Curie 2010!

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by eyu100

A question:

If it is the last qualification match, 469 is seeded 3rd (but they have finished all their matches), you are seeded 4th, 1114 is seeded 2nd and needs 20 seeding points to reach 1st seed, and you are on 1114's alliance, is it better to:

1. Play normally, possibly improving your position in the top 8, and almost certainly making 1114 first seed? OR
2. Have your human player refuse to return balls. This will rack up many DOGMA penalties and cause you (and 1114) to lose. 1114 will almost certainly not become the first seed.

The second option will break up the 1114-469 alliance, and since this is the last qualification match, you will still be an alliance captain. Does this make your team more likely to win the division?

EDIT: If you pick the second option, you can even pin the opposing robots to lower 1114's seeding score; you wouldn't care about the penalties (in fact, you would want them) since you are intending to lose anyway.

Aside from the fact that it may not work... NO. God, no. Play your best every single match you go out there. To do anything else is disrespectful to your partners, your opponents, your team mates, your sponsors, your school, your division, and all of us in FRC. It sours the vision of FIRST. I would rather lose to 1114/469 100-0 than intentionally draw one penalty. Don't even suggest it. Don't even JOKE about it.

This sort of talk just makes me ashamed to be in FIRST right now. Dean, Dave, or Woodie, could you guys PLEASE address this train of thought in one of your speeches? This denouncement of successful teams is so contrary to everything I think FIRST stands for and I think teams need to hear it from the visionaries of FIRST.