Bowl winner is called the "world champion" and the NFL contains zero international teams.

First off in the world of sports(that is non robotics), the super bowl winner is called the world champion because all the teams in the world have chance to go it is just that all those teams happen to be in the US. Also I think that for all of us here in Northern Virginia, and DC area that it just might get a little confusing with there be 2 things called the Nationals. Personally i still slip into calling it Nationals, but usually in my team we refer to it as going to Atlanta, not champs or globals or WORC or whatever else people call it whether it is right or wrong.

Also if this is international how come all the Reigonals are in the US?(i know that next year this statement will be irrelevant because of the New Zeland Regional). I think that the only dignified ways of refering to it is by calling it Atlanta, Nationals, or the Championship.

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by qwertyuiop[]\

Also if this is international how come all the Reigonals are in the US?(i know that next year this statement will be irrelevant because of the New Zeland Regional)

Uhm, not to go off on too much of a tangent, but they aren't. The Israel, Brazil, Toronto (Canada) and Waterloo (Canada) FRC regional competition events have been around for a while now.

-dave

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by dlavery

Uhm, not to go off on too much of a tangent, but they aren't. The Israel, Brazil, Toronto (Canada) and Waterloo (Canada) FRC regional competition events have been around for a while now.

-dave

Let us not forget New Zealand now. Sorry guys, but for me "Nationals" still rolls off the tongue a little easier than "Championships". You will hear me use both and "Champs" but don't flame me, I am old and you need to give me a little slack. Half of my FIRST experience was "Nationals" and half "Championships". Maybe next year I will leave the old title behind.