Robbed
In sixth-form I did Physics A-Level and was part of a group asked to take part in a competition at Manchester Science Museum.

Four of us turned up to be told that we had to make a lunar rover out of Lego, capable of carrying Christmas trees(obviously) up a mountain on the moon.
The winning team would get some state of the art personal stereos. Pretty good prizes - this was pre-portable CD players and mp3 was a word not invented yet.

Our rover was immense. Geared to perfection and although slow, would drive up monstrous gradients. It also had a large platform for carrying the aforementioned moon-based Christmas trees.
The other teams were a bit younger and didn't have the Lego skillz that our team possessed and had all made single cogged-elastic band powered go-karts.
The competition began and in each round our magnificent tractor would grind it's way to the top of the ever increasing gradients.

Soon, there were only two rovers left - ours and one of the go-karts that seemed to have the most powerful motor.
The last round started and the gradient was death-defying.
The tiny go-kart tried and failed.
Now it was our turn. Cogs grated and the motor whined as the rover started up the hill... Unfortunately, as the rover was built to spec of transporting trees, it's weight was hampering it's progress and it ground to a halt halfway up, at pretty much the same point as the crappy go-kart.

A draw!

Surely our engineered rover, capable of actually carrying things and having a well designed gear system would be awarded the prize over the five minute cobbled-together go-kart which would barely carry a few twigs, never mind moon Christmas trees...

The teacher adjudicating decided that there was to be a play-off!
Who has the fastest rover over a flat surface?

To be honest, there wasn't much point even running the race as everyone in the room knew who would win.
We argued our case but to no avail - the teacher would not see reason and the kids with the go-kart were smug in the knowledge that we had no chance.

At the prize giving, we stood grinding our teeth, as each £75 stereo was handed over.
As the last kid received his stereo from the adjudicating teacher - two words still haunt me.

"Thanks Dad!"
( scoshi pretending to diet since, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 10:27, 6 replies)

I would have
mugged them in the car park. I bloody hate favouritism - don't most competitions not allow family judging/participation for this reason?
(berk, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 10:31, closed)

Outrage!
Click

I had the opposite after being taught by a close friend of my mum. I never won any prizes in case she was accused of favouritism, even when my stuff was clearly much better than the other kid's hastily cobbled together b/s. (Partly that was due to my mum coming up with all the good ideas though as in my earlier post)
(bigjonnydynamite, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 10:43, closed)

sickened!
Have a click for your woes.
(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 10:45, closed)

Aye have a click from me
Bastards.
(mr-lizard Hell's teeth man!, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 17:41, closed)

Bastard.
When my father coached our soccer team back in my sprog days, he'd specifically not give me "player of the day" just to avoid that crap.

I was really quite glad when he stopped, I actually got the prize quite a bit after :p
(Scritty Bakerman., Sat 15 Aug 2009, 10:14, closed)

and
that's why you turned to a life of crime?
Seriously, no jury would convict you if you stabbed 'Dad' in the eye.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Sun 16 Aug 2009, 18:13, closed)