Predictions: The Big Show -- Galileo

[Joe Johnson]

There are just too many teams to pick from. Really. I have managed to whittle my tips & locks down to a manageable list of 12 Teams per Division.

Tips: A team to watch. Should have a pretty good run after lunch on Saturday.

Lock: This is a team that I feel has a better than 50% chance of making it to the finals of their division.

Here we go...

TIPS:
The TechnoKats (#45) have earned the respect over the years and this season. They won in St. Louis and were great in West Lafayette. They should be putting up the tubes again in Atlanta.

I have had a soft spot in my heart for Team Krunch (#79) since I first saw Capt Krunch #1 back at the first TX regional (at Johnson Space Center) -- they were Rookie Allstars & they deserved it. They have kept up their winning ways. They were Regional Chairmans from FL in 2006 and they have done it again in 2007. Oh yeah, they were #15th seed in FL and the #3 draft overall. I suppose they will be in the hunt on Galileo this year.

They were Champs in NJ. They have a seeding record of 15-3-0. The Cybersonics (#103) should have a great run at the Championships. Watch and learn, they'll be putting on a clinic all weekend.

Thunder Chickens (#217) have one of the coolest logos I know of. And their robot is a monster scorer. They were finalist in St. Louis. If they had anyone else that could put up a tube on their alliance they might have won Detroit. The Chickens will make their mark in Atlanta.

Team #703 has 14 wheel drive and gets wherever they want to. They are a ramp only robot but their defense is tenacious. Oh yeah, and they were champs in Grand Rapids. Simplicity works. Try it.

15-3-0 in seeding matches at FL & SC. Finalists in SC. Champs in FL. The TechTigers (#1251) are for real.

They were 1/3rd of "The Triplets" last year. They are 1/2 of "The Twins" this year. Whatever. Just be glad there are fewer of them this year than last #1680 is just plain good.

They earned their nick name, "the Rookie Sensations," not only by having seeding record of 16-2-1 after competing in Waterloo and Toronto but by taking home 2 blue banner. 2 for 2 in Regional competitions. Not too shabby. Can the Rookie Sensations make a splash at the Championships? I bet they can. And more to the point, I bet they will.


LOCKS:
13-2-1 in seeding after competing in NJ & CT. They one the first, they were finalist in the 2nd. They are Team #25, Bristol-Myers Squibb. If they aren't a Lock, nobody is. These guys have a much better than 50-50 shot at the finals of their division. With their record the past two years in Atlanta, you might say they have a 50-50 shot at winning it all. They're brash, they're bold, they're a bit braggadocios, but bottom line, they get the job done and you'd want them on your alliance. It ain't braggin' if you can do it. And these guys prove they can do it, year in and year out.

Ethicon & Bound Brook (#56) may not have the hardware that some other teams have this season, but I like there chances in Atlanta. They had a solid outing in FL and were finalist in NY City. 14-2-0 in seeding matches. They have carried the water sometimes with leaky buckets. Look for them to get all the holes patched and to make a heck of a run after lunch on Saturday.


Division By Zero (#229) is another team without the pedigree of some of the other teams in the division but they had solid outings in Rochester and Long Island (where they were Champs). The trend is good and the team is a well oiled machine. Definitely a Lock.

Frog Force #503 is a real force. They are competing for the Chairman's Award and they have some robot hardware to match. They won Great Lakes. They had a tougher time in Ohio. Even so, they are a lock in my book. Look for great things from Frog Force.



BONUS:
Too many teams in Galileo to keep it to just 12. Sorry I have to add a few.

3 quick bonus teams to mention.

The Huskie Brigade (#65) has a solid machine again this year -- they can really score tubes. Keep an eye on them. They may be available later in the draft than they should be -- take them if you can get them.

It seems strange to put #123 on my Bonus teams since they won 2 Regionals (PITT & Detroit), but they are a team that could fall through the cracks. They ran into seeding problems in Detroit and may not have gone very high in the draft were it not for their co-Champion sliding into a drafting position. They don't look all that robust at times, but I will tell you that they have very clever and sneaky drivers. They have scored under stress in places that I thought impossible. AND Once they pick up a tube they keep it until it goes on the rack -- they score the tubes they pick up -- a definite plus when the defense gets hot and heavy. Keep them on your watch list. They may be available later than they should be.

#2158 AusTIN CANs were my heart pick for TX. They had some tough tough seeding matches and fell through the drafting cracks. This should not happen in Atlanta. I suppose that they will not have lightening strike twice so they should seed okay but if they don't, hopefully some scout will see their potential. This is a heck of a team with a heck of a robot. Well serving of their Rookie All Star Award. Again, if they are available late in the draft give them a hard look before passing them by.

Joe J.