On "graciously" accepting

[rachal]

Originally Posted by Peter Matteson

Although I wouold like to see see some one throw a fake out just to keep it fresh with a, "Team XXX respectfully...(dramatic pause to make them think its a decline) says hell yes!"

Ooo nice one. I think I'll ask our captain to do something like that at our next regional.

"Team XXXX respectfully decl...ares HELL YES!"

[Astronouth7303]

I wish my team would let me do half of this. The "graciously accepts" thing is a little annoying. When FIRST is so much about innovation and creativity, the selection process seems so regimented and traditionalized to the point of stiffness.

[J_Horning]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

Students... when you are picking a team or accepting a pick, have some creativity. Tell your mother hello. Give a shout out to your entire team. Give us a 'lil John "Yeeeaaaah!" Sing a little song. Recite a brief poem. Tell a tasteful, quick joke.

This would be neat to see. You can still have some fun while being gracious.

Keep in mind, you are representing your team, of course.

Andy B.

We were fourth at West Michigan. We were there because we had AWESOME alliances throughout the qualifying matches. We wokrd very well as a defender, sometimes shooter and an excellent driver. When we chose team 70 as a partner, the young girl replied with a giant smile "Team 70 graciously denies". What's up with that? Semantics do matter when you are actually slapping a team in the face. At least she might have said "regretfully declines" OR "reserves the right to choose our our partner." WHOA! Then Team 494 (same high school as Team 70) did the same thing.

Team 808 would like to thank a ton of teams for the great partnerships in WMR. And to 573 and 515 who accepted our request to join us in the tournament, thanks for actually being happy about it!!!!

[J Flex 188]

I would not exactly equate being declined for an alliance partner the same as being slapped in the face. The smile on the alliance representative's part may have been due to nervousness or the sheepish feeling that she felt for having to go up there and decline your offer in the first place. Take it from her perspective, it is quite a bit to go up there and say something to the entire arena full of people, when a decision that you may or may not have had to make will influence the rest of your team's performance at this regional or when you hear a couple hundred different voices shouting out different team numbers. (As an aside, that is the other biggest beef I have with the process. When a team representative does not know who to pick next and this is evident to the crowd, a chorus of voices shout out a bunch of different team numbers. Theres nothing wrong with supporting you team, I just find it aggravating. It's hard enough to go consciously up there without a list.)

Semantics may appear to matter in the heat of the moment, but if I were to call them out all the time, I could just as easily have said the same about "actually being happy with it". Its just a smile, just a gesture. She did not say something ridiculous or outrageous, simply declined your offer, much in the same way as I am sure your team would if you felt that the team asking for your help would not be suited to your robot.

Originally Posted by J_Horning

We were fourth at West Michigan. We were there because we had AWESOME alliances throughout the qualifying matches. We wokrd very well as a defender, sometimes shooter and an excellent driver. When we chose team 70 as a partner, the young girl replied with a giant smile "Team 70 graciously denies". What's up with that? Semantics do matter when you are actually slapping a team in the face. At least she might have said "regretfully declines" OR "reserves the right to choose our our partner." WHOA! Then Team 494 (same high school as Team 70) did the same thing.

Team 808 would like to thank a ton of teams for the great partnerships in WMR. And to 573 and 515 who accepted our request to join us in the tournament, thanks for actually being happy about it!!!!

[KenWittlief]

maybe she was smiling because she was thrilled to death that a higher seeded team chose them over everyone else

but they still have earned the right to pick their own alliance if they are in the top 8, and that was their preference?

Its the greatest feeling when you are on the top of the world for 15 seconds PLUS you have options and choices!

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by J_Horning

We were fourth at West Michigan. We were there because we had AWESOME alliances throughout the qualifying matches. We wokrd very well as a defender, sometimes shooter and an excellent driver. When we chose team 70 as a partner, the young girl replied with a giant smile "Team 70 graciously denies". What's up with that? Semantics do matter when you are actually slapping a team in the face. At least she might have said "regretfully declines" OR "reserves the right to choose our our partner." WHOA! Then Team 494 (same high school as Team 70) did the same thing.

Team 808 would like to thank a ton of teams for the great partnerships in WMR. And to 573 and 515 who accepted our request to join us in the tournament, thanks for actually being happy about it!!!!

I too found her actions a little bit strange until I thought them over a little bit. Looking back on her smile, it seemed like one more of uncomfortableness than of happiness. No one likes turning down alliance requests because everyone can sympathize with the person being turned down. I also think that she had meant to say decline instead of deny.

I must warn mentors though, be careful what you wish for. I told our student that went out for selections not to graciously accept. Thus, he went out and said "Yeah dude!" :shakes head:

[Kim Masi]

I tried to change things up a bit by saying "team 177 would be honored to accept" and then I thought to myself "wait a minute, was that correct grammar?"

[Mark Pierce]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

Looking back on her smile, it seemed like one more of uncomfortableness than of happiness.

I have to agree with Beth on this, I've seen way too many teens giggle when they're nervous or make a mistake when speaking.

None of us can foresee in advance how the competition will progress, and I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing at the time. I think all eight alliances were pretty strong and the matches were great contests. In my opinion, if 70 had accepted your invitation, the audience would have been the loser. The matches we saw were much more exciting than watching you blow everyone away.

[sanddrag]

Here was our speach we had prepared. Too bad we didn't get to use it.

"Team 696 acknowledges this invitation to play in the elimination rounds which has been honorably bestowed upon us by team XXX on this oh so beautiful Saturday morning at this 2006 Southern California FIRST Robotics Regional competition being held here in the Great Western Forum in lovely Inglewood, California and we gatefully and wholeheartedly accept."

Asleep yet? LOL

[Cody Carey]

I changed it up, instead of saying "we graciously accept", I said
"Thank goodness" and hugged the alliance captain

[VEN]

I like how the Red Barons accepted at GTR "how can we not! WE accept!"

[Kim Masi]

Originally Posted by Cody C

I changed it up, instead of saying "we graciously accept", I said
"Thank goodness" and hugged the alliance captain

HAHA! i remember that! alliance #3 group hug! and i thought i was being creative...lol

[Chris Marra]

One of the best acceptances was at Boston when Team 233 accepted Team 121's invitation with "I think we're gonna join your little robot party." Someone at Philly also accepted with 'gracially.'

I'd really love to see some variation beyond 'graciously" and "respectfully" and "would be honored to" in the acceptance's. A lot of the things Pete(Dzdconfusd) posted are good acceptances, and I hope I see some of them used eventually.

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by J_Horning

When we chose team 70 as a partner, the young girl replied with a giant smile "Team 70 graciously denies". Then Team 494 (same high school as Team 70) did the same thing.

Teams 70 & 494 may have been looking to "re-join" the twins for the finals, or, maybe they just wanted the opportunity to lead their own alliances. There is nothing wrong with that choice. Either way, it was probably a very awkward situation for the students on the field from all of the teams involved. Unless someone from one of those teams wants to post their reasons, we should not speculate.

Teams in the Top 8 have earned the right to choose their partners and probably have scouting data to help them determine what they think a strong combination will be. The decision to deny an invitation should not be taken as a bad move, but simply a team exercising their choice of how to continue into the tournament.

[ScoutingNerd175]

Originally Posted by J_Horning

When we chose team 70 as a partner, the young girl replied with a giant smile "Team 70 graciously denies". Then Team 494 (same high school as Team 70) did the same thing.

I don't think the problem here is with the fact that she declined. If we are going to pick on the semantics of graciously accepting (I believe the point being made is that once you say you are gracious, you aren't any more?) then you have got to see a problem with "graciously denying" someone. I think that respectfully declining is the only way to go on that one. No one argues with a person's right to decline, but if you are going to I think you should always consider the weight of that choice.