2009 Nationals Preview: Team Profiles
Philly | Gotham | Boston | Windy City | Madison | Detroit | Texas | Kansas City | Houston | Oly | Rocky Mountain | Denver
Oly (#1 West)
First bout: vs winner of Gotham / Detroit, Saturday 3:15pm
2009 WFTDA record: 8-0
2009 biggest win: 285-47 over Slaughter County, January 18
2009 biggest loss: No losses
2009 closest bout: 170-168 victory over Denver, April 11
2009 background: Oly is the only team at Nationals that is undefeated in 2009, and their run at Western Regionals was quite impressive as they rolled over their opposition by 73 points (Duke City), 37 points (Rat City) and 55 points (Rocky Mountain.) Much earlier in the year, they played nailbiters against Denver (170-168 in April) and Rose City (157-151 in March.)
Tournament history: This is the first year that Oly has been eligible to participate in WFTDA tournaments.
Lowdown: Oly arguably has the greatest collection of individual talent on display at Nationals, but an oft-heard knock on them all year was that the individual talent was covering up less-developed gameplay knowledge and that it'd be exposed at the tournament level. However, that pretty definitively didn't happen at Westerns. On top of that, it's worth noting that Oly was the only non-local team to advance from the high altitude of Denver's Western Regionals to Nationals -- any endurance factor that they were suffering from didn't keep them from #1, and won't affect them in the regular elevation of Philadelphia.
Players to watch: Oly is star-studded and not just in the sport of roller derby; multiple players got their starts as world-class hockey and speed skaters before derby, including Sassy, Tannibal Lector and Atomatrix. Longtime fans of the derby scene will take notice of a surprise appearance on the Oly roster -- derby vet Femme Fatale, sister of D-Bomb and Blonde 'n' Bitchin, left Rat City after the 2008 along with her sisters but hadn't appeared on an Oly roster until this weekend.
Road to the championship: Oly's first round bye will hand them either Gotham or Detroit in the their first bout on Saturday; a clash with Gotham would be a fascinating matchup of the established vs. the upstart. If Oly can put down Gotham, they'd be in the final four against either Windy City, Kansas City, or Denver. Of those three, they've only faced Denver in the past, claiming an extremely narrow 2 point win in April.
Roster: Atomatrix 03 // B Tease N 5 // Blonde an' Bitchin 28 // D-Bomb 8 // Femme Fatale 18 // Foxy Blocker 7 // Halle Scerry 815 // Heffer 2TON // Intended Anger 911 // Mary Stoppins SPOONFUL // Punchin' Judy TKO // Riot Girl 22 // Sassy 2 // Surly Sioux 10 // Tannibal Lector 9 // Trickk Tracy 27 // Wax Job 00 // Wheel-Her 4x4
Comments
Only in derby journalism can
Only in derby journalism can one get bequeathed a sentence like this -- "Oly now holds the longest (temporal) winning streak among Nationals teams" -- and it makes perfect sense. That's worth another $1.38 pledge, by golly!
"Madison and Texas have met
"Madison and Texas have met once before, with Texas taking a 144-59 victory at home in October 2008."
Actually, it was September. Can i have a no-prize?
If only...
If only he had the most comprehensive database of derby scores anywhere at his fingertips while he was writing this. Oh wait...
*~[;-p
also only in derby journalism
Can Boston's two losses in only two games against Carolina ever, within a 9-month span, be considered a "long rivalry." ;)
If you were a fetus that
If you were a fetus that would seem like a freaking lifetime.
True
But flat-track is already old enough to skate by itself in the driveway until the street lights come on.
(Why does "reply" never end up with a nested comment for me? This is harder than eyeballing 20 feet from the pack.)
For Ruby Khan
(Why does "reply" never end up with a nested comment for me? This is harder than eyeballing 20 feet from the pack.)
Because you are using "reply" when you want to use "quote?"
Nice job...
Justice, nice job.
Paul Williams
Thanks!
Thanks for the profile write ups, those are very appreciated!
Great work DNN!
DBC
Houston Roller Derby
DNN = enablers
Thank you so much for these write-ups. I've been so anxious for nationals to get here and this really takes the edge off. I just can't get enough of this sport and DNN always provides. Thanks for the fix!
Oly Fatale!
A ringer I say........one that potentially makes Oly much more fatal to the opposition in the Nationals if she is close to her former self.
booo.
retire or don't. definitely, don't call it a comeback. booooooooo.
hellarad
derby's most ignacious skate 'zine
www.wearehellarad.com
Opportunism?
The thing is that while teams can play whoever they want within the WFTDA rules, she didn't pay the price to put Oly in the position to skate for a championship like the other skaters did. Yeah, will she call it a career after the nationals or will she skate as an active member of the league for the next interleague bouting season?
Femme Pre-Natale
I'm kinda thinking the pregnancy had more to do with her not skating this season than any nefarious machinations. She was at most if not all the home bouts.
A mothers scorn...
A ringer I say........one that potentially makes Oly much more fatal to the opposition in the Nationals if she is close to her former self.
Well I was at the practice where I saw all three sisters and the rest of the bad ass Oly lineup and I must say it will be a viscous day when they step on the track together. I can't think of a more impressive and solid two lines. I am not sure if femme will jam but she will be more then impressive in the pack annihilating unsuspecting jammers.
This fan is more than giddy for Saturday's matchup.
fun with typos
it will be a viscous day when they step on the track together.
O NOES, that sounds awfully slippery!
LMAO
it will be a viscous day when they step on the track together.
O NOES, that sounds awfully slippery!
LMAO maybe I was thinking about that sport court in MA when we were suppose to bout Dirty Dozen.
Correction: KCRW's closest bout was not against CCRG.
Their closest bout of the 2009 season was against Arch Rival back in March. They beat ARRG by 9 points. 89-80.
Other than that. Can't wait until Friday!
Tremendous -- thanks!
I've printed the printer-friendly version and will have it in hand Saturday, along with the official program, when I'm in the stands for that day's orgy of tournament play.
Wow
This should be printed up and distributed to fledgling leagues around the world as a concise guide to the varying derby strategies used by top leagues in 2009.
Masterful work.
actually, three times
Madison and Texas have played three times:
Dairyland Dolls vs Texecutioners at the Bumberbout 2006
DDs vs Hotrod Honeys in Austin 2007
DDs vs Hotrod Honeys in Madison 2008
Dammit CJ, *four* times! You
Dammit CJ, *four* times! You were just on the other team the fourth time. Or maybe you don't remember the September 2008 bout because you turned that cartwheel on the track and suffered intra-cranial hemmorrhage.
That was a trick.
I was seeing who was paying attention.
Super preview by the way! I had to walk away a couple times so the adrenaline didn't give me a heart attack.
I was actually totally wrong
I was actually totally wrong about the bout at which you did the cartwheel, that was earlier this year with the Hotrod Honeys...i forgot i was at a Texas intraleague bout this year. I'm not sure how i forget such things but it's probably Lone Star based.
Front page pic of Angela Death and Whipity Pow...
Not sure if this was intentional or just a happy accident but thanks for recognizing 2 newcomers to the Nationals Tourney that are from the same hometown...
I'm extremely excited for this weekend. Go DRD and FTF!!
Heh
There are no accidents on DNN. Ever.
No accidents...merely predictions?
WOW.. I did not expect to see these two teams face off AGAIN at Nationals...(regionals last month was the first time in their four year history). WTG DNN for calling it :)
I always need a visual
I always need a visual demonstration to get how something works. Just reading an explanation doesn't do it for me. Is there anywhere online to see this "Chicago Typewriter" so I can get a feel for it? Or even a whole bout online and a general idea of when it occurs?
cute name, but we don't call
cute name, but we don't call it that...it's probably the product of Chicago history micro-fiche for brains and announcer extraordinaire Val Capone (tommy gun, right val?)
re-engage. waterfall. recycle. we don't lay claim to inventing any of that...but when it is executed well and the announceer is on top of it, it makes sense.
Maybe that came out wrong
Didn't mean to suggest that WCR invented the idea of repeatedly hitting people :) ... however, the speed of the replacement totally earned that nickname. I know there was at least one moment in the Philly / Windy City bout earlier this year where a Philly jammer got caught on the outside and it looked like she got hit three separate times from the same angle in like a half second... it's amazing when it's on point. (And yes, you're right, I heard it first from Val.)
Detroit
don't forget that detroit also features some stars from whip it.
backwards
don't forget that detroit also features some stars from whip it.
bullshit. whip it features some stars on loan from the detroit derby girls.
Track Rat
Man, that is a really tough loss for KC. She's an incredible skater and a great personality on track. I hate that she won't be on track at the national tournament. Damn damn double damn.
Well if they can do it with March Madness ...
On my blog, I've posted predictions, scores and all. Unless you're for Texas, you won't like 'em.
Bracket Predictions?
I miss my favorite DNN tool - where's the brackets so I can input my score predictions??
no track rat?
she's not listed on the team writeup, but IS listed on the roster under the link to the game. is she playing??
Celia Graves
CRG