Bills Blog - Champs info

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by TJ92

I'm sure some teams, like your own, would be fine with doing this. However some teams, like my own, lack the cash most years to attend even when we are good enough. For the teams that only get to go once every 3 or 4 years it is greatly distressing to not get your money's worth. Like I have said previously I have never gotten the opportunity to attend the Championship Event. However if this is as bad as it sounds I almost don't want to be a part of it.

This sounds a lot like a MI District. While they are fine for what they are and preferable to regionals, I don't want the Championship Event to just feel like half district and half Championship Event.

For the sake of all teams attending I hope it turns out better than this. Teams that are good enough to make it deserve to have something special and sponsors deserve the money they donate teams to be spent better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm eager to be playing matches in the pit, compared to what we had at the Georgia Dome last year. But given the choice between spending all our time in the pit fields, or moving back and forth and dealing with all the associated hassles, I'd take the pit in a heartbeat.

Anyways, before we all get worked up over this setup, let's wait and see what details emerge. It can't be as bad as everyone is making it seem.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm eager to be playing matches in the pit, compared to what we had at the Georgia Dome last year. But given the choice between spending all our time in the pit fields, or moving back and forth and dealing with all the associated hassles, I'd take the pit in a heartbeat.

I'm curious what the walk will be between the two fields. If a team could get two sets of calibration readings in 45 minutes (even pushing the robot on the cart--might as well get used to it), relief from those frustrations seems to be a sticky note away.

Originally Posted by Karthik

Anyways, before we all get worked up over this setup, let's wait and see what details emerge. It can't be as bad as everyone is making it seem.

Cosigned. This'll be my first Championship outside of Atlanta, and I know there will be speedbumps, but I doubt that Bill Miller is up in his office right now twirling his mustache and cackling evilly. Playing qualification matches in the pits is highly unlikely to be the worst thing our team has experienced all year (even if Friday at Peachtree was a bit of a curvebuster).

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I'm curious what the walk will be between the two fields. If a team could get two sets of calibration readings in 45 minutes (even pushing the robot on the cart--might as well get used to it), relief from those frustrations seems to be a sticky note away.

Shouldn't be too bad--it's virtually level, and Hall 5 is maybe 5-10 minutes from Hall 6 (the arena, depending on where you're going in the arena). Hall 1, at the opposite end of the convention halls, would be another 10-15 accounting for traffic and robot towing.

Depending on how long calibration took, I'd say you could probably do it in about 30 minutes for both fields. 45 is a reasonable guesstimate to account for everyone else trying to do the same thing. Maybe as long as an hour.