Highest Seed not Chosen for Finals

[kevin.li.rit]

The highest we seeded without getting drafted was 22nd in Annapolis. This was mostly due to the fact that our a gear in our gear boxes broke during our final match. We weren't sure that we would fix it in time and we let other teams know this fact.

[Scott358]

As Matt D stated, when looking for alliance partners, we use scouting, and don't look at the seedings. We look for partners that compliment our abilities.

One interesting fact is that at Nationals last year (I don't recall the division), the number one seed sat out and let the "lower" seeds play most of the matches.

Highest seeds are not always the most competitve bots, and higher seeds do not always "fit" best in a team.

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Cory

Back in 2002 at nationals we were seeded 11th in Einstein and didn't get picked.

The last picking team was seed #10.

We lost our last match like 52-50 to 16... we would have been the #1 or #2 seed had we won

I was with a team in 2002,that was on a winning regional alliance, that was 12th seed at Epcot with an almost flawless performance and didn't get picked. That was a huge learning experience year. We watched in amazement as robots were picked that were really low in the seedings (high numbers). It was like a bolt of lightening hitting that year.

There is so much more to this than how good your robot is. It's about people knowing how good your robot is. Who actually saw your robot performing? It's about whether your team is easy to work with. It's about how you are perceived. It's not always fair. It is like life.

[Adam Richards]

14th/47 at the Orlando Regional. If two more teams had merged that were choosing alliance partners, they would have been picking teams themselves.

[Jack Jones]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

So here's a bizarre, possbily embarrassing topic.

What's the highest-seeded team NOT chosen to be on one of the eight final alliances in your tournament? We finished seeded 17th of 37 in our regional (we should have finished around 10th, but we made some mistakes in team operation that will NEVER happen again), and were not chosen. The embarrassing part is that three robots that WERE chosen didn't score a single point in the finals. One of them was a "brave little toaster" that didn't have an arm. Or the ability to turn. (To make it a little more poignant, we gave them materials and fixed their software for them.)

So, how many 17th seeds don't get picked? We were the highest non-chosen team in our regional. Another embarrassing fact, now that I think of it.

Some facts: Three times (don't laugh) we went onto the field without testing our arm only to find out that someone had unplugged a cable. We lost all three of those. In the rounds where we didn't do something stupid, we went 5-1, scoring an average of four tetras per round. Our only other loss was when an alliance partner racked up 40 points in penalties in a match where we would have won by 16 (and they got chosen for the finals after finishing seeded about 30th).

Hey, I'm not complaining. It was our fault. We could have picked up two more wins if we hadn't shot ourselves in the arm. Or hand. Whatever.

Still, at least eight robots seeded lower than us were chosen. Is this unusual, or Just the Way Things Are? Thanks.

What really must be embarrasing, or at least would make you feel "ungracious", is sitting there wishing someone would break.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

What really must be embarrasing, or at least would make you feel "ungracious", is sitting there wishing someone would break.

Would any team in that position not feel that way?
It may not be graciously professional but everybody wants to play.

[Travis Hoffman]

We were 11th in our division at Epcot in 2001 but were overlooked. Turns out a few of the teams who failed to pick us could have used a reliable big ball scorer, something we had proven to be throughout the competition. 'Tis a pity. But yes, it happens, and ya just have to deal with it. There'll be other days when you seed low, you do get picked, and you help your alliance achieve success in the elims.

Based mainly upon what happened during the 2001 season, 48 started to reach out and try to be a more helpful and well known team in 2002. We're still working on that....

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

Still, at least eight robots seeded lower than us were chosen. Is this unusual, or Just the Way Things Are? Thanks.

I was in the stands hoping that someone would have the good sense to replace an alliance partner with your robot. A handful of alliances at the event would've been well served to replace the weakest robot of the three after embarrassing, devastating losses.

My team was also exceptionally disappointed to have been overlooked, particularly since the robot was running very well and had been continually improving throughout the end of Friday and all through Saturday. In the end, however, it really is just the way these things go. It's not a reflection of the ability of our robots to compete as much as it is a reflection of how poorly teams can be in evaluating a team's performance -- if that's where their priorities lie.

I've noticed in the last two years of competing here in the Pacific Northwest that FIRST is still relatively unsophisticated here. Everything about the teams, robots, and competition is of lower caliber than what I was used to seeing at home. Teams don't scout as vigorously, don't design as elaborately, and don't interact nearly as much. It's disappointing, honestly.

All of that said, it was nice to meet you, Rick. Hopefully, we can do something to change the bad and improve upon the good and next year, we'll both be doing the choosing rather than waiting to be chosen.