Curie Match 100, 28-0

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Frankly, I'm sick and tired of our team, our alliance and others being insulted and dragged through the mud on these forums. We've had to deal with people advocating throwing matches when playing with 1114 or 469, 469 has had to deal with people calling their design "cheating", and now we apparently lack class, sportsmanship and gracious professionalism. I really wish more of these people would have the courage to try and say these things to our faces, as opposed to doing it while hidden behind the curtain of the internet.

It's one thing to disagree with someone's strategy it's another thing to be downright insulting. Ah well, just time to add another one to the list.

Karthik,

I have a few things I'd like to say about this:

1> As far as 469 'cheating'. Many people did not fully read the rules this year (as was evident at the regionals with uncompliant robots). Because of this they made assumptions about what the rules said. 469 built one of the most dominant alliance bots I've seen in years, and their detractors couldn't beat it. 'Nuff said.

2> As far as people advocating 'throwing matches'. Well, thats exactly what 1114 did in Curie 100. You made a strategic decision to 'play the match to lose big' (the definition of throwing a match). That being said, I have no issue with that (from a strategy point of view) because the rules do not specifically prohibit that strategy and the Nash Equilibrium for the seeding system actually encourages it if you believe you will lose the match. It's not your team that I'm disappointed in, it's the (seeding) system that promotes that strategy.

3> 1114 and 469 have shown nothing but class and gracious professionalism throughout this (and many other) season. Keep setting the example, and maybe those detractors will eventually come to see the light.

4> I do not fear stating anything I say here to someones face. I put my name to each of these posts because I believe in the content I put here.

My disappointment with Curie 100 was because I was hoping for a competition, and I got an exhibition instead. This is not the fault of any team that was in that match, but because the system dictated that that is the best way to improve your seeding points.