March 3, 2007
NEW BEGINNINGS
Saturday, March 3, welcomed the first bout of the 2007 season for the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (BADG). This is the second season of roller derby for the BADG, with 2006 being, not only their first season, but it served as an exhibition season for the San Francisco Bay Area to be introduced to the resurgence of this full-contact sport.
The BADG started 2006 with 30 skaters and throughout the year, grew to 40 skaters. In 2007, BADG was further strengthened by the addition of new skaters (rookies) and now number 60 skaters. The BADG have also reorganized themselves into three teams, the original two teams: the San Francisco ShEvil Dead, lead by returning skaters Sassy Slayher and Miss Moxxxie; and the Oakland Outlaws, now lead by new leaders Kitt Turbo and Taxi Scab, both formerly of the ShEvil Dead. The new team is the Richmond Wrecking Belles lead by league veterans Liza Machete, formerly of the ShEvil Dead, and Racey Lane, formerly of the Oakland Outlaws.
“Return to the Rink” is the first bout of 2007 and was between the Richmond Wrecking Belles and the S.F. ShEvil Dead. The weather was good for March 3rd, and an enormous crowd showed up at Dry Ice in Oakland. In terms of popularity, the BADG seemed to be starting the new season right where they left off in 2006.
A new season brought new uniforms to the BADG; the S.F. ShEvil Dead now sport pink and camo uniforms and the Richmond Wrecking Belles are skating out in bright yellow and navy. Our refs on the rink were: John Diss (Head Ref), Dirty D, Mindiannapolis 500, Mathemortician, The Skatomasochist and Meat. With the introductions out of the way, it was time for some roller derby!
JAM ON
As the skaters lined up, I noticed that although both teams have plenty of rookies, for the first jam, largely veterans were going to be skating. For the Dead, they started with Sassy Slayher as pivot, then, Mötley Crüz, Messy Jessy, Annie Agony and Miss Moxxxie as jammer. For the Belles, they lined up Mandi Festo, a former Iron Curtain skater from Tucson, as pivot, then Nancy Drew Blood, Diva Negativa, Liza Machete, with rookie La Femme Nikilla as jammer. Nikilla took lead jammer and was closely followed by Miss Moxxxie, Miss Moxxxie got through the pack first scoring four points, but Nikilla was not able to get past Sassy and had to call the jam off, scoring 3 points. In the next jam, Diane Rött jammed for the Belles and rookie Jilly the Kid jammed for the Dead. The jam was a scoreless affair as neither was able to battle their way through the pack of blockers for any points. Soon after, the Belles took the lead 5-4 when 2006 MVP Racey Lane called off the jam with 2 points as the Dead defense closed in on her.
This was the pattern of play for the bout, the Belles' Liza Machete and Mandi Festo skated as many jams as they could, substituting perhaps only one skater per jam and keeping a jammer rotation of Nikilla, Diane Rött and Racey. While Sassy Slayher skated pivot most of the night, Miss Moxxxie alternated between blocker and jammer, and a variety of skaters made their debut. Over the next two jams, the Dead were able to rack up 11 points to zero taking a 15-5 lead over the Belles. But then, Racey Lane almost pulled the Belles even with a 9-0 jam over Iva Vendetta. Miss Moxxxie responded with a 2-0 jam over Nikilla. A scoreless jam followed as rookie jammers Diane Rött and Getta Piece of the Dead were both sent to the penalty box. The last jam of the first period went to the Belles, as Racey Lane rocketed 8 points over Jilly the Kid’s zero-point jam, putting the Belles into lead 22-17 by the end of the firs period.
SECOND PERIOD
After a 15-minute break, the second period began. The Belles made a change in their lineup: Liza Machete moved to pivot and Mandi Festo took the #4 blocker position. The first jam of the second period, the tenth of the bout, started with Annie Agony and Sassy Slayher in the box. But Moxxxie, Mötley and Messy were able to able to slow down La Femme Nikilla long enough that Annie and Sassy were able to finish the jam in the pack. Sassy screamed around track, just like she used to in 2006, and was picking up points fast until Nikilla called off the jam, securing a 4-2 score.
Now it was the Belles turn in the penalty box, Mandi and Nancy sat and watched Jilly the Kid rack up 3 points to zero over Diane Rött, and the Dead were edging their way back. But just when the Dead seemed to be putting it back together, Racey Lane would show up and blow it all apart again. She scored an 8-2 jam against Sassy Slayher, putting the Belles up by 10 points. The Belles began to take control of the bout, and over the next three jams, they scored 13 points to the Dead's 4 points, resulting in a Belles' lead of 47-28. The Dead put on a desperate push to get back into game, gathering their best blockers available, Sassy, Mötley, Messy, Kimfectious with Miss Moxxxie as jammer, they scored 5 points to zero over the Belles. But in the next jam with Jilly the Kid in the penalty box, Diane Rött answered with a 5-0 jam of her own! Moxxxie and blockers then came back to score a 7-0 jam and Jilly the Kid was able to out score Roxie the Riveter with a 3-0 jam. The second period was over, and the Dead were only 9 points behind (52-43). There was still a possibility they could pull out a win in the third period.
HALF-TIME
The half time show was a burlesque number performed by Jay Walker and the Cockivores. By some event coordinating snafu, the Cockivores performed only on the S.F. ShEvil Dead fans' side of the rink. I wondered why Richmond was left out? Anyway, the halftime gave me a chance to think about the strategies in the game and it seemed that the point difference in the bout was due to the Dead’s inability to match the point-scoring of or defensively slow down the explosive Racey Lane. If the Dead could do either they would have chance at this juncture, as the blocking by both sides seems to fairly even as Liza Machete and crew were well matched against Sassy Slayher and her army of undead.
LAST PERIOD
The third period started; no noticeable changes were made and the two teams were ready to fight it out to the end. The jam began with La Femme Nikilla breaking out of the pack first, but not legally. So without lead jammer status, as Nikilla sped around the track, Miss Moxxxie broke free with the aid of Sassy Slayher’s offense and she called the jam off for a 0-0 tie. Despite having the move put Sassy in the box, Jilly the Kid still collected 4 points as the short-handed Dead were able to keep Diane Rött from scoring. Now with Messy Jessy in the sin bin, Racey Lane jammed against rookie Getta Piece. Racey roared around the track as Getta Piece found no daylight among the Belles blockers, the resulting 9-0 score was devastating to the Dead's chances. Over the next two jams, the Dead fought back, but the 9-6 score of those jams was just too slow of a comeback—the Dead were running out of time, and Racey Lane was back at the jammer line. It was Trixxy B. Dammed's turn against the speedy Belle. Now with Iva Vendetta in the penalty box, the Dead were short-handed once again—this time there was no comeback. Although Sassy freed up Trixxy to score 4 points, her offense penalties earned her another visit to the box, and Racey Lane lapped Dead skaters for 10 more points. This was the nail in the coffin of the Dead as they were now down 17 points and were skating the next jam with two skaters in the box. Nikilla added 5 more points the Belles lead, leaving the score at 82-60. It was plain to everyone that the bout was over, the last four jams added 7 points to the Belles lead and 5 points to the Dead. The Richmond Wreaking Belles won the first bout of the 2007 season 89-65.
OUTSTANDING ROOKIES
This being the first bout of the season there were some skaters that I had not seen skate before and they impressed me. For the Belles, Demanda Riot #0:00 has the size and attitude to be a great blocker. She showed a lot of discipline and concentration in the jams she was in, holding her position and carrying out her duties as a blocker. It will be very interesting to see how she develops over the season.
For the ShEvil Dead, I’d say the outstanding rookie was Jilly the Kid #.44. Jamming is probably the toughest job a rookie can be thrown into, roller derby just happens faster for a jammer. A jammer knows there are four girls in a very small track trying to kill her. She has to be fearless and quick, and not just take big hits, but if she falls, she mus get up and do it again and again and again. Jilly the Kid earned a respectable point differential of +3 in a loosing effort, but it is still impressive for any skater, let alone a rookie.
MVP
The obvious choice for MVP is always a jammer since they score the points. But all jammers can be stopped with good blocking, just like in baseball where good pitching always beats good hitting, blockers determine whether a jammer will score, a jammer’s skill determines only how much she will score. So, I'm split as to whom to give the MVP, Racey Lane or Liza Machete. The Captain and Co-Captain of the Richmond Wrecking Belles played brilliantly. Racey Lane had an exceptional point differential for the entire bout (+35), and it’s clear that she carried the team to victory on Saturday night. But the Machete came up with the game plan, the rotation, the end of period adjustments, and she was the leadership that put the Belles over the top of the S.F. ShEvil Dead. I think the congratulations goes to both of them, co-captains and co-MVPs.
Saturday, March 3, welcomed the first bout of the 2007 season for the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (BADG). This is the second season of roller derby for the BADG, with 2006 being, not only their first season, but it served as an exhibition season for the San Francisco Bay Area to be introduced to the resurgence of this full-contact sport.
The BADG started 2006 with 30 skaters and throughout the year, grew to 40 skaters. In 2007, BADG was further strengthened by the addition of new skaters (rookies) and now number 60 skaters. The BADG have also reorganized themselves into three teams, the original two teams: the San Francisco ShEvil Dead, lead by returning skaters Sassy Slayher and Miss Moxxxie; and the Oakland Outlaws, now lead by new leaders Kitt Turbo and Taxi Scab, both formerly of the ShEvil Dead. The new team is the Richmond Wrecking Belles lead by league veterans Liza Machete, formerly of the ShEvil Dead, and Racey Lane, formerly of the Oakland Outlaws.
“Return to the Rink” is the first bout of 2007 and was between the Richmond Wrecking Belles and the S.F. ShEvil Dead. The weather was good for March 3rd, and an enormous crowd showed up at Dry Ice in Oakland. In terms of popularity, the BADG seemed to be starting the new season right where they left off in 2006.
A new season brought new uniforms to the BADG; the S.F. ShEvil Dead now sport pink and camo uniforms and the Richmond Wrecking Belles are skating out in bright yellow and navy. Our refs on the rink were: John Diss (Head Ref), Dirty D, Mindiannapolis 500, Mathemortician, The Skatomasochist and Meat. With the introductions out of the way, it was time for some roller derby!
JAM ON
As the skaters lined up, I noticed that although both teams have plenty of rookies, for the first jam, largely veterans were going to be skating. For the Dead, they started with Sassy Slayher as pivot, then, Mötley Crüz, Messy Jessy, Annie Agony and Miss Moxxxie as jammer. For the Belles, they lined up Mandi Festo, a former Iron Curtain skater from Tucson, as pivot, then Nancy Drew Blood, Diva Negativa, Liza Machete, with rookie La Femme Nikilla as jammer. Nikilla took lead jammer and was closely followed by Miss Moxxxie, Miss Moxxxie got through the pack first scoring four points, but Nikilla was not able to get past Sassy and had to call the jam off, scoring 3 points. In the next jam, Diane Rött jammed for the Belles and rookie Jilly the Kid jammed for the Dead. The jam was a scoreless affair as neither was able to battle their way through the pack of blockers for any points. Soon after, the Belles took the lead 5-4 when 2006 MVP Racey Lane called off the jam with 2 points as the Dead defense closed in on her.
This was the pattern of play for the bout, the Belles' Liza Machete and Mandi Festo skated as many jams as they could, substituting perhaps only one skater per jam and keeping a jammer rotation of Nikilla, Diane Rött and Racey. While Sassy Slayher skated pivot most of the night, Miss Moxxxie alternated between blocker and jammer, and a variety of skaters made their debut. Over the next two jams, the Dead were able to rack up 11 points to zero taking a 15-5 lead over the Belles. But then, Racey Lane almost pulled the Belles even with a 9-0 jam over Iva Vendetta. Miss Moxxxie responded with a 2-0 jam over Nikilla. A scoreless jam followed as rookie jammers Diane Rött and Getta Piece of the Dead were both sent to the penalty box. The last jam of the first period went to the Belles, as Racey Lane rocketed 8 points over Jilly the Kid’s zero-point jam, putting the Belles into lead 22-17 by the end of the firs period.
SECOND PERIOD
After a 15-minute break, the second period began. The Belles made a change in their lineup: Liza Machete moved to pivot and Mandi Festo took the #4 blocker position. The first jam of the second period, the tenth of the bout, started with Annie Agony and Sassy Slayher in the box. But Moxxxie, Mötley and Messy were able to able to slow down La Femme Nikilla long enough that Annie and Sassy were able to finish the jam in the pack. Sassy screamed around track, just like she used to in 2006, and was picking up points fast until Nikilla called off the jam, securing a 4-2 score.
Now it was the Belles turn in the penalty box, Mandi and Nancy sat and watched Jilly the Kid rack up 3 points to zero over Diane Rött, and the Dead were edging their way back. But just when the Dead seemed to be putting it back together, Racey Lane would show up and blow it all apart again. She scored an 8-2 jam against Sassy Slayher, putting the Belles up by 10 points. The Belles began to take control of the bout, and over the next three jams, they scored 13 points to the Dead's 4 points, resulting in a Belles' lead of 47-28. The Dead put on a desperate push to get back into game, gathering their best blockers available, Sassy, Mötley, Messy, Kimfectious with Miss Moxxxie as jammer, they scored 5 points to zero over the Belles. But in the next jam with Jilly the Kid in the penalty box, Diane Rött answered with a 5-0 jam of her own! Moxxxie and blockers then came back to score a 7-0 jam and Jilly the Kid was able to out score Roxie the Riveter with a 3-0 jam. The second period was over, and the Dead were only 9 points behind (52-43). There was still a possibility they could pull out a win in the third period.
HALF-TIME
The half time show was a burlesque number performed by Jay Walker and the Cockivores. By some event coordinating snafu, the Cockivores performed only on the S.F. ShEvil Dead fans' side of the rink. I wondered why Richmond was left out? Anyway, the halftime gave me a chance to think about the strategies in the game and it seemed that the point difference in the bout was due to the Dead’s inability to match the point-scoring of or defensively slow down the explosive Racey Lane. If the Dead could do either they would have chance at this juncture, as the blocking by both sides seems to fairly even as Liza Machete and crew were well matched against Sassy Slayher and her army of undead.
LAST PERIOD
The third period started; no noticeable changes were made and the two teams were ready to fight it out to the end. The jam began with La Femme Nikilla breaking out of the pack first, but not legally. So without lead jammer status, as Nikilla sped around the track, Miss Moxxxie broke free with the aid of Sassy Slayher’s offense and she called the jam off for a 0-0 tie. Despite having the move put Sassy in the box, Jilly the Kid still collected 4 points as the short-handed Dead were able to keep Diane Rött from scoring. Now with Messy Jessy in the sin bin, Racey Lane jammed against rookie Getta Piece. Racey roared around the track as Getta Piece found no daylight among the Belles blockers, the resulting 9-0 score was devastating to the Dead's chances. Over the next two jams, the Dead fought back, but the 9-6 score of those jams was just too slow of a comeback—the Dead were running out of time, and Racey Lane was back at the jammer line. It was Trixxy B. Dammed's turn against the speedy Belle. Now with Iva Vendetta in the penalty box, the Dead were short-handed once again—this time there was no comeback. Although Sassy freed up Trixxy to score 4 points, her offense penalties earned her another visit to the box, and Racey Lane lapped Dead skaters for 10 more points. This was the nail in the coffin of the Dead as they were now down 17 points and were skating the next jam with two skaters in the box. Nikilla added 5 more points the Belles lead, leaving the score at 82-60. It was plain to everyone that the bout was over, the last four jams added 7 points to the Belles lead and 5 points to the Dead. The Richmond Wreaking Belles won the first bout of the 2007 season 89-65.
OUTSTANDING ROOKIES
This being the first bout of the season there were some skaters that I had not seen skate before and they impressed me. For the Belles, Demanda Riot #0:00 has the size and attitude to be a great blocker. She showed a lot of discipline and concentration in the jams she was in, holding her position and carrying out her duties as a blocker. It will be very interesting to see how she develops over the season.
For the ShEvil Dead, I’d say the outstanding rookie was Jilly the Kid #.44. Jamming is probably the toughest job a rookie can be thrown into, roller derby just happens faster for a jammer. A jammer knows there are four girls in a very small track trying to kill her. She has to be fearless and quick, and not just take big hits, but if she falls, she mus get up and do it again and again and again. Jilly the Kid earned a respectable point differential of +3 in a loosing effort, but it is still impressive for any skater, let alone a rookie.
MVP
The obvious choice for MVP is always a jammer since they score the points. But all jammers can be stopped with good blocking, just like in baseball where good pitching always beats good hitting, blockers determine whether a jammer will score, a jammer’s skill determines only how much she will score. So, I'm split as to whom to give the MVP, Racey Lane or Liza Machete. The Captain and Co-Captain of the Richmond Wrecking Belles played brilliantly. Racey Lane had an exceptional point differential for the entire bout (+35), and it’s clear that she carried the team to victory on Saturday night. But the Machete came up with the game plan, the rotation, the end of period adjustments, and she was the leadership that put the Belles over the top of the S.F. ShEvil Dead. I think the congratulations goes to both of them, co-captains and co-MVPs.
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