This bout will begin at about 7:15pm EST

A little trivia here: New York actually gave Chicago the nickname "Windy City". And it has nothing to do with the weather. Back in 1893, Chicago was competing with other cities for the honor of hosting the World's Fair. Chicago leaders bragged so much about how great their city was that the New York Sun published an editorial calling them the "Windy City" for being a bunch of windbags. I believe the Windy City Rollers are here today to avenge that slur.

For more on that topic, check out the excellent book Devil In The White City by Erik Larson. It's a great history of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, the invention of the Ferris Wheel, and the serial killer who was taking victims during the Fair. And it's a true story, to boot.

About 10 minutes to go folks. Introductions will begin any time. Both teams are rarin' to go here. Even the refs seem excited to rock

The lineups will remain the same for both teams for this bout. Here are the skaters:

Gotham Girls Roller Derby
0 Ana Bollocks
02 Donna Matrix
19 Lil Red Terror
2c Cheap Skate
201 Sweet Sherry Pie
241 Fisti Cuffs
31 Hela Skelter
340 Bonnie Thunders
42 Beatrix Slaughter
55 Suzy Hotrod
7 Anne Phetamean
80 Ginger Snap
swingin' 60's Brigitte Barhot
top 40 Beyonslay

Windy City Rollers
10 Anne Putation
16 Goldie Shocks
5 Blossom Bruiso
6 Malice with Chains
25 Varla Vendetta
30 Athena DeCrime
77 Ying of Fire
219 Hoosier Mama
666 Belle Diablo
911 Kola Loka
999 Yvette YourMaker
1980 Megan Formor
9x19 Nina Millimeter
I-90 Harmadillo

Checking Hurt's site again, I see that this, too, is a rematch of an ECE bout in March. In that bout, Gotham beat Chicago by 48 points. After a weekend of watching both teams, I'll wager this will be a bit closer.

Introductions are underway

This is going to be an excellent championship bout. I'll try to remember to tell you what's going on.

The girls take the floor and this crowd is going nuts

Suzy Hotrod and Ying o' Fire take the line first. Suzy breaks out first but can't get that Lead call. Ying struggles, goes down twice, while Hotrod runs up 9 points

Ying gets called out for penalties so Beatrix Slaughter gets to go out alone and run up 8 more.

Bonnie Thunders goes out and gets 5 more. GGRD really kicking some ass so far. Windy City has yet to score

Yvette YourMaker puts 3 on the board for Chicago, but GGRD matches it

Hotrod rocks another jam for 4. Chicago huddles up for a timeout.

Both teams earn a small pile in a 2 minute jam. Windy City gets to go out alone for a minute as GGRD jammer sits in the box

Hoosier Mama takes advantage for 7 to bring it back to 20

Bonnie Thunders gets a Lead, but calls it with no points

Kola Loka cuts the track and gets thrown off, leaving Suzy Hotrod with the lone star. An unfortunate mistake as Hotrod adds a grand slam+ to GGRD's lead

Each team takes one more as GGRD's Beatrix Slaughter takes the Lead but not the lead. Timeout called with 26 points between them

And that's the end of the first. The GGRD pack continues their weekend of dominance, sending the Windy City Rollers into the first break with 33 points to make up

The second period is under way

Chicago has no jammer to start with. Suzy Hotrod goes out and takes advantage

Unfortunately, things aren't looking any better yet for the Chicago squad

Chicago gets a Lead and earns 4

The Chicago pack doing a better job of controlling the Gotham jammers now. Yvette YourMaker makes it through for another Lead. GGRD jammer goes to the penalty box and Yvette turns in a big 11 point jam

In a strange twist of rules, the GGRD jammer in the penalty box, with only 1 second left on her penalty, actually gets a jump on the jammer at the line. But Kola Loka earns 2 anyway to GGRD's zero

A quick scoreless jam keeps things pretty much as they stand. GGRD still moving fast, building on their 34 point lead

Refs call a timeout to sort out some business. Cheap Skate of GGRD goes out to the middle to tell the refs how it oughta be

Kola Loka takes advantage of a small pack, but Sweet Sherry Pie stays with her

The Gotham Girls have Windy City right where they want 'em. The shoulders are starting to droop. Looking for a big jame here to light the fire.

The horn blows and that'll be it for the second period. The GGRD lead grows to a very comfortable 45 with 20 minutes left to play.

This time it's the Chicago fan section that turns into a dance party

WFTDA President Crackerjack joins the party holding the championship trophy

The refs clear the track and the girls reclaim the track to get the third period under way

Malice with Chains kicks things off with a few points for Chicago

Big jammer takedown by Megan Formor of Windy City. Kola Loka adds another 4 to the Chicago total

Now Varla Vendetta with a Lead and points!

GGRD answers back. The Chicago girls can't seem to keep momentum for more than a few minutes at a time, unfortunately. Every time they get a little comeback, GGRD answers.

GGRD breaks 100 for the fourth time this weekend

Windy City jammer cuts the track and is thrown off. Gotham jammer Cheap Skate calls it off without taking advantage

Megan Formor with another big hit on Bonnie Thunders as both teams grab one more point

Malice with Chains thrown off, tossing her panty in anger.

Penalties have been a big problem for Chicago. They lose their jammer again

Penalties with about 7 minutes left to play:

Gotham: 57 m, 2 M
Chicago: 89 m, 10 M

Varla Vendetta takes out Bonnie Thunders in a great jammer-on-jammer hit

No jammers in the box, no jammers on the track. The jam stops in confusion.

Chicago powerhouse Megan Formor ejected from the game for insubordination.

GGRD fans already celebrating. I'd have to agree that it's a safe bet at this point.... Beyonslay, who got my top vote for MVP, by the way, with yet another big hit.

The pack is nearly at a standstill as no one seems to care much anymore...

And that's the end. Gotham Girls Roller Derby are the 2007 WFTDA Eastern Region Champions

Pandemonium breaks out once again

Chicago celebrating as well. They may not have won the championship bout, but a 2nd place finish when seeded 7th is a great accomplishment.