Tonight headed out to the Minnesota RollerGirls Spring Cleanup (the second to last bout of the season) and I spent 1.5 hours listening to the people behind us in line voice their concerns, very low — Minnesota nice style, about the line jumpers. I wish that they would have joined with me in verbally abusing those that jumped line directly in front of us. I also wish those that I was complaining about had at least acknowledged their wrongs, apologized and moved to the end of the line instead of allowing their friends to try and make lame excuses for them (no, holding a place in line for your friends is NOT ok). When I told them they were jerks, I meant it. When their ignorant friends told me I was a jerk all I could do was smirk. Please note, Kevin and family were third in line and we did not hop in with them and honestly, everyone else should follow our lead and use some common decency.
As usual, we were waiting in line early to score one of the famed 2008 Minnesota RollerGirls tees. The t-shirts tonight were very, very, very, very cool (did someone that submits Threadless artwork come up with these?) Unfortunately, because of the content, I won’t be wearing this one to work. I have a feeling that bloody legs with roller skates still attached and bunnies with blood dripping from its jaws wouldn’t fly. But, I will happily wear it elsewhere and just smile when I get the weird looks :) I was really hoping to get an orange shirt (they had multiple pastel colors) but I ended up with a lime green one instead. Kim was thrilled to get her’s in pink.
After we picked up our shirts, we headed deeper into the Roy Wilkins and found that Kevin and his wife were sitting in our usual spots as they were again available! We were thrilled! I actually did a little dance because I thought was damn cool. After we sat down, Kevin’s wife noticed that the reserved seating I complained about last week was moved to the ends of the seating areas and the back rows instead of where they were located during the Irish Eyes Are Shining bout. I have no idea if it was due to airing my concerns or if it was strictly coincidental, but it was very nice and we appreciated the change. We also noticed that everyone was a little closer to the action with our floor seats almost butting up to the trackside spots. We also noted that it appeared that the penalty box was shifted a bit to accommodate more seating behind it. It’s obvious that someone took the time to revamp the seating to ensure everyone was just that much closer to the action and the vibe from the crowd tonight showed that it did the trick!
The first match up was the Bombshells vs the Dagger Dolls. Straight out of the gate this bout was *physical* and *dirty* although any time Buffy the Vampire Skater is out on the track things are bound to get filthy. Buffy was just downright nasty tonight going so far as to blatantly trip other girls and then watch as they were booted for falling and mowing her down. I love how she just smiles when her evil little plans come together at the expense of the fairly blind referees. Later in the match, during a Dagger Dolls timeout, Wetspot skates out with a huge t-shirt cannon and shoots it clear across the venue and halfway up into the upper deck to the loud cheers and general excitement of the entire crowd. Definitely cool. I don’t know where they picked up this cannon but it was a pretty cool addition tonight.
I won’t bore you with any more play by plays for the remainder of the bout but overall it was more physical with tons more fights, an even mix of scoring and defensive plays and it definitely got the crowd really going for what seemed like the first time all season.
As a side note, it was announced that Jawbreaker will be competing as part of the National Rollergirls all-star team in San Diego as a captain. A special congrats go out to her for her accomplishment! Kudos go out to all of the rollergirls and the announcers tonight. Definitely a step above and a welcome change that has me excited for the championship bout.
Two quick videos for you. The first is a classic all-star match up between Jawbreaker and Rebel Stella. While Jawbreaker ends up cleaning up during the jam, it still shows just how powerful both of these two skaters are. Make sure to check out when Jawbreaker narrowly misses an attempted hit. While I missed videoing her stepping over another skater while avoiding a serious hit later, this one will have to do:
Related posts:
- Minnesota Rollergirls Fractured Innocence at Roy Wilkins Auditorium: St Paul, MN
- Minnesota RollerGirls Trick or Beat, Roy Wilkins Auditorium: St Paul, MN
- ALT Boys Freestyle Team - MNRG Occupational Hazards: St Paul, MN
- Minnesota Rollergirls at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium: St. Paul, MN
- Minnesota RollerGirls Sweet Revenge: Roy Wilkins Auditorium; St Paul, MN
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I enjoyed the skating tonight. The reffing(sp?) really made the bouts less enjoyable tonight though. It was a comedy of errors on the ref’s part with a complete lack of control at the end. The refs had lost control to such a degree that they let the clock just run down the final 30+ seconds as opposed to start another jam. Sure the bout was decided by that point, but wtf? I also find it disturbing that although there is a ref for each jammer whose sole responsiblity is watching that jammer, the ref can not acknowledge the calling off of a jam in a timely manner. This is a consistent problem. As close as the matches are getting, the extra point or two that could be scored before the ref realizes the jam is called off could determine the bout. Wake up!
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I will say this as nicely as possible. Until you don rollerskates, speed skate, and ref at the same time, you need to hold off on serious criticism. While it’s one thing to walk and chew gum at one time, it’s another to deal w/ penalties, counting points, folks who are not following the safety standards one hopes (as this is a volunteer sport, and it’s for the sport, fun, charity, and entertainment), while dealing with the large crowd too.
We love derby. We know it’s going to get out-of-hand occasionally, but last night was NOT a normal night, and trust me that you as a fan(s) deserve the best game ever, without folks possibly getting serious injuries, and still insuring you have a good time watching.
The refs are not “fairly blind referees,” thank you. We love our skaters, and our jobs. And do our best even in some of the most insane moments on the rink. If you think we’re going too slow, trust me, we’ve realized it. And we do our best to make sure even the most minor thing is dealt with appropriately.
All I have to say is that I dare you to attempt what we do in a 2 minute period, and see how far you get. That’s all I’m sayin’…and if you have questions about derby, we’re always around to talk to before and after the games, and during half-time. We take pride in knowing sometimes the most minute rules. :)
That’s why our league is a good league, why we have GREAT skaters, and why our interleague bouts have become so competitive. And we’re not even talking about the Travelling Team here.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
While my comment about the “fairly blind referees” was tounge-in-cheek and while I thought it was pretty apparent based on the content of the entire paragraph, I guess it wasn’t.
sui’s comments, OTOH, are not and I have told him numerous times to chill out during the bouts as it’s all a little less serious than he takes it. Some people want to get into things a little more than others I guess.
While I won’t apologize again for my dry sense of humor, no offense should have been taken by any of my comments in this weekend’s recap post.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I am sure it is difficult to be a ref, and I know I couldn’t do it myself. On the otherhand, I don’t put on the striped shirt hold myself out as being a ref. To say don’t criticize until you have tried it is like saying don’t bitch about our government or its laws if you haven’t served in congress, or don’t bitch about our legal system if you haven’t practiced law.
The players, IMO, have really stepped up the level of play at all positions this year. The scores are closer and the play is more intense. The teams are outstanding and the players seem to be giving 110% all the time. The refs need to keep up with that, or they actually beome a distraction. I am sure the refs are trying their best, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement in this area of the game. During the last set of bouts, The reffing took away from the quality of the game for me. That is my opinion, and I may be the only one who was there that holds that opinion. I will certainly not be so silly as to say I won’t be back as a result of the reffing. I will certainly be back. All of that being said, I will leave this with a positive note. After watching bouts with refs visiting from other teams, it is evident to me that the MNRG refs are more skilled and of a higher quality than many refs elsewhere.
March 24th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Thanks for noticing our changes for the positive. We are doing our best to improve every bout.
I just need to say… We didn’t ‘pick up the cannon’ anywhere. I made it from scratch and had a great time making it! Hold up a sign for me next time and I’ll make sure you hit you square with a shirt.
-Wet Spot
March 25th, 2008 at 4:52 am
WS,
It looked homemade but with all the cool flames and stuff I wasn’t quite sure. Very nice job!
Thanks for the comments guys, keep ‘em coming!
March 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am
This was our first bout and Jill and I loved it. The only downside was that skinny loudmouth near the penalty box! Nice to see Kim though.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:30 am
heh Chad!
March 30th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
You should see the t-shirt cannon up close … it may look professional from a distance, but I guarantee that it still does up close!
Thanks for all the feedback. We as a league do keep our ears and eyes open for what our fans are saying. We do the best we can to improve what we’re able to and take constructive feedback and criticism to heart. We owe all we have to the hard work of our players and volunteers and to the wonderful fan base we’re fortunate to have. We all love the game and hope to make each bout better than the last!
Cheers,
Norah
March 30th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Norah,
I’m afraid that WS might try to knock me out of my seat ;-) Perhaps he should stand guard to ensure that line jumpers don’t get their way — he could shoot bean bags at them ;-)
Thanks for the comment, we are definitely looking forward to the final bout — kill, kill kill!
March 30th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I read your comments and post above and was wondering, as fan of roller derby, what your thoughts are regarding the fighting you’ve seen on the league? As a rookie on the league, I don’t participate in the brawls but I also have not been taken so blatantly attacked by another skater either. Some of our girls can’t control themselves and they get into it but I personally think it’s dangerous and could cause someone some serious injury. We get injured enough as it is JUST playing the game. Some of our girls have said the fans really like the fighting so why stop? I say, “the more we fight, the more it makes roller derby seem like the WWF” and it doesn’t make us look like real athletes. The truth is, We ARE athletes. You HAVE to be in order to play this aggressive sport. In my opinion, I think true, hard core derby fans return to see us for the level of skill and athleticism that is displayed year after year not the fights. While there’s an element of entertainment (like our names and sexy uniforms) there is a real sport being played here. The hard legal blocks and hits are so much more fun to watch, in my opinion, than the fights. That’s just my opinion but I’m wondering what our fans think. So, fan, what do you think? If we’re fighting on the track, does that make us seem like lesser athletes to you all?
March 31st, 2008 at 7:35 am
The fighting does not do much for me personally. I find a well executed block to be much more exciting. I think Chinese Takeout makes some good points. If I want to see fighting, I will watch boxing or MMA. The fighting, if sincere, begins to border on criminal activity. If the fighting is not sincere and is merely for the entertainment of the spectators, then the argument that this is turning into “sports entertainment” rings true. The Mn Rollergirls are excellent athletes and damn good skaters. They do not need to resort to theatrics and brawls to have a good solid competition that is fun to watch. However, that being said, if that is the direction the group choses to take, I do not believe it demotes the players status as skilled athletes. It takes a great deal of skill and athleticism to play the game either way.
March 31st, 2008 at 9:28 am
CT,
This one was a tough one for me so I spent some time thinking it over before I posted a reply…
For me, the fake fights (like those at the end of the matches) are a bit like WWF and no, it doesn’t detract from your athleticism IMO, but I do believe that the fights that seem real come from the aggressiveness that you speak about above. To me, when hockey players go at it, I don’t look down on them at all for the fights but if it were bench clearing pile-ons every single time just because it was entertaining, then it might get old… Fighting is just part of the experience of the event.
Now, as far as getting injured from it — well, I won’t even be able to speak to that but if you seriously believe that it’s that much of a concern, then perhaps it should end. I would much rather someone be able to skate than to be taken out of a bout because of something that’s not exactly integral to the activity.
Thanks for the comment and good luck!
Bill
April 30th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Hope to see you all at future Minnesota Rollergirl bouts. Thanks for providing a fan perspective.