This Mayhem!!!!!!

FIRST General Forum
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Posted by Tim Murray, Student on team #126, Gael Force, from Clinton High School and NYPRO inc…

Posted on 3/28/99 11:58 AM MST

After reading all of these debates about the alliance and changing rules and all of this, i have come to form my own opinion.

I am no longer in favor of this alliance thing.

Why???

Because it seems that everyone has turned it into a stupid, political thing where everyone’s fighting for recognition. just think about it. A TRI-NATIONAL CHALMPION???

I also wonder why only 59 teams can vote on and decide on a major rule that will affect over 200 teams down in Florida!

It’s too bad that things have gotten this dirty and have gone this far to the point where we’re still unsure about major aspects of the competition. The thing that really upsets me about all this talk about triple alliances, more recognition, backdoor and prearraged aliances, and throwing matches etc. is that I used to be the biggest fan of all time of the whole alliance thing.

When our team won the NE regional, something i have dreamed about since I first saw the competion when i was in 7th grade four years ago, i was more than happy to share the title, especially with a team who sacrificed their machine for the title and demonstrated a perfect example of teamwork with us.

Down in Florida, you will see some bull, some super alliances, and hopefully no more rule changes, but just enjoy the competition for what it is cause this year, i finally realized that winning is really not that important.

I know it was long but hopefully, some of you nailbiters will consider this and have fun down in Florida.

Tim Murray
Student-Gael Force #126
Clinton High School/NYPRO

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Posted by Kris VanKleek, Student on team #71, Team Hammond, from School City of Hammond and Beatty Machine and Manufacturing.

Posted on 3/28/99 12:10 PM MST

In Reply to: This Mayhem!!! posted by Tim Murray on 3/28/99 11:58 AM MST:

: I also wonder why only 59 teams can vote on and decide on a major rule
that will affect over 200 teams down in Florida!

Actually the 59 teams decided whether they should implement the program
at the great lakes regional.

I think that dean and woody have alreay decided to implement it at
nationals whether we implemented it at great lakes or not

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Posted by Tim Murray, Student on team #126, Gael Force, from Clinton High School and NYPRO inc…

Posted on 3/28/99 12:27 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: This Mayhem!!! posted by Kris VanKleek on 3/28/99 12:10 PM MST:

: : I also wonder why only 59 teams can vote on and decide on a major rule
: that will affect over 200 teams down in Florida!

: Actually the 59 teams decided whether they should implement the program
: at the great lakes regional.

: I think that dean and woody have alreay decided to implement it at
: nationals whether we implemented it at great lakes or not

That really wasn’t my point though. If you read the whole thing
I was trying to say something else. I still think it’s a bad and
unfair idea!!! i’ve spoken to many other students from other teams
and they don’t seem to agree with the policy either, beside from the
fact that it isn’t right to just change the rules in the middle of
all the competition anyways.

Tim Murray
Gael Force #126
Clinton High School/NYPRo

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Posted by Jerry Eckert, Engineer on team #140 from Tyngsboro, MA High School and New England Prototype/Brooks Automation.

Posted on 3/28/99 1:35 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: This Mayhem!!! posted by Tim Murray on 3/28/99 12:27 PM MST:

: i’ve spoken to many other students from other teams
: and they don’t seem to agree with the policy either, beside from the
: fact that it isn’t right to just change the rules in the middle of
: all the competition anyways.

Given that the “National” competition is an open event and not one that
is open only to teams which placed above a certain level in one of the
regionals, I don’t see what difference it makes that the rule was changed
now vs. having been in place at the kick-off.

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Posted by Mike McIntyre, Coach on team #47 from Pontiac Central HS.

Posted on 3/28/99 11:35 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: This Mayhem!!! posted by Jerry Eckert on 3/28/99 1:35 PM MST:

“I don’t see what difference it makes that the rule was changed
: now vs. having been in place at the kick-off.” Exactly. None of us would have designed our robots any differently had this rule been in place, and people who claim to know what is “right” really mean to say they know what they like. 55 of 59 teams that heard the complete rationale for the rule change voted for it: you don’t have to be a statistical wizard to know that the idea would have been supported by the teams not at the Great Lakes Regional, had they been there to get the full explanation. FIRST didn’t even need to have a vote, but they wanted to sound us out since it was getting sprung on us so late in the season (they didn’t need any vote to start the whole alliance concept, did they?) The best argument for the new system came from the G.L.tournament itself: the elimination matches had more teams involved with fewer delays and nobody got eliminated because an alliance partner was unable to answer the bell.

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Posted by Reuben Hintz, Student on team #53 from Eleanor Roosevelt HS.

Posted on 4/1/99 6:42 PM MST

In Reply to: This Mayhem!!! posted by Tim Murray on 3/28/99 11:58 AM MST:

Are you kidding? This is great! Strategy, plotting, planning, and negotiating are what life is all about. We’ve turned a one-dimensional robotics competion into a two-dimensioal robotics/political competition and I think its great!

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