We haven’t had a thread like this one for a few years that I can remember, but considering the expanded size of Championship and the collective gasp when some high-caliber teams have finished their last regional without a banner…
The Rules:
Check the Championship roster to confirm your picks. (Mind you, the Michigan and MAR invitees may not be on this list yet.)
Anyone who mentions their own team should be showered in a firestorm of negative Reputation. If you really should be on this list, odds are someone will mention you.
With that said, here are my picks from the events I attended:
343. Metal In Motion had a plenty smooth robot this year, robust and handling the bridges with ease. They knocked us out at Peachtree in the quarters as part of the #8 alliance on their way to the finals, and we returned the favor in the Palmetto finals the following week. It’s a hard break to see them finish this season with two silver medals. (Indeed, ever since they won Palmetto in 2010, every field they’ve played on–Newton that year, Palmetto and North Carolina in 2011, and Peachtree and Palmetto in 2012–they left with silver.)
1771. Our friends from North Gwinnett had the robot to beat in Georgia, leading to a showdown with #1 1311 in the penultimate qualification match. Put those two together, and we thought it was on lock (even before they picked us). Quarterfinals gremlins gave us a shock, and that was supposed to be that for their season–but these guys got into high gear and raised the funds to get to North Carolina. They wound up on the other end of the bracket from 1311 again, netting silver.
They continually build great robots and have been a sure-fire ticket to Einstein for the past few years. They have a solid robot this year, and it will be wierd to not have them at CMP.
177 As we say around here, “they’ve made Einstein every year Joe Blay’s been on the team”. They had a fascinating acquirer - not only did it flip out, offering them the advantage that a wide intake offers, it could acquire from the side as well. Their turret was incredibly accurate - heck, at CT, due to a rules snag with height, they actually just sat at the key while scoring balls that their alliance members fed them. It’s a shame that their Einstein streak got shut down by the lack of a CMP ticket.
2168#1 seed at NYC and CT, their robot had the single most consistent shooter I saw in action. As one of the few strong teams without a wide intake, their drivers were incredibly skilled (and I’ve heard some ridiculous things about the controls too). Arguably every loss they experienced in eliminations arose from a communications issue that effectively either bricked them or an alliance partner. Fat Swan was definitely division elimination material, if not Einstein-level.
71 - 4 World Championships, 5 Einstein appearances (gave them credit for Einstein in 1997, even though it didn’t exist)
177 - 2 World Championships, 7 Einstein appearances
217 - 2 World Championships, 6 Einstein appearances
8 Championships, 18 Einsteins. It actually makes me sick to think of Championships without these three teams.
Other top teams who are missing out:
294 - 2 World Championships, and an amazing alliance partner for us last year.
1625 - One of the top teams in FIRST over the past 5 years
1730 - One of the up and coming future powerhouse teams
188, 829 & 2168 - Lumped them together because the situations are similar. Great robots, great qualification performances, but bad luck in the elimations.
357 made it to the finals in the Hatboro-Horsham District and won the DC Regional. They also are qualified to go through MAR points. But they decided not to go for whatever reason.
As of now 217 is not competing in the champs. They are the first alternate if any of the qualifying teams from MSC cannot attend.
In the event that they do not qualify, they (217) would make my list along with 177, 188, 71, 1771, 368, 1625, and 3138 are some of the few that stick out to me at the moment.
There were a lot of others on the list that were able to clinch in week 6 or during MSC/MARC.
It’s impossible to mention 2168 too many times in this thread.
Their robot was deadly accurate at the Suffield Shakedown Scrimmage (when most teams are just trying to move, or not flip over), and it only got better from there.
They were one of those teams that was hungry, motivated, classy, fun to work with, and great all around robot. This season for whatever reason they just couldn’t catch a break.
I fully expect to see them make the final match of every off season they attend.
Maybe they’ll decide to go to IRI so that they can turn some heads in the Midwest.
2337 qualified for Championship. 469, 67, 548, 2054, 1918, 1023, 3098, 2337, 573, 3322, 2474, 245, 830, 4294, 33, 503, 1718, and 4130 are the teams qualifying for Championship through Michigan’s 18 spots. 67 is auto-bid as Hall of Fame. 469 and 830 would’ve qualified by points even without winning the event. 33 and 503 won Chairman’s. 1718 won Engineering Inspiration and 4130 won Rookie All Star.
I’m gonna have to throw 2168 in again, however everything that has needed to be said about them has already been done, so all I can add is that they were one of the best robots without a practice bot that I’ve seen in a while. And definitelty 188, a consistently solid team that is in a tough area to compete in.
The way the systemfor Michigan works as I’ve been made to understand it is that only the 10 spots that are determined by points are redistributable. As such, 67’s spot will open up on the waitlist, not for 217. Likewise, 27 qualified through the Chairman’s Award and had already qualified for the championship event through winning the Engineering Inspiration at the Chesapeake Bay Regional but their spot is also not available for distribution and will go to the waitlist. Likewise, if one of the Chairman’s teams, the RAS winner, or the Engineering Inspiration winner are unable to attend (though my understanding is they are all able to), the spot would open on the waitlist not for 217.
The remaining 10 qualifying spots will be filled by starting at the top of the re-computed rankings and moving down as far as is necessary to fill the ten spots, skipping over teams that are already eligible or scheduled to attend.
*Note: To the extent any of the three teams on the winning alliance are already registered or qualify for a spot another way, the next available team in ranked order will be substituted in their place.
*Not on the “going list” unless they’re considered one of the “MAR” teams…deadly accurate 3 point shooting, all around beautiful robot.
**Easily one of the most dominant teams at BMR; broke down in semi’s.
Another post for 357. If anyone was going to break the “no mecanums on Einstein” streak, it would have been Royal Assault. Their ranking and quarterfinal finish at the MAR Championship does not do they justice, they were incredible this season.
174 were really impressive on Saturday at DC, the only time I saw them this year. They were hanging shot-for-shot with 1218 and 836 in the semi-finals (aside of the notorious match 2, where the entire #5 alliance was incapacitated in some way).
e; See that someone beat me to them by a minute. New York teams are not part of MAR. Only Eastern PA, NJ, and Delaware.
I’ll add in 3974 as the best rookie team not going. Three Rookie Inspiration awards (both of their districts and the MAR Championship), but somehow no rookie all star. Highest rookie seed at Lenape and MAR Championship (#4 seed!). Really knew how to play the game with the bot they had, and were a very effective back court machine.
