The San Diego Reader has this enjoyable post about one fan's discovery of modern derby, what it's all about, and the graphic details of the San Diego Derby Dolls' injury history. The post can also now be known as one of the few things that makes Bonnie D. Stroir cry.
roller derby on demand and without apology
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There's just no pleasing me
It wasa pretty good article, and I think that the fan's devotion to the sport really came through. The San Diego Derby Dolls have a lot to be proud of.
That said, I fuckin' hate derby articles with laundry lists of injuries. Obviously, the injuries impressed the one writer, and I don't think it would be realistic to pretend that people don't get hurt playing this sport. Still, I think there are ways to convey toughness and heart without really playing up injuries. Injuries suck.
I think there's a big difference, too, between individual skaters taking pride in their own battle scars vs. really using them as talking points for the media.
Mmmmm...CRACK....
I think this article started off as a great post from a sort of evolved "fan" perspective but then descended into the lowest common denominator.
I know that I am constantly explaining to people that this modern sport is something new. "It ain't your Aunt Connie's Roller Derby..." and it needs to be seen to be appreciated. I don't think using the injuries to measure the difference between today's fierce flat track play and the Seltzer era derby is doing much of a service. Solid hits are part of the game and no good hardcore fan wants to see anyone injured...
But it IS like CRACK...I'll have to agree with them there!
How do I word this delicately...
You might have done better to replace "Seltzer" with "Griffiths" up there.
-Barely even speaking for myself...
*~[
Grand Poobah
Sin City Stat Pack
Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls
Okay...not so delicate questions?
So Jerry Seltzer lacks any culpability for the direction the sport took? Are you saying Jerry over saw a "pure" sport until Bill Griffiths came along in '61? Did only one of these two men race to the bottom for TV ratings?
Or are we just playing nice because Jerry has been publicly "positive" about WFTDA?
I guess it's a matter of who shot first, Greedo or Han? I will agree with who ever you choose on that one.
Don't be ridiculous
Greedo never shot. That's such a crucial bit of character development for Han -- at the point in the story, we don't really know whether our heroes should be trusting him at all. He seems like he might be serious trouble.
Someone shoulda walked up behind Lucas and shot him right in the back of the head in early 1984.
I think he did. At least on
I think he did. At least on the dvd.
DG
RMRG Barnacle
As a Star Wars fan.......
I kinda agree with your point, Hurt. If SW Fan KNEW how the prequels would turn out, they politely ask him to make more Indy flicks instead.
The Original GGRDon Solo
knew Amidala would be WAY more annoying than Jar Jar.
No, not at all
Any historical account will tell you the differences between the two respective products. Or just watch what videos are out there.
I just thought the far more over the top theatrical derby put on by Griffith's Rollergames illustrated the contrasts better. I'd say that the differences between those two are somewhat related to their time period, but there was considerable overlap in their operations.
If Seltzer had skaters beating other skaters with sticks, doing leg drops on the track and and some of the even sillier stuff that followed in Sam's Rock'n'Rollergames or Rollerjam (body slams, etc) I haven't seen it yet.
-Barely even speaking for myself...
*~[
Grand Poobah
Sin City Stat Pack
Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls
Ironically...
I am watching classic bouts on DVD today as I work in my home office. ('52 Jets Vs Red Devils & Chiefs Vs Jolters...someone said "it's like crack")
I understand your point and agree that derby with alligator pits is a bigger farce than anything served up by the Seltzer clan. I have also been schooled via email today about the impact/importance that Griffiths Rollergame's had on audience perception. I guess filthy hands beat dirty hands, my point was only...both men were not clean. I simply picked the man whose family had been there from the beginning...not the worst offender, maybe not the first offender, but an offender just the same.
Now we dance...
On second thought....
You might have done better to replace "Seltzer" with "Griffiths" up there.
-Barely even speaking for myself...
*~[
Grand Poobah
Sin City Stat Pack
Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls
Try the word "Patten" instead, Poobah.
That said, I think there are/were a few women in RollerJam that if they were in a league, the league would be 10 x better.
The Original GGRDonald
Karen Magnussen in orange??? ;-)
I'm with Poobah
I'm with Poobah. There was a world of difference between the Seltzer and Griffiths versions of derby. The Seltzer derby (think Bay Bombers) seemed a lot more real (I can't vouch if it was or not), with reasonable scores like 50-48, whereas the Griffiths "derby" (L.A. T-Birds) always had high-scoring, many, many, many more fights and other shenanigans. There were fights in the Seltzer derbies, but they looked to be more spontaneous, like hockey fights used to be.
In the Griffiths derby, it always seemed the T-birds were coming from 20 points behind to win in the last jam or two. I used to hate, too, the way the T-Birds announcers would always act like the T-Birds were the embodiment of all things good while their opponents were merely ruffians. I would have liked to have been a commentator for them then as I would have pointed out that the T-Birds were just as dirty as their opponents!
While they were both entertaining in their own way, I much prefer the Seltzer derby. Although, I always liked the Jackson brothers (Harold and Bernie) wherever they skated!
Rusty Wheeler
Let's rrrrrrrrrroooooooooollllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!