Rollergames, Renegades and Alligators

[Michi-chan]

As someone who has been mainly into flat track, I have noticed that I have been visiting ROLLERGAMES.COM much more often. In my other derby life, I am an executive on an upstart league associated with the Old School Derby Association. I am also a member of the OSDA Advisory Board. OSDA covers all types of derby including flat track and banked track and is gender neutral. Also, the league management are not required to be active skaters. Right now, I am not an active skater, I sometimes consider myself a mediocre skater (but my derby friends say I am definitely improving), but I am a derby fan. How was I to know that watching that old banked track derby when I was a kid was going to eventually turn into a love for our sport?

Being in Arizona, an all flat-track state, I have not given much thought into banked-track derby. But now, I seems that ROLLERGAMES.COM is one of the tabs on my Firefox browser that is always there.

In other words, this Michi-chan has been bitten by the banked-track-bug.

I am very impressed to see that my friends from the various chapters of the RENEGADE ROLLERGIRLS sending in their video auditions. I surely hope that we see skaters like Hellbent Heather, Rainbow Rage and Magnum 357 and perhaps an entire Renegade team casted for any future TV show. I have always had a place in my heart for the Renegades and I think the main reason why is that they don't find themselves in the derby drama that has been known to happen at the other leagues. Some may not take the Renegades seriously because of their "no rules" attitude, especially in this day of women's flat track derby's ever growing rule book. I think the "no rules" style of derby is a good addition to any multi-league market. Here in Phoenix, we have three (soon to be four) leagues, so there is something for everyone or as I have been saying with my "I WANT MORE DERBY" campaign, come out and check out all of the leagues and just support roller derby, overall.

I have been sitting on the fence about ROLLERGAMES until now. I have heard from some in the DIY flat track community who feel that the idea is just overall tacky. I have heard from some that it is a great idea. I have my own take on the idea. I feel that you can have a show with the derby action with kind of the Renegades antics (just the golden rule.. do on to others...) and the off-track drama like the old derby and professional wrestling, but I feel that the on-track action should be real and not orchestrated. I think that we can have an exciting show with a standard oval banked track (not that silly figure-8 stuff) and please David Sams for the love of derby, no alligators, no electric chairs, just pure derby. In this day of reality TV, I think that a real roller derby competition with a real outcome and a real winner would definitely pick up audience acceptance. I would hope that ROLLERGAMES would periodically do a short piece on the show and a section of the website about the existing DIY leagues. I think that it would get more people interested and see local roller derby action while remaining loyal to the show and it will encourage men and women to join local leagues and who knows, they may be the next roller-stars on ROLLERGAMES.

Again, best of luck to my RENEGADES and to the other skaters who are trying out for the show. Hopefully the show will preserve the fundamental aspects of our sport and do it in an entertaining way as long as it does not turn into a flea circus.

AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RESPECT THE MASTER ROSTER!

(Opinions expressed are those of Michi-chan as an individual and does not reflect the opinions of VFRD or the OSDA.)

[Michi-chan]

I agree that the Renegades do play for the right reasons. They are no nonsense and truly meets my definition of REAL DERBY. As far as family friendly... well let's see here... we take our kids to see wrestling matches, we take them to NHL hockey games. What's wrong with taking them to see the Renegades or a professional derby game? I personally do not have an issue with that.

I feel that there is a place for all kinds of derby, even WFTDA. WFTDA, OSDA and MDC (Men's Derby Conference) are all going to make contributions to the sport in some way or another. After watching two weekends of tournaments, it is possible to have WFTDA still be an exciting game. As I mentioned in my column last week.. if WFTDA leagues would not follow the rule book to the letter on their home bouts, there would be some more excitement for the local home teams, especially markets (like Phoenix) where there are competing independent leagues. As much as I want to see Renegades succeed here in Phoenix, I also want to see AZRD succeed here. Hopefully with the right promotion, they will.

with derby love...
Michi-chan
=m

[Jokey]

God Bless the Renegades. They play the game for all the right reasons. So many leagues, (most seem to be in the WFTDA,) are loaded with people who aren't doing it for the right reasons. If you are in it to be "queen bee" you're doing it for the wrong reasons. If you are doing it for ego infatuation or for power, you are DEFINITELY doing it for the wrong reasons.

The Renegades don't even seem to care WHERE they skate as long as they can get decent footing. No national body telling them what to do, modest structure and a whole lot of girls who truely love the game. When you love the game you don't need a phonebook sized rulebook or a She-E-O's type board.

Is it family friendly? Who cares? They do what they do because they love it and that is all that matters.

[Father James]

I totally agree.

[D-Maschine]

what's boring about the OSDA rules? They are pretty close to the Original Roller Derby and Roller Games rules. Just no fighting.

I would love to see Renegades on Roller Games on a banked track!!! And also OSDA teams on the banked track. I also want to see our men's team on there as well.

[Father James]

Since Ihave gotten to knnow some of you gals.. I have to say Renegades rock!!

[hellbent heather]

thank you for all your support to the renegades!

[Rainbow Rage]

Oh you are just the sweetest thing ever! thanks for supporting us! I cant wait to see you again soon! I love being a Renegade Roller girl.

[RubyROX]

Awsome loved the blog.

[DavidSams]

Nice post. Thank you for the input.

drs

[Texas Timebomb]

We love you Michi-Chan!