Nap v Ohio Bout Recap or These Bittersweet Emotions

Bittersweet. Thats how it felt to me last Saturday nite. I have come to really dread the last NRG home bout of the season. Seeing Derby becomes a "road trip" situation after that and the juggling and expense that comes with said road trips. Hey, I'm always lookin for a feeble excuse to ride somewhere on 2 wheels so Derby provides more than an excuse. But its a hit n miss situation at best, know what I mean? So yeah...the last home game of the season. *Sigh*. What I really miss most when the game is over is the sense of community and comraderie that exists here in the Town of the Nap. And then theres the loss of veteran players that is an inevitability this year. Have we seen the last home game of Touretta? J Roller? Sweet C? ACE??! It has become abundantly clear that the Chosen One, Jane Ire is now retiring. Now that's enough to cause some pause right there right? No more Jane??! Can you imagine that? Like I said...*sigh*. And theres other changes going on that are still to come that cause me bittersweet emotions. I wanna say this tho...Jane, you are one of a kind and we are all SO gonna miss seeing you out on that rink scoring points and handling pressure with poise and class. And thats to say nothing of the instantly recognizable and unique skating style of the one and only Jane Ire! Yeah...you will be missed out on that track but I'm sure we'll catch you at the games sitting in the suicides. Or perhaps serving the league in some support role? I just KNOW how much Jane loves Derby and and theres no way that she wont be at bouts all over the place.

Now on to the Bout:

My day started with attending a motorcycle swap meet. And I got an awesome deal on some much-needed fresh tires for Elvira and had them on the rims in about 45 minutes. What a freakin difference new rubber makes! Anyway I headed over to the Fairgrounds and saw the NapFan gang out front partying and getting pumped up for some Race City Derby. I had a quick drink offa that "Busty Sanchez" flask (thanx Nay!) and headed in. I noticed straight away that there was no Ohio merch table set up and indeed it wasnt going to happen. So no Ohio XL tee for me...bummer. And then I went right over to the Ohio Rollergirl bench and began chatting with Foxy Force. You all know what my first question would be by now: "Where in the hell is Kitty??". Ummmm...she couldnt make it. See my previous post for more on that crushing blow. That sucked. After I asked, Foxy was like, "Are you HIM?". Wow, my reputation precedes me. *Blush* Yes, I am the resident Kitty Liquorbottom supporter here in Race City! Oh well.

I started off sitting in the suicides for the Gang Green v Belles bout but moved over to the side of the NRG bench so I could just stand up and spare myself the suicide seat yoga position for a full 2 bouts. Its cool to be by the bench because I catch some interesting minutia that I usually wouldnt get to see otherwise. Got some fairly nice pix from that location also. By the way the program this time out was a litle...off. Both the Nap and Ohio rosters were a mystery. Like...no Jane Ire listed for the Sirens? Oooookay.

The Belles bout was close early on but then Gang Greens offense took over and our Blockers seemed a bit disjointed. GG's experience started paying off and with Jayden Blaze able to score very consistently it was out of hand into the 2nd half. GG's Blockers were tough but Blue and Katya were scoring well. Katya is one helluva Rollergirl if you dont already know. Pure fire and passion from her all season long. The continuing development of Racer at Jammer was apparent also. I was surprised to see a skater named Devil Woman on the Belles roster. Uhhh...WHO?I have to say that I've not really heard of her. On the Ohio side of things Jayden Blaze was great. With no Kitty in town Jayden quickly became my OH fave. Weird thing was when I caught her later and told her how good I thought she did she said that she wasnt really crazy about Jamming. What?! Believe me Jayden...you are a JAMMER. For real! I was disappointed to see that she spent no time Jamming at all in the 2nd game. The officiating seemed sketchy at times with too many elbows going uncalled. Usually its the other way around. Weird. Blue took a really tuff blow to the face at one point and still no call! One Ref in particular got the ire of the NapFans stoked for inconsistant calls. The Belles have been so damn impressive all season that the way that the Gang Green skaters took over the game was a bit of a shock. Which reminds me...where was Psyche?? JenX got called up to the Sirens when Sin went down so we expected that loss on the Belles roster. But I'm taking nothing away from the GG's. They played very well and won convincingly.

Then the Sirens v Ohio All Stars started and it was close the whole way. Barracuda did a rock solid job at Jammer for OH. Pippi and Dirty Grrl also contributed to Ohio's offense. NRG Jammers Ace and Jane put points on the board for Race City all game long. Fin and Slammy had some really good moments too in what was one helluva bout. But then there was the 13 point Jam that OH put together. And the odd refereeing that was going on did have a disconcerting effect on the psyche of the Nap skaters. I sure wish that the Naptown skaters would have had at least another week to heal up from the F Dubb bloodbath and prepare for OH. The illness of Ace and Jane leading up to the bout had surprisingly little obvious effect on their performances. As a matter of fact before the Belles bout started I ran into the Amazin Blazin Ace and she looked stunning! And of course the season had to go out on a Shadi Jam. She has become THE fan favorite right after the Amazin Ace. The chant rose from the crowd..."Shadi! Shadi! Shadi!". In the end it was anyones game and even tho NRG lost 66-62 for some reason it just didnt FEEL like a loss. I was once again talking with a very hoarse voice at the end of the bout.

I have to bring this up...where the hell was the big sell-out crowd that we had all become so accustomed too?? What reason could there be that the crowd was so comparatively small? Fans on vacation? Last year the crowd was consistently impressive to the last bout. Is the Double-Header too much for the casual fan? Hey, in my eyes its 2 for the price of 1. But you know me...I could watch a bout every night and STILL would want to see more. I'm...uhhhh...not a "casual" fan. I dont get it. Last bout against FW the crowd was a bit smaller than usual but this time it was a marked drop off in attendance. If the truth be told there are many, many leagues out there that would love to draw the crowd NRG did on an "off" night. But hey...we're used to 3-4000 crazy fans so it is weird to see half of that in attendance. Anyone have the official count? Just curious. The fans that DID show up are of the die-hard variety and were more than vocal enuff. Hey, didja see Joan of Dark catch a skate on the everpresent "God is a Naptown Fan" sign? Yes, it gaves its life in Derby battle and was torn by none other than the J.o.D.! Wow. Speaking of J.o.D., she was awesome this bout! Totally on fire and incredibly fierce. One of her best games this season. Naptown loves its Angel! And it sure was nice to finally see SJ in attendance again. She has only been able to catch one other Nap Home bout this season because of her paycheck gig. Really nice to see ya Strawberry. Also caught Megan, Fly and Poker Face from the Soc's out in the crowd.

Like the bout, the Afterparty wasnt quite as well attended as usual but it was definately still rockin'. The Ohio Rollergirls score high on my "likeability" gauge and they were a blast to hang out with. I got the chance to get a pic with Jayden so hey I was happy! I talked to Ohio announcer Caeser, who did a great job during the bout, and was surprised to hear whats been going on with Ohio this year. They are in something of a "restructuring" phase and are trying to save money for a strong push next season. As a result they are playing in a tiny venue that holds 300 people. Its mostly a friends and family scenario I guess. They WERE drawing crowds in the 1000-1500 range last year but I guess at this point in time they couldnt afford the larger venue. I really do wish OH all the best because they are an original member of WFTDA and are genuinly cool people. I got the "Why dont WE have a nickname" question and all I can really say is that it hasnt come to me yet. Its something of a slow-burner that Ohio nick. Along with F Dubb and Tricky Cincy, OH should be on the schedule at least every other year because of close proximity. And oh yeah Caeser...thanx for the shout out during the bout! It was cool to finally meet ya.

Ohio will be playing Cincy next Saturday and I have considered cruising to the Queen City to check it out but 2 things stand in my way: I may have to put in a full day at work and also there is a CC Socialites bout against Stateline going on at Hamilton Co Fairgrounds. We shall see. I may not get a better chance to catch Kitty Liquorbottom in action this year and I have a marketing contract for her to sign so...

Its gonna seem like forever until next seasons Home opener arrives. And theres gonna be a changing of the guard and that much is guaranteed. However, from what I have seen from the Belles this year and the young talent currently on the Sirens roster the future is in good hands. I mean, just LOOK at all that Jammer talent on the Belles squad. Yep. The future of NRG is in good hands and NapFans have much to look forward too. Still, a bittersweet feeling lingers. Because a changing of the guard means the loss of skaters that we've all come to know and admire. And that does hurt a little.

Kitties Kitties Everywhere and Not a One to Meet

Yes...its true. Kitty Liquorbottom didnt show last nite. Her Kitty Queen Crown remains unclaimed here in Naptown. We are saddened. Its okay Kitty...I mean, you ripped my soul apart and I've lost all meaning in my life but its OKAY. But I thought we had an understanding...something of a vibe between us. Really, just think about it Kitty, whats more important? Your job? Or hanging out with ME?? I mean, jobs come and go but the love and admiration I have for you is irreplaceable. So yeah...just pitch my heart right into the litterbox. I'm still willing to sell all manner of cheesy products bearing yer name and likeness tho. I gotta make a living ya know.

KL rules! 8)

Let the Litterbox Come to Indy!!

Because I'm a fan of the incomparable Kitty Liquorbottom too!! Repeat after me Kitty..."I must go to Indy...I must go to Indy...I MUST GO TO INDY". Let us all share in the special comraderie that Kitty Liquorbottom fans share worldwide! Litterbox dwellers rise up for Kitty!! We shall unleash upon the Derby world a LEGION of Liquorbottom lovers! If ya dont make it out to Race City for this bout KL you know that we will all be saddened...dont sadden us Kitty...SHOW. Because we all love the new Kitty Queen! Let her be crowned as Kitty Queen! The former Kitty Queen...Kitty Killjoy has retired and left her glorious throne empty. Its time to assume yer mantle Kitty Liquorbottom...in INDY. There yer crown awaits...

KL rules 8).

Naptown v Ohio Bout Preview!

Ohio will be rollin into Indy shortly and while the Naptown Faithful are still swooning over that F Dubb victory its best not to dwell on it at this point. I know, I know...it WAS awesome. WAS being the key word at this juncture. This is my concern, that Race City will still be basking in the glow of what was the biggest win of the season and let down their guard. Ya know...relax and perhaps not be 100% focused on a very hungry Ohio team that did win a close one against Sioux Falls. I saw the Sioux play last year and they were pretty damn good. And they also beat the Gems...twice. Which does beg the question: Why play the Gems twice already in '09?? Just asking.

The OH squad have had a tuff time in their WFTDA history with only 2 victories to their credit since joining WFTDA as an original member in '06.Those couple of wins came against the Steelies and the Burns. The Steel skaters did avenge their earlier loss to OH by beating them recently. Ohio also, like NRG, lost to NStar this year. Currently the Ohio All Stars are ranked #42 by FTS. The Nap skaters are ranked #36. Ohio have been very competitive in some very good bouts. What I'm saying is that I hope no one discounts this team because they will sneak up and sting ya. With only 2 weeks to recover from the amazing bout against rival FW its gonna require a refocus and some quick healing to be ready for the OH when they arrive.

Frankly, with the recent winning results of Race City fresh in everyones mind I would be surprised if Nap lost. I guess ya just gotta look at that Jammer talent on NRG. And the cohesion of the Naptown Blockers who are playing as good as they have all season. I can tell ya this...if Race City brings it like they did against F Dubb than all will be well for Indy's team and fans.

But now for the REAL concern...will Kitty Liquorbottom show?? I NEED my picture taken with her. I NEED to tell her how she has one of my favorite names in all of Derby. I mean, does it get any better than that? Come on KL...show! Please?? For me?? I wanna be yer manager. I can see Kitty Liquorbottom Tees, hats, hoodies, lunchboxes, ltd edition bottles of Kitty Liquorbottom Cognac, a full line of fragrances, ya know...the Kiss-style SELL OUT. Hell yes. I will only take a nominal fee of course, nothing too Jerry Maguire I assure you. Now ya GOTTA show. Come on.

The likely Ohio roster:

Alli Catraz
Triptease
drrty grrl
Wendra Woman
Foxy Force
Chewblocka
Phoenix Bunz
Barracuda
Pippi Ripyourstockings
Jaden Blayz
Royal Pain
Kill Basa
HellionBOI
Bratislava
and of course the incomparable KITTY LIQUORBOTTOM!


Oh...and J.o.D.
surprise!! 8)

The Mighty Gothic Queens of Complete Destruction v the Carols....hmmmmm

The Carols have one rock solid squad. I mean, theres not really one glaring weakness on that team. Now, if ya wanna nitpick then yeah...there might be a couple of tiny things that could be tweaked but overall the Carols are SOLID. But ya wanna know what solid is? The Goths. The freakin' ridiculous wall of complete destruction that IS the Mighty Goths of NYC. Bet ya dont remember the last time they lost do ya?? Come on, search yer memory. Still cant remember can ya?? Thats because the last time they lost was waaay back in September of 2007! Yep. They went down to KC at the Texas Shootout by 15 points. Now mind you, that was the epic squad that KC had w/Jammers Xcelerator and Snot Rocket. Uhhhh...Carols? Its been a while since the skaters of Gotham have lost a bout. And it isnt going to be this weekend either. If the Carols lose its nothin to be that freaked out over tho. Really its a matter of point differential. If Carolina lost by 9 points it would really matter. It would look good. In '09 tho the Carols have 2 bouts in the books and 2 losses. -27 against Lovely Charm and -39 against Liberty City. But in my mind the only 2 teams capable right now of beating the NYC Machine is Philly and Windy. So losin to the Cheesesteaks isnt anything to hang yer head over. The last win for Carolina was over the ATL last year. So yeah...hang on Carolina. The Tank of Hellish Destruction is about to roll on thru. Girl up and press on Carols. Its gonna be a ruff ride.


Thats Bonnie Thunders of the Mighty Hellish Goths in the Pic btw

Naptown v F Dubb Bout Recap or Naptowns Night of Glory

Can I just say something right from the outset?? This was a "must win" for the skaters of Race City and man did they ever get it done. After a ruff start the NRG have found their groove and are playing to their real potential now. I have to say that Saturdays bout was one of the most exciting and tooth n nail bouts that I have ever witnessed. And lets give credit to the FW squad...they played their asses off. They fought with spirit and toughness all night. Pushycat and RIPtide were great and Jammed like hellions. This bout was all that we could have hoped for and I'm just glad that the Nap girls came out on top...twice. My evening went something like this:

*I decided to ride my bike, Elvira, out to the bout because the forecast stated that the threat of rain would be SOUTH of Indy. Mmmm hmmm. NOT. As I pulled into the Fairgrounds it began sprinkling and the "parking folks" said that there was NO parking to be had at the Toyota Pavilion so I would have to park my precious bike elsewhere. Begrudgingly I did, then as I walked towards the Pavilion I noticed Graduation attendees pulling out and there was parking to be had. I got my pass (thanks JL and WH!) and said "Screw this...I'm fetchin my ride!!". After gettin my bike I found an open spot right out front!! Sheeeeesh. When I went inside I made a bee-line to the merch table and nabbed one o' those cool new Naptown tees and got some nachos. The thing about nachos is that once the cheese gets to room temperature its like ehhh...so I pitched 1/3rd into the trash. Oh well. Then the gang started to arrive, yeah, the Naptown FAMILY. Damn I luv you folks! I saw my opportunity to chat up Minx and Rosemary's Baby of F Dubb and found out something disheartening...there will be NO FALL BRAWL this year!! Aaaaargh! There wil be a Tournament in the spring called...uhhh... naturally..."The Spring Thing". Ya wanna know a few of the teams that will be in attendance doncha?? Course ya do. Well howzabout WINDY f'n City?? And Deeeetroit?! And (I'm swooning here) the Archies?? Hopefully Beer City will also be in the mix too. Naptowns a given, right?? Should be EPIC. Early $$$ is on the Crushers!! (WCR). We talked about the lovely Kitty Killjoy too. Seems that her interest in Derby may have been waning and she lives in the Carolinas now.

*Then it was time for the Belles to warm up. Watching Dora skate around the track with that Dora backpack was hilarious. Dora? You are too cool Rollergirl! When it came time for the Belles to bout the SWAT skaters they fired on all cylinders and it was just a matter of time until they took off and never looked back. Told ya Dora! One of the things I noticed was that Racer seemed faster than before. And howzabout that Blue?! Damn that girl ROCKS! You would never even know that she was coming off an injury. Love her. Really, the whole team was so in synch and totally impressive all night that I was just speechless. The Belles would absolutely beat some WFTDA A-teams out there and thats for realz! You skaters are an awesome collection of young talent and speed. Too much. The standout player of the night for me was Ima Hurtchu tho. I turned to Lux several times and said "Did you see that hit??! Who the hell IS this Rollergirl??!". Ima was killin it!! Bright future for her indeed...a natural Blocker. And Sandy! Hurtin skaters the whole bout!

And then...the Main Event, a heavyweight bout between two evenly matched, determined squads. The air was just crackling with electricity. The weird thing was that there were some empty seats in the venue! Not a sell out?? Ya gotta be f'n kiddin me. What do people want? Damn. Anyway, the bout was all we coulda hoped for. Back and forth it went. What adjectives can I use that would do this bout justice? I mean really? And how about that Pushycat? That Rollergirl is a bonafide BADASS. You all KNOW that you would love to have a Jammer like her on yer team. She is INTENSE. Fiery. Passionate. Focused. And RIPtide is so good. But ya know what?? We have ACE. The Amazin Blazin ACE. A pure Jammer talent so extraordinary it makes my Derby-lovin heart pound! I freakin LOVE that Rollergirl. And the continuing evolution of our Power Jammer Fin Addict. She just gets better. The absence of our Sin Lizzy was felt but still the Nap Blockers were in a rythem that just stroked all night long. Is this turning into a lovefest yet? Well, yeah, it should. This is what I live for...pure, passionate Roller Derby action.

*And then Pushy went down hard right in front of me. She was in agony and I felt my spirit sink for a moment. Look...I know that she's the "enemy" but my heart sank in empathy for her. Pushycat KILLS and I totally respect that. She is what Derby is all about so dont hate on me Napfans. When I saw her fightin pain and writhing on the floor I noticed the FW Coach arguing with the Refs about??? A trip?? Touretta not falling small?? (kinda tuff to fall "small" for her ya know??). That pissed me off and I said something that I wont repeat here. Just, like, dude yer BEST player, yer STAR is on the floor hurt...get over there and attend to her!!! Damn. When Pushy struggled to her feet I shouted "You kick ass Pushy!!". And I meant it too. I heard thru the grapevine that fans were laughing when she went down or were perhaps cheering. Some fans may have cheered INTIALLY when she went down because they didnt know that she was hurt but I am here to tell you that Pushy was on the floor right in front of me and so I think I know what the hell I'm talkin about when I say that no one was all giddy that she was hurt. I can tell ya this too...if anyone ever, and I mean EVER laughs or cheers because an opposing Rollergirl is hurt I am gonna be the most intense asshole that they've ever seen. I wont stand for that one minute and they would know real quick-like that its time to just shut up. Or else. More on Pushycat later.

*As the bout unfolded it became obvious that Race City was patient enuff to keep chippin away until they took the lead and then due to several circumstances FW was not able to quite come back. Certainly the loss of their star Pushy had something to do with it but I didnt see any quit in that squad. None. And then came the moment that will live on in my memory forever. Fan favorite Shadi Layne Jamming for the first time in the bout. As we began to chant "Shadi...Shadi...Shadi!!!" she glanced over and gave a subtle horns salute. It was mythic and the crowd ate it up! Talk about energizing an already energetic crowd...it was the moment of the evening for me. I was literally losing my voice from shouting, chanting and screaming so intensely all nite. I need to say that I have never been so animated and freaked out at a bout ever. It was borderline embarrasing. Really. I was INTO this bout like no bout I have ever attended. The only one that even comes close also involved F Dubb. It was the Beer City v FW bout last summer and let me tell ya, that one was classic at the end and came down to the last Jam. The memory of Rejected Seoul scoring the go ahead points and leaping into my arms triumphantly was one that will live forever. Yeah...Brew City love! Ha!

*At the end of the bout the smiles and sense of accomplishment was palpable and it was one of sheer joy. Hugs everywhere. I asked the FW Coach how Pushy was doing and he said something about possible torn tendons. Ouch. Then the radar map was flashed on the screen and it was obvious that a very bad storm was on its way very soon. Talk of 70mph gusts and hail filled my mind with dread as thought about my damn bike. The bike that I've spent thousands and thousands of $$$ on. Hail?? Oh hell no. I would sooner throw my body over that bike than to let f'n hail dent the tank and fenders. I considered pulling it into the building or maybe running it real quick under one of those carport structures at the Fairgrounds. But...only rain fell. And so I got wet goin to the Afterparty. Oh well, at least I got a primo spot right in front of Birdy's! And then MU waved me through and I STILL owe her a beer. I'll getcha at that Ohio bout MU. And damn am I glad that she's still hangin with us, she is such a firecracker.

Upon entering the bar I walked over to grab a beer at the bar and I turned my head and there was Pushycat!! ??? I said "Uhhh Pushy...shouldnt you go to the ER? What are you doing here?". I'm paraphrasing here but she said that they would only schedule an MRI and there probably wasnt much that they could do for her. She said that It would be cheaper to go to the Doc when she got back to Ft Wayne. Maybe her health insurance was one of those "network plans"? At any rate I bought her a beer and said "Here...have a beer cause you are one kick ass Rollergirl" Made her smile 8). I did my usual mingling but honestly I was so caught up in Naptowns celebration that I didnt really get around to chattin as much as I usually would with the visiting team. And that sux because I really did have some questions for the F Dubb skaters. I did notice that I never did see Bang Bang at the Afterparty. Did I miss her? Or did she head right for home? Hmmmm. I also had a conversation with Coaches Rick and Fiesty and it was a VERY interesting conversation to say the least. And noooo...I cant speak of it. I will only say that it was really "interesting". Also had the chance to talk to Coach Di and that was very cool too. She has such a firm grasp of Derby tactics and techniques! At any rate, as I stepped outside to talk with Cat about her cycle problems I noticed lightning flashes in the sky and I thought that it would be best to start the long ride back home before I got soaked again. As I pulled away on Elvira I shouted "Naaaaaptooooowwwn!!" to some fans as they left the bar and turned out onto Keystone Avenue. I was all warm inside and my brain was flooded with a swirl of incredible memories of Naptowns Night of Glory. I will never forget this bout. Years will go by and I will never forget this bout.

Texas- 451 Oklahoma - 8 ??!! Come on O.M.!!! Mercy!!

Last night the Original Muthas of Austin saw fit to obliterate the all time blow out record and CRUSHED the VicDolls 451 - 8. Get the livin' F*CK outta here!!! Was that really necessary TX? I'm sorry but thats total bullshit. Ya think that when the score was around 250-3 that ya coulda taken yer foot off the gas? There is no way that I would have put my skaters through that either. If I was coaching the VicDolls I would have seriously thought about a forfeit...and thats not like me, but COME ON. I wouldnt want to keep puttin' my girls thru that even if they didnt want to quit. Yeah....thats one of those very rare occasions when I would have just said "Screw this. FORFEIT!". So okay Big Ole TX...lesson learned. The VicDolls suck compared to you, we get it. That score just pisses me off and I feel really bad for OK, I am in pain just reading that score. I guess that the Original Muthas just turned me into a VicDolls fan. Remember...I dont like bullies. And totally humiliating a young team like OK by a score of 451-8 just doesnt sit well with me at all. Nope, not a bit. Thank you very much.

GO VICTORY DOLLS! Love to you Rollergirls of Oklahoma...<3 <3 <3