Best year for teams?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

1999 (permanent numbers start in 1999)-217, 222, 229, 233, 234, 254, 330

Sean, I hate to say this, but 330 started in 1998. (We didn't have 330 then; a sponsor change between '98 and '99 changed our number from 82 to 330.)

[Jeremiah Johnson]

1999 and 2001... both of 648's rookie years .

Now... in all seriousness, '96 hands down. Off of the top of my head, 5 time Champions, 4* National Chairman's, and some of the winningest teams.






Edit: * I forgot about Buzz...

[JackN]

I voted for 2000 because that was quite a year. 365, 435, 469 and 494 all have Championship wins under their belt. 469 and 494 have finalists as well, not to mention 349 who also has a finalist. The class has several division wins and finalist medals as well. This class has picked up the torch and is truly leading the new elite of FIRST. That being said, 1996 was a great year with 4 hall of fame teams and several national championships. I think 1999 is a tough year too. Those are some good teams.

[Lil' Lavery]

So far, 2006 is leading the votes. Would someone care to explain why they chose 2006?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

So far, 2006 is leading the votes. Would someone care to explain why they chose 2006?

Probably because they don't understand the poll.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Probably because they don't understand the poll.

Or, because there are many 2006 rookies perusing the forums these days, and they're feeling a little self-important.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

Or, because there are many 2006 rookies perusing the forums these days, and they're feeling a little self-important.

That would be my second choice...

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

My opinion, 1996. 1996 saw the birth of 16 (The Bomb Squad), 33 (Killer Bees), 47 (Chief Delphi), 71 (Team Hammond, aka THE BEAST), 111 (Wildstang), any many others.

Didn't one of Wildstang's schools have a team in '92? Are any of the people from that original team on today's Wildstang (or where at some point)?

My vote goes for '98, becuase it saw the formation of Hyper, who has been a champion or finalist at every regional they have attended since 2001! Not to mention they went undeafeated in '04 (didn't go to Atlanta). And in 2004 and 2005, they won every event they went to. Hyper is the Poofs (254) of New England, but they have only been to the Championships three times, so they go widely unnoticed.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

My vote goes for '98, becuase it saw the formation of Hyper, who has been a champion or finalist at every regional they have attended since 2001! Not to mention they went undeafeated in '04 (didn't go to Atlanta). And in 2004 and 2005, they won every event they went to. Hyper is the Poofs (254) of New England, but they have only been to the Championships three times, so they go widely unnoticed.

I agree with you about Hyper, they contiually build amazing robots, in 2004 and 2005 they won regionals on both coasts, they would have been powerful national contenders either year.

My vote goes to 1996, there are to many powerful teams that came out of that year.

Based only on team numbers 65-71 is a powerful strech of teams, 173-177 is also bery respectable (I couldn't figure out who 178 was but that list could probably be extended to include 179 and 180)

[AcesPease]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

My vote goes to 1996, there are to many powerful teams that came out of that year.

Based only on team numbers 65-71 is a powerful strech of teams, 173-177 is also bery respectable (I couldn't figure out who 178 was but that list could probably be extended to include 179 and 180)

178 are the Second Law Enforcers, Engineering Inspiration Winners at New England and Greater Toronto this year. 181 are the Birds of Prey, a frequent finalist at East Coast Regionals (I am not sure if they have a continuous history back to 1996 though).

I voted for 1996 because it was our rookie year and we still seem to play with and against a lot of the same teams

[Mike Soukup]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

Didn't one of Wildstang's schools have a team in '92? Are any of the people from that original team on today's Wildstang (or where at some point)?

Yes, in 1992 Motorola partnered with Wheeling high school and competed in the original FIRST competition. Only a few engineers from Motorola worked with the team and I don't know how many students and teachers there were. But I know it was a lot smaller than our team is now. I have no idea why, but the team didn't return in 1993. In 1996, Motorola partnered with Wheeling and Rolling Meadows high school to create Wildstang and one of the engineers Bruce from the original team, Bruce, returned to help with the team. Bruce stopped working with the team a few years later and focused on volunteering at the Midwest regional and coordinating FLL in Illinois. Some years later, another engineer from the 1992 team, Dan, returned and has helped us on & off. Some years he's too busy with other commitments so he takes the year off, other years he helps design parts for the robot.

Even though Motorola & Wheeling had a team in 1992, we still consider 1996 to be Wildstang's rookie year. It was a new team with almost completely new members and a new school.

[Libby K]

for the reasons stated above....1996. hands down.

i know i'm a FRESHMAN on a ROOKIE team this year. but i've been a super longtime observer of FIRST
[example. the manchester gym, 1992....that was my first FIRST experience. which is the reason for the rookie year in my profile.]


and i must admit 1996 and 1997 were definitely great years.

all teams are great, though. anyone who does FIRST is great.

[Libby K]

may i add [thanks for writing to me about it lil' lavery]

I WAS NOT CONSCIOUSLY THERE IN 1992. there are pictures, but i was only one year old.

the first FIRST i remember was 1995.

=]

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

1996-16, 33, 47, 71, 85, 111, 121, 175
1997-25, 34, 56, 65, 67, 118, 27, 11

My opinion, 1996. 1996 saw the birth of 16 (The Bomb Squad), 33 (Killer Bees), 47 (Chief Delphi), 71 (Team Hammond, aka THE BEAST), 111 (Wildstang), any many others.
1997 and 1992 also make very strong cases.

I also voted for 1996, and not just because it was my teams rookie year. You said it, teams 33, 47, 71, 111, and of course 85 B.O.B. have been good through the years. 71 and 111 are always going to be good just about every year. They might have an off year every once and a while, but don't drop far and come back the next year. But don't forget about the others I've named. 33, 47 and 85 are what I like to call "just under the radar" teams. They are good but don't always get the same attention as 111 or 71, that is until they win a regional.

I also quoted the 1997 year because there are teams from there that are good. 11, 25, 27, 65, and 67, 27 is an awesome team, so is 67. I'm not saying that other teams aren't, but I remember from 2005 that we were with 67 for a qualifying match. They were organized with how they wanted to play the match with us and our other teammate. 27 was the same way at the 2004 Kettering Kickoff in the fall. They had a plan on where and what they wanted to do in the match. I also think they are both well organized teams, at a competition they look good as a team together and must have good plans for the rest of the year.

This is just going to get harder and harder every year with more teams joining. I just might be talking about a rookie team from this year, like a I might about 71 or 111, in ten or more years down the road. Then we might be getting close to or even already passed the 5000 team number mark. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see.