Hardest Regional

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by big1boom

Michigan State Championship doesn't really count as a regional... If it did, then it would be the hardest regional.

I have heard this thought a couple times, how exactly does it not count as a regional? For that matter, how are our districts not regionals? They are as large as any small regional. Just because we run them more efficiently does not make them less of an event.

I apologize for the rant but I have heard them called "fake" too many times to put up with that misconception any longer.


MSC may be the most balanced regional. I would place Midwest as the hardest, first week regionals are always tough but anyone that had that many former Champions at it is bound to be scary.

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

I have heard this thought a couple times, how exactly does it not count as a regional? For that matter, how are our districts not regionals? They are as large as any small regional. Just because we run them more efficiently does not make them less of an event.

I apologize for the rant but I have heard them called "fake" too many times to put up with that misconception any longer.


MSC may be the most balanced regional. I would place Midwest as the hardest, first week regionals are always tough but anyone that had that many former Champions at it is bound to be scary.

I wouldn't say it isn't a regional, but I wouldn't really consider it for this discussion. Since you have to qualify to get in, its clearly going to be a 'stacked' event (unless Michigan teams are generally bad, which we all know is most definitely not the case). It's sort of like arguing whether a championship division is harder to win than a regional. Clearly it is because the average team is of a higher calibre, so it isn't a very interesting discussion.

[EricH]

MSC isn't a regional because you have to qualify to get in. In terms of competition itself, yes, it qualifies as a large regional. But in terms of being able to get in, you have to 1) be a Michigan team and 2) compete at at least one District event, more often 2, and then qualify by points. No other regional event does that.

Districts have almost the same argument. Regional competitions are open to ANY FRC team. So, the team from the Philippines could go to BAE or Israel, a Los Angeles team can go to the New Zealand Regional (when it happens), or a San Diego team can go to the L.A. Regional. They could do this instead of their home event, or along with it.

But the MI district events are closed to anybody that isn't from MI.

The difference is slight but real: Regionals don't have qualifications other than $$$$, Districts have $$$$ and geographic location, MSC has $$$, location, and point scores.

Hey, MSC is tougher to get into than the World Championship. You can open-register for the Championship. Can't do that for MSC. You can qualify for the Championship. You have to for MSC. See the difference?

Competition-wise, yeah, they're pretty much the same. But when you artificially restrict teams from entering, that changes a lot of things. You block out other nearby teams that would otherwise come in and quite possibly raise (or lower) the competition level.

And for nikeairmancurry: You offering to pay my way (or the way of anyone else who wants to come) to MSC next year? Because I don't know about you, but I'm a little short on a lot of things for the forseeable future... like money and time... Maybe someday I'll make it.

[HighLife]

I don't think you can argue that MSC isn't a regional, it's on FIRST's regional event page:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc...ts.aspx?id=430

The competition at MSC was tougher than the Curie division this year. It's with out a a doubt the toughest regional.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by HighLife

I don't think you can argue that MSC isn't a regional, it's on FIRST's regional event page:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc...ts.aspx?id=430

See the district event page. http://usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=9508

[HighLife]

Originally Posted by EricH

See the district event page. http://usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=9508

So your saying it's a district event?

[Aren_Hill]

Its a State Championship, not a regional because you have to qualify for it, cant see why this needs to be debated

[EricH]

Originally Posted by HighLife

So your saying it's a district event?

I'm saying that your argument (it's a regional because it's on the regional events page) is not valid. By said argument, it's also a district event. In format, it obviously isn't one. In qualification, it isn't a regional event. It's the State Championship.